Bucknell University
Boston University
Boston University Makes Final Run, Tops Bison Men's Lax 11-9
3/21/2015 5:20:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
BOSTON, Mass. -- In a game of runs it was Boston University coming up with the final burst, scoring the final three goals of the afternoon to defeat Bucknell 11-9 on Saturday at Nickerson Field. Ryan Joseph logged four goals and an assist for the Bison, who had their four-game winning streak snapped and fell to 6-3 overall, 3-2 in the Patriot League. Meanwhile the Terriers won their fourth in a row to improve to 6-2, 3-1.
Two teams sitting just outside the national rankings played a back-and-forth affair in which neither team led by more than two goals all day. In addition to the five points from Joseph, the Bison also received two goals and an assist from David Dickson and 12 saves from Sam Grinberg.
Adam Schaal had three goals and an assist and Cal Dearth recorded two goals and three assists, but the key player for the Terriers was faceoff specialist Sam Talkow. The sophomore entered the game ranked fifth nationally in faceoff percentage (.680), and he went 20-for-23 with 11 ground balls against the Bison.
Talkow also scored one of the biggest goals of the game. Just after Dickson had capped a three-goal Bucknell run and given the Bison a 9-8 lead with 8:03 to play, Talkow won the draw and scored his eighth goal of the year just nine seconds later. Dearth gave the Terriers the lead back with 4:24 to play, and after the Bison killed off a two-man penalty, Hayden Ruiz scored a big insurance goal with the shot-clock timer on with 1:38 left.
Bucknell was making its second trek to New England this week, after knocking off 12th-ranked Brown 10-9 in overtime on Tuesday. The Bison wasted little time getting going in Boston, with Sean Doyle and Joseph scoring in the opening five minutes to give them a quick 2-0 lead. Doyle's goal was his 100th career point.
The Terriers countered with two man-up goals to draw even, and the see-saw game was on. Thomas Flibotte scored his 10th goal of the year to break a 3-3 tie in the second quarter, but Boston University countered with three in a row, including another EMO tally from Sam Tenney.
The Bison pulled within 6-5 at the half as Alex Ryan scored one of the prettiest goals of the day. Dickson's feed in front was knocked down by a defender, but Ryan plucked the ball off the deck and fired home a behind-the-back shot with 1:34 left in the half.
Dickson tied the game at 6-all early in the third period, but the Terriers regained their two-goal cushion courtesy of Ryan Hilburn and Schaal just over two minutes apart.
Bucknell also trailed by two goals at the start of the fourth quarter at Brown on Tuesday, and just like then the Bison fought back. Dickson fed Joseph for a man-up tally at 11:27 of the fourth, and 1:21 later Joseph scored his fourth of the day and 21st of the season to even the game at 8-8.
The Bison took the lead for the first time since the second quarter on Dickson's unassisted tally, but just nine seconds later it was tied again thanks to Talkow's faceoff win and 15-yard strike.
Long stick defensive midfielder Mike Adelman nearly snapped the 9-9 tie after taking the ball away with a punishing hit at midfield, but his transition shot went wide. After falling behind and killing off the Terriers' two-man advantage, Grinberg made two critical saves to keep it a one-goal game. There were a number of long scrums for loose balls before Ruiz scored the big insurance goal.
Bucknell countered some of the faceoff disparity by forcing 22 turnovers and holding Boston University to 7-for-13 success on clears. The Bison were hampered by eight penalties, which led to four Terriers EMO goals.
Boston University finished with a 34-30 edge in shots and a 39-25 advantage on ground balls.
Bucknell entered the day tied for first place in the Patriot League alongside Navy. The Midshipmen took over sole possession of the lead with a 7-6 win over Colgate.
The Bison are back in action next Saturday at home against Army at 1 p.m.
