Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Soccer Hosts Navy on Saturday
10/16/2015 10:35:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Bucknell vs. Navy: Watch Live | Live Stats
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- In need of three points in the Patriot League standings, the Bucknell men's soccer team hosts preseason favorite Navy on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium. The game will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network.
An injury-depleted Bucknell side broke out of a scoring slump with a five-goal second half in a 5-2 win over Howard on Tuesday, and now the Bison are looking to make a move up the Patriot League table. Bucknell is 0-2-2 in league play thus far (4-5-4 overall) and sits in ninth place with two points, but it is only three points out of a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Navy is 3-0-0 in the league (6-4-1 overall) and is in second place, just one point behind 3-0-1 American with a game in hand.
Andrew Leischner helped lead the offensive outburst at Howard with his first two goals of the season, including a 35-yard strike that broke a 2-2 tie in the second half. Chris Thorsheim had a goal and an assist, and Thorsheim now leads the Patriot League in total points with 16 from six goals and four assists. His six goals are tied for the most in the league along with Boston University's Anthony Viteri, and Thorsheim's four assists are tied for second-most behind American's Liam Robley, who has eight.
Justin Galiani also has four assists to place him among the league leaders, and Sebastiaan Blickman jumped into the top 10 in goals (4) and points (10) after scoring on a header at Howard on Tuesday. Zack Rockmore scored his third goal of the season from his center back spot, most among Bison defenders.
Mike Lansing and Clarke Fox have shared time in goal this season. While Fox picked up the win at Howard on Tuesday, Lansing has started all four Patriot League games so far. He has an .820 save percentage, and his 5.12 saves per game lead the league and rank 12th nationally.
Bucknell (1.62) and Navy (1.45) rank second and third, respectively, in the Patriot League in goals per game thus far, although 13 of Bucknell's 21 goals have come in three wins over La Salle (4-2), Seton Hall (4-0) and Howard (5-2).
Navy has been consistent offensively, scoring at least once in 10 of its 11 games, with the exception being a 1-0 loss to Maryland. The Midshipmen have been idle since last Saturday, when they blanked Holy Cross 1-0 on an early goal from Derek Vogel.
Vogel, a center back, is the team's top scorer with 10 points on three goals and four assists. Aubrey Jones also has three goals, while Daniel Zaremba has two goals and two assists. Jamie Dubyoski, the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year and a Hermann Trophy Watch List honoree along with Thorsheim, just returned last week after missing seven games with an injury.
Defensively, Navy has allowed 11 goals in 11 games thus far. Jackson Morgan has seen all of the action in goal and has a 0.96 goals-against average, a .776 save percentage and five shutouts.
Bucknell and Navy last met in the 2014 Patriot League Tournament semifinals, and the fifth-seeded Bison eliminated the second-seeded and defending-champion Midshipmen in penalty kicks. The two teams played 110 scoreless minutes, and then Bucknell prevailed 5-4 in penalties. Austin Lenart converted to put the Bison ahead in the shootout, and then Fox made a great save to clinch it. Bucknell then went on to beat Boston University in overtime in the championship game two days later.
Navy won last year's regular-season meeting 1-0 in Annapolis behind a 65th-minute goal from Dubyoski and seven saves from Morgan.
Bucknell's last outright win over Navy was a 3-2 road decision in 2011. These two teams first met in 1930, and Navy leads the all-time series 25-11-4.
Following the Navy game, the Bison will have a week off before visiting first-place American on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.
