Men's Soccer Postseason Journey Continues Thursday with NCAA Match at UNCW

11/19/2014 1:03:00 PM | Men's Soccer

By: TBD

What: Bucknell (10-9-3) at UNC Wilmington (12-4-2)
Where: UNCW Soccer Stadium, Wilmington, N.C.
When: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, 7 p.m.
Webcast: UNCWSports.com
Live Statistics: UNCWSports.com

Complete Game Notes

The Bucknell men's soccer team travels to UNC Wilmington for an NCAA Tournament first-round game on Thursday night. While the Seahawks earned an at-large bid into the 48-team field, the Bison captured the Patriot League's automatic bid after a dramatic 3-2 overtime win over top-seeded Boston University in the PL final last Sunday. Bucknell will be making its seventh NCAA appearance in men's soccer and its fourth in the last nine years. The previous NCAA berths came in 1974, 1975, 1976, 2006, 2009 and 2010. The Bison are 3-6 all-time in NCAA games, with the wins coming in 1974, 2006 and 2009.

How the Bison Got Here
• Bucknell is making its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance, and it got here by peaking at just the right time. Playing in an extremely underrated Patriot League that had three different teams ranked in the top-25 this season (Boston University, American, Navy), the Bison went 4-3-2 in league play and entered the six-team Patriot League Tournament as the No. 5 seed.
• In the Patriot League Tournament, Bucknell played three times in six days, and it advanced in three different ways. First, the Bison went on the road and blew out fourth-seeded Lehigh 4-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semis against second-seeded and defending league champion Navy, the two teams battled through 110 scoreless minutes, and then Bucknell won it on a dramatic save by Clarke Fox in the sixth round of penalty kicks. In the final against top-seeded Boston University on the Terriers' home field, the Bison let two leads get away, but Sebastiaan Blickman's golden goal gave them a wild 3-2 win.
• Bucknell was reeling a bit after a three-game losing streak in mid-October in which it was outscored 6-1. But the Bison are unbeaten (4-0-3) with a 12-4 goal-differential in the seven matches since then.
• This week Bucknell is receiving seven votes in the NSCAA national coaches' poll, and the Bison are ranked fifth in the NSCAA Northeast Region poll.

More From the Patriot League Final
• Sophomore defensive center midfielder Sebastiaan Blickman had never scored a goal in college. So naturally he scored twice in the biggest game of his career, and he did it in his home state. The Lincoln, Massachusetts native headed in a free kick in the 54th minute to give the Bison a 2-1 lead, and after Boston University equalized in the 70th minute, Blickman flicked in a header from Jack Zollicoffer just 1:54 into extra time.
• Jesse Klug opened the scoring with the only goal of the first half, coming in the 32nd minute. It was Klug's team-leading 11th goal of the season.
• Chris Thorsheim assisted on two of Bucknell's goals, giving him a team-high seven helpers on the year.
• Bucknell finished with a 15-12 shot advantage and forced Boston University keeper Nick Thomson to make five saves. Clarke Fox stopped two shots for the Bison.
• Blickman earned a spot on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week after his performance against Boston University.

Carolina In My Mind
• Bucknell and UNC Wilmington will be meeting for the first time in men's soccer.
• This will be the second time Bucknell has played a game in the state of North Carolina. In 1997, the Bison lost 3-1 at Davidson.
• Bucknell has played two other North Carolina schools at home. In 1982 the Bison defeated Wake Forest 1-0, and in 2006 they topped Campbell 2-1.
• Bucknell has two North Carolina natives on its roster, and both are key players. Senior co-captain Jonathan Grad and freshman Jack Zollicoffer are both from Charlotte and Charlotte Latin High School. Grad played club soccer for Charlotte Soccer Academy, and Zollicoffer played for the Charlotte Rapids USSDA Academy.

About UNC Wilmington
• The Seahawks are 12-4-2 overall and finished 5-2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Conference. They finished in a three-way tie for first atop the CAA standings and earned the No. 2 seed for the CAA Tournament, but they were knocked off by James Madison 2-0 in the semifinals.
• UNCW has beaten four top-25 teams this season — Duke, North Carolina, South Carolina and Campbell — and has been ranked itself for much of the year. Prior to the CAA Tournament, the Seahawks were ranked 21st by Top Drawer Soccer, 25th by College Soccer News and were receiving votes in the NSCAA Coaches' Poll.
• Offensively, the Seahawks are led by 10-goal scorer Jamie Dell. Colin Bonner and Mateo Cardona have four goals each for a UNCW side that has tallied 29 times in 18 matches.
• Defensively, UNCW has allowed 16 goals and has seven shutouts on the season. Back Jacob VanCompernolle was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year. Sean Melvin was the team's starting goalkeeper for the first 12 games of the season, posting a 0.86 goals-against average and a 9-2-1 record with four shutouts. Sam Williams has started the last six matches and has a 0.80 GAA, three clean sheets and a 3-2-1 record.

