Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Syracuse
Men's Soccer Creates Chances but Falls to No. 15 Syracuse, 1-0 in Overtime
8/30/2015 10:51:00 PM | Men's Soccer
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell built a number of good looks at goal throughout the 90 minutes of regulation, but a shot by Kenny Lassiter that spun across the goal line 4:28 into overtime sent 15th-ranked Syracuse to a 1-0 victory over the Bison on Sunday night at steamy Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium. Both teams finished the opening weekend of the season at 1-1, with Bucknell headed to upstate New York next week for the Mayor's Cup.
Both goalkeepers had plenty to do throughout the night, as Bucknell senior Mike Lansing finished with nine saves and Syracuse freshman Austin Aviza seven. Lansing's best stop of the night came 30 seconds into the sudden-death period, a brilliant stop on Noah Rhynhart where he reached back against his momentum and palmed the close-range shot away with his right hand.
Lansing made the initial stop on Lassiter's point-blank shot four minutes later, but the ball popped up in the air behind him and then had enough topspin to sneak across the goal line.
Syracuse finished with a 19-13 shot advantage, but the Bison had the best chances to score in regulation. The roll call of close misses began 19 minutes into the game when Connor Willings' diving header from a Chris Thorsheim free kick just missed the top left corner.
Six minutes later, Aviza made a diving save on a rocket from Sebastian Blickmaan just outside the 18, set up by a nifty pass from Thorsheim. With just under 10 minutes left in the first half, Jack Zollicoffer had a similar look, but his left-footed blast went just over the bar after Jesse Klug had hustled down a free ball on the end line.
In the 57th minute, Bison defender Dan Bank headed a ball out of the goal mouth to safety, and then Bucknell's best sequence of the night came about 12 minutes later. Willings ripped a shot from the right side of the area that got a piece of Aviza and then struck the crossbar. The ball remained in play and ended up on the foot of Klug in a dangerous spot in the middle of the box. Aviza blocked that shot aside, and then Willings tried another diving header on the rebound and nodded it just wide of the left post.
At the other end, Lansing had to make a tough stop on Julian Buescher in the 71st minute. Patrick Figgie then sent a tantalizing ball to the back post that Aviza was forced to deal with, and another dangerous cross just barely grazed off the head of a Syracuse defender, or else Ben Derleth was sitting all alone in the box for an open header.
“That was a tough back-to-back to start the season,” said head coach Brendan Nash, whose team beat La Salle 4-2 on Friday night, “but it will prepare us well for back-to-backs later in the year. At halftime I asked the team, 'who is going to make a play?' Unfortunately it was Syracuse that made the play. I thought their athleticism stood out in the last 10 minutes of regulation and overtime. We created some good chances, and Mike Lansing made some very good saves. We will learn a lot from this one and get ready for next weekend.”
Freshman defender Tyler Peterson and Derleth both made their first career starts. Peterson played the entire game at center back and performed well alongside the veteran Zack Rockmore.
The Bison nearly turned the tables after losing 4-1 at Syracuse last season. The Orange now lead the all-time series 5-2-1, with Bucknell's last win coming at the 2009 Mayor's Cup in Oneonta, New York. The Bison will be back at that tournament next weekend, taking on host Hartwick on Friday at 7:30 p.m. followed by Northern Kentucky at noon on Sunday.
