Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Lax Takes on 4th Straight Ranked Opponent Saturday at Army West Point
3/31/2016 5:48:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- One week after a resounding Patriot League victory over nationally ranked Boston University, the Bison were humbled at Loyola by a 14-3 count last Saturday in Baltimore. Now the Bison will look to bounce back against yet another ranked foe at Army West Point on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Chirsty Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The game will be streamed on the Patriot League Network at PatriotLeague.TV.
This will be the first time in team history that Bucknell has played four consecutive games against top-20 teams, and the Bison will be looking for a victory to help solidify a top-six position in the Patriot League standings. Bucknell currently sits in sixth (the top six qualify for the postseason league tournament), one game ahead of Colgate. Meanwhile, Army has sole possession of the top spot at 4-0, however the Black Knights (7-2 overall) still have to play all three of their closest chasers in Loyola, Lehigh and Navy.
Army has won five straight games, including an 11-7 win at Colgate last week. Two members of Army's starting defense unit have Bucknell ties. Austin Schultz played one year with the Bison before transferring to West Point, and Reaves Klipstein is the older brother of Bucknell goalie Christian Klipstein.
The Black Knights feature the league's top two goal-scorers in Cole Johnson (27) and Nate Jones (24). Army averages 13.3 goals per game, the highest rate in the conference, and it is also the second-best defensive team in the league with a goals-against average of 7.22.
Army's offense is largely fueled by its faceoff success. The Black Knights are the No. 2 faceoff team in the country (.693), with Alex Daly (.713) and Dan Grabher (.698) platooning at the X.
Bucknell comes in with a 5-4 record, and a 2-3 mark in the Patriot League. The Bison started the year 3-0 before suffering back-to-back conference losses to Colgate and Navy. Bucknell rallied to post back-to-back league wins over Holy Cross and No. 16 Boston University, with a loss to No. 6/7 Villanova sandwiched in between, but last week Loyola used a seven-goal second quarter to run past the Bison 14-3 in Baltimore.
Bucknell has scored at least 10 goals 6 of 9 games and ranks 24th nationally in goals per game at 10.6. Sophomore attackman Will Sands and junior middie Tommy O'Connor had been hot of late until being shut down by Loyola last week. Sands had multiple points in every game this season until last week, and he had 18 points (13G, 5A) in his previous three games. He ranks fourth in the Patriot League and 27th nationally in points per game (3.78). O'Connor had 15 points (11G, 4A) in his previous three contests, and he also ranks in the top 10 in the Patriot League in points.
O'Connor is the lone Bison to have registered a point in every game this season. Sands had a point in all 23 career games until being blanked by Loyola. He had the 18th-longest scoring streak in the country.
Bucknell still ranks in the top 10 nationally in both extra-man offense (7th, .533) and man-down defense (8th, .760). Freshman Christian Klipstein has started all nine games in goal for the Bison, posting 93 saves so far for a .544 save percentage and a 9.84 goals-against average. He is third in the Patriot League and ranks 15th nationally in save percentage.
Freshman Jarett Witzal has taken the majority of the draws for the Bison, winning 94 of 163 (.577) to rank 21st nationally and fifth in the Patriot League. Witzal this week will be going up against a top-10-ranked faceoff specialist for the fourth time this season.
This is Bucknell's final road game of the regular season. Following the trip to West Point, the Bison host Mount St. Mary's in a non-league game, followed by PL rivals Lafayette and Lehigh over the next three Friday nights.