Bison Knock Out Defending Champs in Penalty Kicks
• After 110 scoreless minutes, Bucknell survived six rounds of penalty kicks and advanced past defending-champion Navy in the semifinals on Friday.
• 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. Zack 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 Clarke Fox held his ground and stopped Dudley's attempt, setting off a jubilant celebration by the orange-clad Bison.

Bison Top Mountain Hawks in Quarterfinals
• After a slow start, the Bison scored in the 30th minute and the goals just kept coming in a 4-0 rout of Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals.
• All four goals were unassisted. The first came on Mark Leibensperger's free kick that went in off the head of a Lehigh player in the wall. Less than two minutes later, Jonathan Grad blocked a Lehigh clearance in the box and popped it in the net from close range. In the second half, Chris Thorsheim scored on another free kick, and Jesse Klug closed it out with a penalty kick in the final minute.
• The four goals were the most ever by the Bison in a Patriot League Tournament match. Coming into this season, Bucknell had never scored four goals against a Patriot League opponent on the road, but now it has done it twice this year. The Bison also hit that mark in a 4-1 win at Loyola on Oct. 8.
• Bucknell became the sixth team in 25 years to score four or more goals in a Patriot League Tournament game, and the Bison are now the first to do so on their opponent's home field. Lafayette holds the tournament record with five goals in a 5-1 win over Holy Cross in 2003.

Klug Hits Double Digits Again, Moves into Bucknell Top-10s
• Junior forward Jesse Klug hit the 10-goal mark for the second straight year with his PK at Lehigh in the Patriot League quarterfinals, and he added his career-high 11th in the championship game at Boston University. Klug now has 24 goals and 60 points in his career, both of which now rank in the top 10 in program history at Bucknell.

Bucknell Career Points Leaders
1. Dave Domsohn, 1985-88 138
2. David Rath, 1967-69 98
3. Bruce Strasburg, 1971-74 88
4. Scott Strasburg, 1973-76 86
5. Lyman Ott, 1959-61 78
6. Conor O'Brien, 2006-09 77
7. Bob Rhein, 1981-84 75
8. Greg Beatty, 1991-94 70
9. Bill Dahl, 1960-62 62
10. Jesse Klug, 2012-pres. 60

Bucknell Career Goals Leaders
1. Dave Domsohn, 1985-88 52
2. David Rath, 1967-69 42
3. Bruce Strasburg, 1971-74 38
4. Lyman Ott, 1959-61 34
5. Scott Strasburg, 1973-76 33
6. Bob Rhein, 1981-84 30
Greg Beatty, 1991-94 30
8. Bill Dahl, 1960-62 27
9. Conor O'Brien, 2006-09 26
10. Jesse Klug, 2012-pres. 24

Bucknell Single-Season Points Leaders
1. David Rath, 1969 48
2. Dave Domsohn, 1985 45
3. Bruce Strasburg, 1973 37
Dave Domsohn, 1988 37
5. Lyman Ott, 1960 35
6. Scott Strasburg, 1976 33
7. Dave Domsohn, 1987 31
Conor O'Brien, 2009 31
9. Bill Dahl, 1962 29
10. Greg Beatty, 1993 27
Scott Visnic, 2003 27
Jesse Klug, 2014 27

Head Coach Brendan Nash
Bison head coach Brendan Nash is in his 16th season at Bucknell. Nash is currently 153-123-41, and he ranks No. 2 on Bucknell's all-time wins list, trailing only Craig Reynolds (238). Nash was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2000, 2003 and 2009, and he led the Bison to the 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2014 Patriot League titles.

Ccoaching Stability
Bucknell has had only two head coaches since 1967. Craig Reynolds had the reins from 1967-98, and when Reynolds retired following the 1998 season, he turned the playbook over to his assistant coach Brendan Nash, who has manned the Bison sideline ever since.

Postseason Honors
• Bucknell had four players named to the All-Patriot League Team and two to the Academic All-Patriot League Team.
• Junior Chris Thorsheim earned All-PL honors for the third straight year and First Team credit for the second year in a row. Thorsheim is Bucknell's sixth three-time All-Patriot League selection, joining Brendan Burgdorf, Conor O'Brien, Adam Edwards, Michael Lookingland and Bill Epley.
• Junior Jesse Klug earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors after earning a First Team citation a year ago.
• Senior co-captains Brian Ward (Second Team) and Jonathan Grad (Third Team) made the All-PL squad for the first time in their careers.
• Four Bison were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team: Sebastiaan Blickman (MVP), Mark Leibensperger, Ward and Thorsheim.

