Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Lax Looks for 3rd Straight Patriot League Win Saturday at No. 15/17 Loyola
3/24/2016 2:09:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- After starting 0-2 in Patriot League play, the Bucknell men's lacrosse team has jumped back into the thick of the conference chase with back-to-back league wins over Holy Cross and Boston University. Now the Bison start a difficult two-game road stretch Saturday at No. 15/17 Loyola, followed by a trip to No. 16/18 Army West Point on Apr. 2.
Bucknell (5-3, 2-2 PL) is coming off its most complete performance of the season in last Saturday's 13-6 win over then-No. 16 Boston University. The Bison trailed 4-2 in the second quarter before outscoring the Terriers 11-2 over the game's final 41 minutes. Bucknell will now face a Loyola team that snapped a two-game losing streak with a 10-7 win over Georgetown on Wednesday. The Greyhounds, who also own wins over Virginia and Johns Hopkins this season, are 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the Patriot League and a game behind league-leading Army.
This will be the seventh time in team history that Bucknell has faced a ranked opponent in three straight games. The Bison have never played four straight ranked teams, but that could happen next week if current No. 16/18 Army remains in the top-20.
Bucknell has scored at least 10 goals 6 of 8 games and ranks 18th nationally in goals per game at 11.5. Sophomore attackman Will Sands and junior middie Tommy O'Connor have been hot lately. Sands has multiple points in every game this season, and he has 18 points (13G, 5A) in his last three games. He now ranks second in the Patriot League and 13th nationally in points per game (4.25). O'Connor has 15 points (11G, 4A) in the last three contests, and he also ranks in the top 10 in the Patriot League in goals and points.
Sands, O'Connor and Sean Doyle are the lone Bison who have registered a point in every game this season. Sands has the longest active point streak on the team, with at least one in all 23 career games. That is tied for the 18th-longest active streak in the country.
In last week's win over Boston University, Sean O'Brien, Connor O'Hara and Quinn Collison all scored two goals apiece while rotating through one of the attack spots along with Sands and Doyle.
Freshman Christian Klipstein has started all eight games in goal for the Bison, posting 85 saves so far for a .567 save percentage and a 9.00 goals-against average. He leads the Patriot League and ranks eighth nationally in save percentage. Klipstein, who made 23 saves against Villanova and 14 against Boston University, was named Patriot League Goalie of the Week and Rookie of the Week on Monday.
Another freshman, Jarett Witzal, has taken the majority of the draws for the Bison, winning 89 of 153 (.582) to rank 20th nationally and third in the Patriot League. He went 11-for-21 last week against a Boston University team that is one of the best in the country at faceoffs.
Bucknell's six goals allowed last week were its fewest since the season-opening 13-5 win over Delaware.
Loyola's pattern of wins and losses has been very similar to Bucknell's. The Greyhounds started 3-0, lost three of their next four, and then won their most recent contest. Wednesday's 10-7 win over Georgetown came without the services of First Team All-Patriot League attackman Zach Herreweyers, who led the league with 47 goals last season, but backup Jordan Germershausen stepped up with four first-half goals.
Pat Spencer, another of the Patriot League's talented freshmen, leads Loyola in goals (13), assists (17) and points (30). Brian Sherlock (9-8-17) and Herreweyers (11-5-16) are also top scorers for a team that averages 9.4 goals per game and allows 8.9.
Jacob Stover made his first start in goal in Wednesday's game against Georgetown and stopped nine shots in the victory. Grant Limone started the first seven games and has posted a 9.20 GAA and .491 save percentage.
Loyola leads the all-time series 4-1, but Bucknell's victory came last season in Lewisburg in dramatic fashion. Kyle Shanahan and Sands scored in the final 90 seconds of regulation to tie it, and Doyle scored 45 seconds into OT to give Bucknell a thrilling 10-9 win. It was an important one too, as the victory clinched the No. 3 seed and a Patriot Tournament home game for Bucknell.
The Greyhounds won each of the first three meetings from 1981-83, and then they won 13-5 while ranked No. 1 in the country in their first season in the Patriot League in 2014.
After Saturday's game at Loyola, Bucknell will be down to just three Patriot League games remaining in the regular season. Next up is Army West Point on Apr. 2 at 1 p.m. at Michie Stadium.
