Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Soccer Opens Season Friday at Home vs. Canisius
8/28/2013 11:49:00 AM | Men's Soccer
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell begins its 84th men's soccer season on Friday night when Canisius visits Emmitt Field for a 7 p.m. start. The contest will be the first of four straight at home to begin the season, and it will be webcast live on Bison Vision on the Patriot League Network.
Brendan Nash's squad has had a busy preseason. The Bison posted a pair of shutout wins in scrimmages against Binghamton and Franklin & Marshall, and now they prepare to face a Canisius squad that is coming off an 8-7-2 season in 2012.
The last time these two teams met was in 2008 in Buffalo, N.Y., the Bison came away with a wild 5-4 victory that included a school-record-tying four goals from Chris Hennings. The Golden Griffins erased a 4-1 deficit with three goals in a five-minute span late in the game, but Hennings scored with 4:28 remaining to win it for Bucknell.
The only other all-time meeting between Bucknell and Canisius was a 2-0 Bison victory in the championship game of the Bulls Fall Invitational in Buffalo in 2002. This year's meeting marks the Golden Griffins' first trip to Lewisburg.
Canisius is led by Preseason All-MAAC defender Alex DeCarolis. The Griffs were picked seventh out of 11 teams in the MAAC Preseason Poll.
The Patriot League coaches and sports information directors tabbed Bucknell to finish sixth in the newly expanded 10-team conference. American was picked first in the poll. The Eagles logged nine first-place votes and 151 points. League newcomers Boston University (130 points) and Loyola Maryland (121) were picked second and third, respectively, just ahead of defending champion Lafayette with 115 points.
Colgate is listed fifth with 98 points followed by Bucknell with 87. The Patriot League Tournament has expanded to six teams this season, with the top two seeds receiving first-round byes. Navy (67), Lehigh (51), Holy Cross (44) and Army (36) rounded out the poll.
Senior fullback Mayowa Alli was named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Alli will serve as team captain in 2013 and is one of four seniors on a youthful Bison roster.
Here is a more in-depth look at the 2013 Bison men's soccer team:
Brendan Nash is entering his 15th season as head coach of the Bucknell men's soccer program, and for the first time in quite a few years, he enters a season not entirely sure what his team will look like stylistically. He knows it will be a younger team, with six key players lost to graduation and only four seniors on the 2013 roster, and Nash figures it might take time for this group to establish its identity.
“We don't quite know who we are yet,” said Nash, who is Bucknell's second-longest-tenured soccer coach behind only his predecessor Craig Reynolds. “By the time Patriot League play gets here on Sept. 28 we have to have it figured out. We have talent and we are much deeper, which means that we will be able to adapt better to game situations and injuries, but it also means that it is going to take us some time to see which combinations work best.”
The Bison appear to be especially strong up the middle of the field, where sophomore striker Jesse Klug, sophomore center midfielder Chris Thorsheim, senior center back Mayowa Alli and sophomore goalkeeper Mike Lansing are all among the Patriot League's best at their respective positions.
Alli is the team captain, and his athleticism not only makes him a standout defender, but he is also extremely dangerous on restarts in the offensive third. Alli was the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2010, and as a sophomore he was a First Team All-Patriot League and Second Team All-Region selection. He was the team's leading scorer with seven goals as a defender in 2011, and he was off to another strong start last year until his season was disrupted by a shoulder injury in the middle of conference play.
“The injury bug really hit our team last year, and one of the biggest ones was Mayowa,” said Nash, whose squad finished 7-8-5 overall and qualified for the Patriot League Tournament with a fourth-place finish. “This is Mayowa's team. He is back to 100 percent health-wise and he has really run with the leadership aspect.”
Three other veterans, seniors Joe Meyer and Josh Butzke along with junior Brian Ward, also figure to have prominent roles on defense. That trio combined to miss only one start all of last season. Meyer, a Capital One Academic All-America selection last year, spent much of his career at outside midfield, but he moved to right back last season, and Nash feels that is his best position. Ward also made a move last season from holding center mid to left back, and this year he could play the other center back spot next to Alli. When Ward moved out of the defensive midfield position, Butzke capably slid in there.
Sophomore Connor Willings started six games in the back four as a freshman last season, and he is a strong candidate to reclaim one of those starting spots. Junior Rafael Enriquez-Hesles and sophomore Mark Kramarchuk are also battling for minutes in the back line.
Nash is very high on a pair of first-year defenders in Adam Bradshaw and Peter Krebs. Bradshaw brings quite a resume to Bucknell, as the Ontario native played for the Toronto FC Academy Team and the Canadian U18 National Team. Krebs could be a physical force at 6'4”, and Nash feels that once he adjusts to the speed of the Division I game Krebs can become a contributor.
