Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Men's Lax Downed by No. 16 Lehigh, 9-3
3/8/2014 3:38:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Dan Taylor recorded four goals and an assist and 16th-ranked Lehigh broke open a tight defensive struggle with a five-goal third quarter en route to a 9-3 win over Bucknell in a rematch of the 2013 Patriot League championship game on Saturday afternoon at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The Bison fell to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the Patriot League with the loss, while Lehigh improved to 5-1, 2-1.
Sean Doyle picked up a goal and an assist, and Thomas Flibotte and David Dickson also hit the net for the Bison, but they endured a 50:28 scoreless drought after taking an early 1-0 lead. Lehigh scored three times in the third quarter to take a 3-1 halftime lead, then opened up the floodgates with a big third period.
Flibotte's shot on the run from the right wing just 4:50 into the game opened the scoring, but that would be the game's only goal of the first 20 minutes as both defenses were rock solid early on. Lehigh finally got on the board at the 10:49 mark of the second quarter. Bucknell was going to be flagged for offsides when Reid Weber passed to Taylor, who scored from close range.
Weber scored himself just over four minutes later, with Billy Oppenheimer collecting the first of his three assists. With 3:55 left in the half, Taylor gathered a wide shot behind the goal and ducked in for his second of the day to make it 3-1 at the half.
Taylor scored twice more in the first 3:32 of the third quarter before the Bison even had a second-half possession. It remained 5-1 until Alex Eaton scored twice and Patrick Corbett once in the final 2:51 of the quarter. Eaton's outside shot with four seconds remaining ballooned the lead to 8-1.
Corbett scored a man-up goal with 8:27 left in the fourth quarter to make it 9-1, and then Dickson and Doyle scored late for the Bison. Dickson's goal extended his point-scoring streak to 32 straight games, the ninth-longest active streak in the nation. Doyle's was a highlight-reel goal, a diving shot on the crease after he cut in from the left side while drawing a penalty.
Lehigh controlled the time of possession thanks to a 12-4 edge in faceoffs and a 36-24 advantage in ground balls. That led to a 37-20 shot advantage.
Bucknell goalie Sam Grinberg had a strong day, finishing with a career-high 15 saves, including nine in the fourth quarter. Matt Poillon stopped seven shots for Lehigh.
Bucknell now faces another tough test on Tuesday when it visits No. 4/6 North Carolina in Chapel Hall at 4 p.m. That game will be streamed live on ESPN3.
