Bucknell University
Canisius
Canisius Rallies Past Bison in Opener, 3-2 in OT
8/30/2013 12:02:00 PM | Men's Soccer
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Sophomore Chris Thorsheim scored two terrific goals to get Bucknell off to a great start, but Canisius stunned a large opening-night crowd at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium by netting three unanswered goals to hand the Bison a 3-2 defeat on Friday night.
Left back Alex DeCarolis scored twice for the Golden Griffins, and Asani Samuels tallied the game-winner 5:12 into sudden-death overtime to give Canisius its first win in three tries against Bucknell.
Bucknell's first goal of the 2013 season was one for the highlight reels. Thorsheim, who earned All-Patriot League honors as a freshman last season but was still searching for his first collegiate goal, went upper 90 from about 30 yards out in the 24th minute. Freshman Austin Lenart had just come on as a sub, and he won a ball in the Canisius half and fed Thorsheim to pick up his first career assist.
In the 35th minute, Canisius had a goal kick and elected to play it short to their right back. The ball was then passed into the center about 25 yards from goal, and Thorsheim picked the defender's pocket, walked in all alone and slipped a shot past the hard-charging goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead.
The Golden Griffins pulled one back about five minutes later on a corner kick. Denver Spearman sent the corner kick all the way back to DeCarolis coming in from the back, and his low strike skittered through heavy traffic untouched into the right side of the goal.
Bucknell carried its 2-1 lead into the 63rd minute, when DeCarolis was given space to come in from the left side of the penalty area and curl a shot into the upper right corner.
The Bison had some dangerous moments later in the game. Two minutes after the equalizer, freshman Justin Galiani had a good look from close range with the keeper out of position, but defender A.C. LaFlore cleared it off the line. Then in the final 20 seconds of regulation, Jesse Klug had the ball on his foot about 10 yards out, but Spearman came sliding in at the last second to smother the shot. Bucknell could not convert on the corner kick as time expired.
Neither team took a shot in overtime until Samuels' game-winner. The 6-5 Jamaican forward juked along the left side of the box, took a touch toward the end line, and then shot from a tough angle inside the far post.Bucknell finished with a 22-15 shot advantage. Mike Lansing made three saves in goal for the Bison, while Ryan Arvin stopped four shots for Canisius before being replaced by John Hollinger with about nine minutes left in regulation.
The Bison are back in action on Sept. 4 against Saint Francis (Pa.) at 7 p.m. at Emmitt Field.
