Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Soccer Visits Upstate NY Twice this Week vs. No. 2 Syracuse, Colgate
10/20/2014 5:02:00 PM | Men's Soccer
- Bucknell-Syracuse Live Stats
- Bucknell-Colgate Live Stats | Webcast on PLN
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's soccer team will make two trips to Upstate New York this week, first for a non-league test against second-ranked Syracuse on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and then for a key Patriot League matchup at Colgate on Saturday at 4 p.m.
On Tuesday the Bison will face a nationally ranked opponent for the third time this month. They fell to No. 4 Penn State 2-0 on Oct. 1 and to No. 20 American by a 1-0 count on Oct. 11. Last time out, Bucknell dropped another 1-0 verdict against defending Patriot League champion Navy, which has also been ranked at times earlier this year.
The Bison are looking to get their offense re-ignited after those back-to-back 1-0 losses to American and Navy, which came on the heels of a four-goal outburst in a win at Loyola. Bucknell is now 6-8 overall and 2-3 in the Patriot League, but the Bison still find themselves right in the thick of a mid-table logjam in the Patriot League.
Boston University (5-0 for 15 points) and Navy (4-1 for 12 points) have gained some separation, but the next seven teams in the standings are all sitting on either six or seven points. American and Army are both 2-2-1 for seven, and Bucknell, Loyola, Lehigh, Holy Cross and Colgate are all 2-3 for six.
Before returning their attention to Patriot League matters, the Bison will take on Syracuse for the first time since beating the Orange 1-0 at the 2009 Mayor's Cup in Oneonta, New York. The Bison are 2-3-1 all-time against Syracuse in a series that dates back to 1938. Bucknell's last trip to Syracuse was a 3-2 loss in 1942.
Syracuse is 12-2 overall, although the Orange had a school-record-tying eight-game winning streak snapped in a 2-1 overtime loss at Louisville on Saturday. Their only other setback was a 1-0 defeat at No. 4 Notre Dame on Sept. 13.
Even with the two goals against at Louisville, Syracuse has allowed only five goals all year while scoring 25. Emil Ekblom leads the team with six goals. Chris Nanco has scored four times, while Tyler Hilliard and Chris Perea have three apiece. Goalkeeper Alex Bono has an .896 save percentage, a 0.35 goals-against average and 10 shutouts while playing every minute between the pipes this season.
Colgate will also be in action on Tuesday, hosting Hartwick. Bucknell comes to town on Saturday looking to avenge a 2-1 home loss to the Raiders last season. Colgate has a 24-10-6 lead in 40 previous meetings dating back to 1963.
Sophomore Ethan Kutler, who scored against Bucknell last year, has exploded for 11 goals this season. No other Patriot League player has scored more than six. Kutler tallied 10 goals in the team's first eight games of the season, including a hat trick in a 3-1 win over Siena, and he has 11 of his team's 16 scores this year.
Colgate on Saturday snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory at Holy Cross. The Raiders' other Patriot League win came in overtime against Lafayette, while their PL losses are at the hands of Loyola, Army and Navy.
Jesse Klug (6-4-16), Jonathan Grad (5-3-13) and Chris Thorsheim (3-4-10) continue to be Bucknell's top point-producers, and they make Bucknell the only team in the Patriot League with three players with 10 or more points. Klug, who scored against Colgate in both 2012 and 2013, ranks second to Kutler in the Patriot League in both goals and points.
Despite the 6-8 record, Bucknell still has a +5 (18-13) goal differential on the season. The Bison rank fifth in the league in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
After this week's contests, the Bison will be down to three regular-season games, all against Patriot League opposition. They will have another mid-week match next week, coming at home against Lafayette on Wednesday.
