Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Villanova
Men's Lax Falls to No. 6/7 Villanova 12-8
3/15/2016 5:28:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Junior midfielder Tommy O'Connor scored a career-high five goals, and freshman goalie Christian Klipstein tallied a personal-best 23 saves, but it was not enough as the Bucknell men's lacrosse team dropped a 12-8 decision to No. 6/7 Villanova on Tuesday at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
The Wildcats (5-1) came in as the second-highest scoring team in the country at 16.8 goals per game, received three goals apiece from Johnny Gallaway and Devin McNamara as well as a goal and three assists each from Christian Cuccinello and Jack Curran.
Sean Doyle dished out four assists for the Bison (4-3), all going to O'Connor, and Will Sands continued his productivity with two goals and two assists.
Bucknell held Villanova nearly five goals under its season average thanks to some solid play from two freshmen: faceoff specialist Jarett Witzal and Klipstein in goal.
Villanova's Luke Palmadesso came into the game ranked fourth nationally with a faceoff percentage just under 70 percent. Witzal went 9-for-20 with seven ground balls, and Sam Hahn won 2 of 4 at the X.
The high-flying Wildcats still managed to outshoot the Bison 55-26, but Klipstein turned aside 23 of those attempts. Five of his saves came on Villanova's talented middie Jake Froccaro, the national goal-scoring leader with 26 coming in. Froccaro was held to one goal in this one on 13 shots.
Sands opened the scoring with a pretty move from behind the goal just 41 seconds into the match. But Bucknell's only lead of the day lasted just nine seconds, as McNamara answered for the Wildcats on a fastbreak off a faceoff win.
McNamara scored again at the 12:59 mark before Bucknell answered with its first of four Doyle-to-O'Connor goals. As was frequently the case, Villanova quickly responded to a Bison score. This time it was Gallaway off a feed from Cuccinello just 47 seconds after the O'Connor goal.
Bucknell's deficit was just 4-3 after a Sands goal at 8:45 of the second quarter, but brothers Jake and Joey Froccaro scored 20 seconds apart, the latter on a man-up opportunity after a penalty on the faceoff, to give Villanova a 6-3 lead at the half.
The Wildcats then scored the first three goals of the third quarter to open up a six-goal cushion. Bucknell got back in it on two straight goals from O'Connor, and the Bison won the next faceoff and had a chance to get even closer, but Villanova goalie Dan Willis (11 saves) robbed Connor O'Hara on the doorstep. Moments later, Sean Cerrone scored to put Villanova back up by five.
Two more O'Connor goals in the middle part of the fourth quarter got the Bison back within 10-7, but Villanova got a big goal from Cuccinello coming from behind the cage and then another insurance tally from Curran with 2:40 to go.
Sean O'Brien closed out the scoring for the Bison off a feed from Sands.
Bucknell finished with a 39-36 edge in ground balls in a game that saw the ball on the deck quite a bit. The Bison were hampered by 21 turnovers, while the Wildcats turned it over 12 times. Both teams were 17-for-23 on clears.
Alex Spring and Brad Dotson both secured five ground balls apiece for the Bison in addition to Witzal's seven. Defenseman John Moderski led Villanova with eight ground balls.
The Bison will play another ranked opponent on Saturday when 16th-ranked Boston University visits Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium for a Patriot League contest at 1 p.m.
