Men's Soccer: Three Games in Five Days this Week

LEWISBURG, Pa. --The Bucknell men's soccer team will have plenty of opportunities to put a disappointing season-opening loss behind it, as the Bison will play three times in a span of five days, all at home, starting with a Wednesday night tilt against Saint Francis (Pa.). Bucknell will also host Buffalo on Friday at 7 p.m. and La Salle on Sunday at 2 p.m. All three matches will air live on Bison Vision on the Patriot League Network.

The Bison dropped a tough 3-2 overtime decision to Canisius last Friday before a large crowd at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium. A pair of goals from sophomore midfielder Chris Thorsheim staked them to a 2-0 lead, but the Golden Griffins mounted a rally and won it on a golden goal in the fifth minute of overtime.

Thorsheim's goals were the first two of his career, and they were both sensational. The first came on a brilliant strike from outside the box to the upper left corner. The second came when he picked the pocket of a Canisius defender and scored just before being taken out by the onrushing goalkeeper.

Freshman Austin Lenart collected his first career point with the assist on Thorsheim's first goal. SophomoreJesse Klug, who led the Patriot League in shot attempts last season, paced all players with six shots as the Bison racked up a 22-15 shot advantage on the night.

Now Bucknell must regroup against a Saint Francis team that is already 2-0, including a 4-1 drubbing of that very same Canisius team that won in Lewisburg last week. Northeast Conference Player of the Week Nick Kolarac scored twice in that game, and he also nabbed the lone goal in the Red Flash's 1-0 win at William & Mary in the season opener.

Saint Francis has played in two of the last three NEC championship games, and it was picked third in this year's NEC preseason poll.

Bucknell is 9-4-2 all-time against the Red Flash, including a 1-0 win in Loretto last season. Josh Butzke's first career goal came in the sixth minute, and it held up as the game-winner as Mike Lansing recorded his first career shutout with five saves. In the last meeting at Emmitt Field, Bucknell scored three times in the first half and cruised to a 4-1 win. Current Bison Mayowa Alli and Pat Plourde scored in that game.

Buffalo will come to Bucknell with an 0-1-1 record after falling at St. Bonaventure 3-1 and drawing Vermont 1-1 over the weekend. Nicolai Berry and Russell Cicerone have accounted for the Bulls' goals so far.

These two teams have not met since the 2008 season opener, when Buffalo scored on a corner kick with 3:13 left in regulation to steal a 2-1 win in Buffalo. Mark Schmiegel scored for the Bison that night. The previous year in Lewisburg, Conor O'Brien found the net twice for Bucknell in a 2-2 tie. The Bison are 2-3-1 all-time against the Bulls.

La Salle is opening the season with three straight games against Patriot League competition. The Explorers opened with a 2-2 draw Friday at Lafayette, where they conceded the tying goal with 2:05 to play. La Salle visits Patriot League newcomer Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday before traveling to Bucknell for the Sunday afternoon clash.

Last year in Philadelphia, CK Kumah and Josh Plump scored 42 seconds apart early in the second half, and Bucknell held off La Salle 2-1. The Bison were outshot 23-16, but Mike Lansing made nine saves.

Two seasons ago at Emmitt Field, Alli was the star of the night for the Bison, as he scored the tying goal with 19 seconds left in the first half and the winning goal 48 seconds into overtime in a 2-1 victory. Both goals came on headers, one on a free kick and one on a corner kick.

Bucknell is 8-2-3 all-time against the Explorers. The first meeting came in the 1974 East Coast Conference championship game, when the Bison won 2-1 to claim the title. Three days later they beat Penn State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. La Salle's wins over Bucknell came in 1982 and 2004. The Bison are 5-0-3 against the Explorers since 2005.

After this four-game homestand ends on Sunday, the Bison will head out on the road for three matches against Albany, Siena and Seton Hall. By the time they return back home on Sept. 28, it will be for the start of Patriot League play against Army.