Books First
• Jesse Klug and Jonathan Grad were both named to the 11-man Academic All-Patriot League Team, and Klug also earned a spot on the Capital One Academic All-District Team.
• Klug is a managing for sustainability major with a 3.65 cumulative GPA. In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, Klug is also extremely active in social issues on and off campus. His managing for sustainability course load has an emphasis on economic and socio-cultural issues, and he is pursuing a minor in social justice. Klug will study in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua next spring as part of the Social Change in Central America program. Last year Klug was the co-founder and executive board member with the Bucknell Chapter of Net Impact, a networking opportunity for Bucknell students who are seeking internships and jobs in sustainability, as well as experience in local community development through small businesses and charitable organizations. He was nominated and selected to participate in the Sophomore LEAD (Leading, Engaged, Active, Determined) leadership development workshop series. Klug is a member of the Pennsylvania Student Equity Coalition and writes for the Keystone Student Voice online magazine. Last January, he attended the Creating Change Conference in Houston, and he was one of 12 Campus Pride “Leaders in Action” promoting social justice and inclusion on campus. In October 2013, Klug authored third-most-read article of the year on Outsports.com, and his “Open Letter on Homosexuality” was also picked up by The Huffington Post, The Advocate, OUT Online Magazine and others.
• Grad is an accounting and financial management major with a 3.50 GPA. He is a member of Bucknell's Student Managed Investment Fund, a group of students who manage $1.6 million of Bucknell's endowment. Last summer he interned at GE Capital in the risk management division, and in 2013 he interned at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he assisted the senior VP with the management of a $250 million portfolio.
• Bucknell's six-man senior class has a combined cumulative GPA of 3.58.

PK Success
• Bucknell got by Navy in penalty kicks in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals, winning 5-4 in six rounds.
• Chris Thorsheim, Jonathan Grad, Jesse Klug, Mark Leibensperger and Austin Lenart all connected for the Bison, and Clarke Fox dove to his right to make the winning save on Brock Dudley.
• Three active Bison have taken regulation-time penalty kicks, with a 100% success rate: Thorsheim (6-6), Klug (1-1) and Grad (1-1).
• Bucknell is 4-3 in program history in penalty kick shootouts.

Junior Class Production
Brendan Nash has received tremendous production from his junior class over the last two-plus seasons:
• Jesse Klug has become one of the Patriot League's premier strikers. He has 24 goals and 12 assists in his career. Last year he earned First Team All-Patriot League and First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors after scoring 10 goals, and he was a Second Team All-Patriot League pick this year.
• Center midfielder Chris Thorsheim is a three-time All-Patriot League selection (first team 2013 and 2014, second team 2012), and he also earned Second Team All-Region honors last season. Thorsheim has 12 career goals and is a perfect 6-for-6 from the penalty spot.
• Bucknell has an outstanding goalkeeper tandem with juniors Clarke Fox and Mike Lansing. After serving as the backup for two-plus seasons, Fox has emerged as the starter in recent weeks. He was the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week last week and now has six shutouts and a 0.80 GAA on the season. Lansing was a Second Team All-Patriot League pick last season. He has 15 career shutouts, sixth-most in program history.
• Other key members of the junior class include hard-nosed midfielder Patrick Figgie, versatile midfielder/defender Connor Willings, and back Mark Kramarchuk, who was solid in two starts last month.

Rockmore Makes Immediate Impact
A late addition to that junior class is center back Zach Rockmore, who is in his first year at Bucknell after transferring from Boston College. Rockmore quickly nailed down the starting spot vacated by Mayowa Alli, and he has been a defensive anchor for the Bison this season.

Bucknell Patriot League Tournament History
• Bucknell is 6-6-6 all-time in the Patriot League Tournament, which dates back to 1990. Those six “ties” were all decided in penalty kicks, and Bucknell is 4-2 in PKs, including a win over Lafayette in the 2006 championship game.
• Bucknell has won Patriot League titles in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2014.
• The Bison have played in the Patriot League championship game five times. In addition to the four wins in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2014, Bucknell fell to Army 4-2 in overtime in 1993.

Bison Briefs
• Jesse Klug has led the Patriot League in shot attempts in each of his first two seasons, and he will do so again this year. Klug has taken 103 shots, and the next-most is 70 from Lehigh's Jamie Luchini.
• In the NCAA Division I player rankings, Klug ranks 10th in total points and 15th in goals.
• Bucknell opponents are averaging only 10.7 shots per game this season. Bison goalkeepers have only been called upon to make 69 saves, the fewest in the Patriot League.
• Bucknell's 10 yellow cards this season are the fewest in the Patriot League.
• Senior Brian Ward leads the team in minutes played with 1,969 (89.5 per game)
• Active Bison with “Golden Goals”:
• Sebastiaan Blickman — 11/16/14 at Boston University
• Jonathan Grad — 9/27/14 at Army
• Chris Thorsheim — 11/8/13 at Boston University