Bucknell University Athletics
Burgdorf, Alli Earn Major Awards; Four Bison Receive All-Patriot League Men's Soccer Honors
11/9/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 9, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell men's soccer team celebrated a return to the postseason over the weekend, and on Tuesday five Bison earned individual recognition from the Patriot League, including major award winners Brendan Burgdorf (Westfield, N.J./Pingry School) and Mayowa Alli (Lanham, Md./Bishop McNamara). Burgdorf was named the 2010 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and Alli was chosen as the Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
Burgdorf, a sophomore forward, and senior defender Ross Liberati (Warwick, Md./Tower Hill) were both First Team All-Patriot League selections, while senior midfielder Tommy McCabe (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney) and junior defender Andrew Powell (Charlton, Mass./St. John's) were Second Team All-Patriot League picks.
Bucknell has now claimed the Offensive Player of the Year three straight years, as Conor O'Brien captured the award in both 2008 and 2009. The only other Bison to win that honor was Scott Visnic in 2003.
Burgdorf is tied for the Patriot League lead in both goals (6) and points (14). Two of his goals came in Patriot League games against Holy Cross and Colgate. Early in the season he scored in back-to-back games against Penn State and Ohio State en route to all-tournament honors at the Penn State Classic. He had the game-winner in the 77th minute against the 15th-ranked Nittany Lions. Burgdorf also scored a dramatic tying goal with 1:23 left in regulation against Drexel in a game the Bison later won in overtime.
Burgdorf was an NSCAA Third Team All-Region selection as a freshman last season when he scored nine goals, but this is his first All-Patriot League honor.
Alli earned his second Patriot League Rookie of the Week certificate on Monday, two days after scoring the overtime winner at Lehigh that sent Bucknell into the Patriot League Tournament. He has had a terrific freshman campaign, playing in 17 games with 15 starts at left back.
In addition to lending another athletic presence to the back four, he has also contributed offensively, ranking tied for third on the team with nine points on three goals and three assists. All three goals have been clutch. In addition to Saturday's golden goal at Lehigh, Alli scored two 86th-minute goals just 50 seconds apart to help the Bison steal a 3-3 tie from Colgate on Oct. 23.
Alli becomes Bucknell's third Patriot League Rookie of the Year, joining Adam Edwards in 2002 and Nathan LaGrave in 2006.
Liberati is a First Team All-Patriot League choice for the second year in a row. The Bison co-captain anchors the defense from his central defensive position, and he is also very dangerous in the box on set pieces. He has chipped in three goals and an assist so far this season. Liberati had two goals and an assist in a 3-1 win over La Salle, and he also scored against Furman. On Saturday at Lehigh, his bicycle kick in front of the cage kept the play alive for Alli to volley home the game-winning goal in overtime.
Like Burgdorf, Liberati was a Third Team All-Region selection in 2009, and he was an all-tourney selection at the Penn State Classic.
Powell earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors for the second year in a row. The tall, athletic defender overcame a preseason injury to play in 17 of the team's 18 matches, with 16 starts. In addition to his usual solid defensive play, Powell continued to score big goals for the Bison. He had two goals and two assists on the season. His first goal was a 45-yard bomb that proved to be the game-winner in a 2-1 league victory over Army, and he also scored against Binghamton.
Three of Powell's four career goals are second-half tie-breakers. This week's Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, Powell also assisted on CK Kumah's tying goal late in Saturday's important win at Lehigh.
Powell is a multi-sport All-Patriot Leaguer, as he was honored in track and field after winning the decathlon and finishing second in the high jump at the 2010 Patriot League Outdoor Championships.
McCabe, a senior outside midfielder, is enjoying his best season in a Bucknell uniform in 2010, and he was rewarded with his first All-Patriot League citation. McCabe's 14 points are tied with Burgdorf for the most in the league, and his eight assists are two more than any other league player.
McCabe's season assist total is tied for eighth-highest in program history, and his 12 career assists are just two shy of Bucknell's top-10 list. He recorded the 13th three-assist game in school history when he had a hand in all of Bucknell's goals in a 3-1 win over La Salle early in the season. His free kick with 16 seconds left in regulation gave the Bison a 1-0 win over Adelphi, and he also scored goals against Lafayette and UMBC.
McCabe, who takes most of Bucknell's direct kicks and corner kicks, assisted on both of Alli's dramatic goals in the wild 3-3 draw against Colgate, and he had a five-game points streak late in the year.
Elsewhere, Lehigh junior Kevin Strunk was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, Colgate's Chris Miller was the Goalkeeper of the Year, and Colgate's Erik Ronning was picked as Coach of the Year.
Bucknell tied for third place in the final Patriot League regular-season standings, and the Bison will be the No. 4 seed at this weekend's Patriot League Tournament. They will face No. 1 seed and tournament host Colgate in the tourney opener Friday at 5 p.m. Lehigh and American will meet in the other semifinal, with the winners advancing to the championship match Sunday at 1 p.m.
