Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Soccer Hosts Loyola Wednesday as Playoff Chase Heats Up *UPDATED START TIME*
10/27/2015 1:58:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Bucknell vs. Loyola: Live Stats | Live Video
Bucknell vs. Lehigh: Live Stats | Live Video
**UPDATE -- The Bucknell-Loyola men's soccer game time has been moved up to 5 p.m.**
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's soccer team is down to its final three games of the regular season, and the Bison know they are going to need a strong finish to earn one of the six Patriot League Tournament berths. Six big points are on the line this week, as the Bison host Loyola on Wednesday at 5 p.m., followed by a road match at Lehigh on Saturday at 7 p.m. Both contests will be streamed on the Patriot League Network.
Bucknell is 5-6-4 overall and 1-3-2 in the Patriot League. With five points, the Bison are in ninth place in the table, but they are just three points out of sixth. Boston University leads the way with 13 points, followed by Colgate (12), American (10), Navy (9), Lehigh (9), Army (8), Holy Cross (8), Lafayette (7), Bucknell and Loyola (1). Army and Navy both have a game in hand, as they will have to make up a postponed match next week.
The Bison won the league title last year, but some key injuries have led to some peaks and valleys thus far this season. They had won two straight games, including a big one at home against Navy, before being stymied by red-hot American this past Saturday in Washington, D.C.
All-star striker Jesse Klug returned on Saturday in a limited role after missing the previous six games with a foot injury. Klug had four goals and two assists before going down early in the Boston University game on Sept. 27, and he ranks eighth in Bucknell history in goals (28) and points (70). His return should give a boost to an offense that has been kept off the board in three of its last five games.
Chris Thorsheim leads the squad with 16 points on six goals and four assists. He ranks third in the league in goals and points and sixth in assists. Justin Galiani is also sixth in the league with four assists.
Loyola is 2-10-2 overall and 0-5-1 in the Patriot League, with the league point coming in a 1-1 draw with Lafayette on Oct. 3. One of the Greyhounds' wins was a 1-0 upset of No. 11 UMBC on Sept. 12, and they also topped Drexel 3-2 at home last week.
Xander Saling has three goals for Loyola, which has been outscored 28-6 on the season. Matt Sanchez has started all but one game in goal and has 48 saves with 20 goals against.
Bucknell is 3-0 all-time against Loyola, including 2-0 as Patriot League cohorts. The Bison won 4-1 last season in Baltimore behind two goals each from Klug and Jonathan Grad. Austin Lenart had two assists, and Klug, Thorsheim and Connor Willings had one assist each.
Klug also scored against the Greyhounds in the last meeting in Lewisburg in 2013. The Bison won that one 2-0.
Saturday's opponent, Lehigh, will bring a 9-5-1/3-3-0 record into Wednesday's home clash with arch-rival Lafayette. The Mountain Hawks have won three in a row, including Saturday's big 3-2 overtime win on the road against first-place Boston University. Doyle Tuvesson's third goal of the season was the game-winner against the Terriers.
Of Lehigh's 22 goals on the season, 21 have come from four players. Jamie Luchini is tied for the Patriot League lead in goals (7) and points (19), while Mark Forrest (6), Alex Greene (5) and Tuvesson have carried the rest of the scoring load.
Goalkeeper Joe Bogan has made 12 starts posting an .810 save percentage and a 0.97 goals-against average. As a team, the Mountain Hawks have conceded 18 goals in 15 matches.
Bucknell had won two straight in the series -- both on Mike Lansing shutouts -- before Lehigh prevailed 2-1 at Emmitt Field last season. Klug scored just 3:25 into last season's tilt, but the Mountain Hawks tied it on a Tuvesson goal in the 73rd minute and won it on Luchini's free kick that just snuck inside the far post with 1:34 left in regulation.
The last time these two teams met at the Ulrich Sports Complex, Bucknell won 3-0 in 2013, with current Bison Willings and Thorsheim accounting for the final two goals. Klug scored the lone goal and Lansing made seven saves in a 1-0 verdict in Bethlehem in 2012.
Bucknell and Lehigh first met all the way back in 1960, and the Bison carry a slim 26-25-8 lead in the all-time series.
