Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy (Patriot League Tournament Semifinals)
Men's Soccer on to PL Championship Game after Besting Navy in PKs
11/14/2014 10:46:00 PM | Men's Soccer
BOSTON, Mass. -- Clarke Fox made a game-clinching save on Navy's Brock Dudley to decide penalty kicks, sending fifth-seeded Bucknell into the Patriot League championship game. The Bison played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer against second-seeded and defending champion Navy, and the 5-4 outcome in PKs sets up a title match with top-seeded Boston University on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Nickerson Field.
Bucknell (9-9-3) withstood pressure from the Midshipmen (11-4-5) for much of the night, but led by terrific performances from center backs Brian Ward and Zack Rockmore, the Bison limited the quality of Navy's chances. The Mids attempted 20 shots, but only five were on goal, and Fox stopped them all.
Bucknell's Jesse Klug just missed on a good look about two minutes into the first overtime period, and the two teams headed to penalties, where the Bison are now 4-2 in the Patriot League Tournament.
There was no blood through three rounds of PKs. Chris Thorsheim, Jesse Klug and Jonathan Grad all converted for Bucknell, but Sam Bascom, Joseph Greenspan and Daniel Camuti answered for Navy.
Rockmore sent his shot over the bar in round four, but moments later Navy's P.J. Suess skimmed his attempt off the top of the crossbar. Mark Leibensperger and Derek Vogel swapped goals in the fifth round to keep it even. Austin Lenart opened the sixth by burying a shot into the top right corner, and then Fox held his ground and stopped Dudley's attempt, setting off a jubilant celebration by the orange-clad Bison.
"We knew it was going to take a lot to knock out the defending champions, but our guys just kept working," said head coach Brendan Nash. "Hats off to Navy, they were a great champion. They put us under a lot of pressure, but I thought we were able to limit their chances. Sometimes it's just in the stars, and tonight it was in the stars for Bucknell."
Bucknell has now kept a clean sheet for all 200 minutes in the Patriot League Tournament. The Bison blanked Lehigh in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, and in this one they kept the Patriot League's highest scoring team off the board for only the second time all season.
Bucknell will be playing in the Patriot League championship game for the fifth time. The Bison won titles in 2006, 2009 and 2010, and they lost in the final in overtime in 1993.
Top-seeded and tournament host Boston University was 66 seconds away from going to penalty kicks as well in the first semifinal, but Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Dominique Badji scored at the end of double-overtime to lift the Terriers past sixth-seeded Army 1-0.
Bucknell and Boston University will be meeting for the second time in eight days. They closed the regular season with a 1-1 draw in Lewisburg last Saturday.
Sunday's championship game can be seen live and free of charge on the Patriot League Network.