Behind that strong defensive line are a pair of talented sophomore goalkeepers in Lansing and Clarke Fox. Lansing had a terrific rookie season in 2012, posting a league-best 0.86 goals-against average to go with five shutouts. His .843 save percentage ranked ninth nationally and second among all Division I freshmen. Fox made two starts last season, posting a shutout win and a draw, and Nash is comforted knowing that he has the luxury of two top-class keepers in the program.
“If Mike Lansing plays up to his ability, he can be talked about in the same company with the best goalkeepers that have ever played at Bucknell,” praised Nash. “He is freakishly athletic and is the fastest player on the team. We'll see how he matures as a keeper as his career progresses, but he has all of the tools. And with Clarke, we really look at our goalie situation as having a 1A and a 1B. We have the utmost confidence in Clarke. He has gotten a lot better, and he will definitely get games this year.”
Popular senior Orman Kimbrough, one of the team's “glue guys,” will serve as the No. 3 goalkeeper.
Offensively, Nash is looking for a breakout season from Klug, who started every game at forward as a freshman last year. Klug finished with three goals and four assists, but he seemed inches away from another bucketful of goals. He certainly had himself well-positioned, as his 66 shot attempts were far and away the most in the league.
“For us to be successful, we are going to need Jesse to score goals,” said Nash. “Last year he played up front with some very experienced seniors in Brendan Burgdorf and Josh Plump, and Jesse really flourished as the go-to guy in the spring. He has a special ability to score goals.”
Juniors Pat Plourde and Conor Keeley, along with freshman Justin Galiani, provide Nash with depth up front to spell Klug. Plourde has good size, strikes the ball well and often puts himself in dangerous positions. He can either give Klug a blow, or if the Bison need to press for a goal, he also plays well alongside Klug in a two-forward lineup.
Keeley logged two goals and an assist in 16 minutes of reserve action against Adelphi last season, and Nash sees him as a good situational player who can come in and make smart runs in good spots. Galiani has the potential to be a handful for opposing defenses at 6'4”. He can get to the end of any ball in the air, and he brings a good change of pace when Klug comes off.
Thorsheim reminds Nash quite a bit of former star center midfielder Conor O'Brien, who now plays for one of the top pro teams in Denmark. It is no coincidence that Thorsheim was given O'Brien's old No. 8. Neither player was overly physically imposing, but both have off-the-charts field vision and terrific ball skills. Thorsheim tallied four assists last season and earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors.
“We are looking for Chris to expand his offensive game,” said Nash. “Our offense goes through him. He really reads the game well and has a very good offensive mind. He had a good rookie year and it is a matter of time before the goals start coming.”
Elsewhere in the midfield, junior Jonathan Grad is another of the players now back healthy after battling injuries last season. Grad did score a goal in 17 appearances last season, but after offseason surgery has looked very good in the preseason.
Junior John Miller moves to a new role at right midfield after playing mostly in the defensive third previously. Another junior, Mark Leibensperger, has a tireless work rate and is competing for time after scoring a goal in seven games last year.
Sophomore Patrick Figgie started four games and played in 16 as a freshman in 2012. He scored two goals, including the game-winner in a 1-0 victory at NJIT, and he has the versatility to play on either side of the field.
Freshmen Sebastiaan Blickman, Andrew Leischner, Austin Lenart and Crispin Muessle are all promising midfielders battling for playing time. In preseason training, Leischner stood out as a small, quick, attack-minded center midfielder.
The Patriot League will have a new look in 2013 with the addition of Boston University and Loyola Maryland. With 10 teams now in the league, the Patriot League Tournament has expanded from four teams to six, with the top two seeds receiving byes for the quarterfinal round.
Bucknell opens the 2013 campaign with four straight home games, and the Patriot League opener is also at home against Army on Sept. 28. The Bison play five of their nine conference games at Emmitt Field.
“There is some uncharted territory for Loyola, Boston University and the whole league,” said Nash. “We don't know them very well, but they also don't know us. We have a good schedule where we will get to play a lot of games at home in front of our great crowds. We lost some tough games at home last year, and one of our primary goals for this year is to get back to protecting our home field.”
While Alli will wear the captain's armband, Butzke, Kimbrough and Meyer are all poised to play prime leadership roles as well.
“Our senior class is excited for the opportunity to lead us,” said Nash. “There were some strong personalities among last year's six seniors. Now these four have the chance to lead the team and write their own legacy.”
