Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Marist
Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Faces Marist in Final Non-Conference Game
4/1/2019 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
The Bison's tilt with the Red Foxes also opens a three-game road stand. The other two road contests are against Pennsylvania rivals Lafayette and Lehigh.
Bucknell (2-8, 1-4 Patriot League) vs. Marist (4-4, 2-1 MAAC)
When: Tuesday, April 2 – 4 p.m.
Where: Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field – Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Internet Video: Red Fox Network
Live Stats: GoRedFoxes.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_MLAX
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are currently 2-8 (1-4 Patriot League) following their tight 15-13 loss to No. 17/16 Army West Point on March 30.
• In 2018, Bucknell finished 11-4 overall and captured a share of the Patriot League regular-season title by going 7-1 in conference action.
• The Bison reached the double digits in victories for the sixth time in Frank Fedorjaka's tenure as head coach and most notably knocked off eventual national champion Yale (9-8 OT) and then No. 6 Loyola (12-11) on the road. They rose as high as 10th in both the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Coaches' Poll and Inside Lacrosse Maverik Media Listing, their best national ranking since the 2013 campaign.
• Bucknell's captains are seniors Ryan Durkin, Christian Klipstein, Reed Malas and Jarett Witzal. The four first-time captains will lead a team featuring 26 underclassmen.
• Malas represented the Bison on the 2019 Preseason All-Patriot League Team. A year ago, he finished second to Will Sands in assists (12) and fourth to the "Big Three" of Sands, Sean O'Brien and Connor O'Hara in points (34). The "Big Three" was lost to graduation.
• Klipstein is a four-year starter in the cage. An All-Patriot League Second Team goalie in 2017 and 2016, he became the seventh Bison with at least 500 career saves at Boston University on March 16. He posted a goals against average south of 10 in 2016 (8.41) and 2018 (9.11), with his best single-season save percentage of .579 coming as a freshman.
• Witzal is the Bucknell record holder in career faceoff wins (565), single-season faceoff wins (171, 2016), single-game faceoff wins (22, 2016), single-season faceoff percentage (.6173, 2016) and single-game ground balls (14, 2019). At No. 11/10 Ohio State on Feb. 23, he became the first Bison to win his 500th career faceoff.
• The Bison had a grueling non-conference schedule in 2019. They opened their 52nd campaign on Feb. 2 at No. 3 Maryland, which reached the NCAA title game three years in a row from 2015 to 2017, winning the 2017 edition. They also faced off against No. 11/10 Ohio State, the 2017 NCAA runner-up, on Feb. 23 and No. 15/- North Carolina, the 2016 NCAA champion, on March 12.
Inside the Army West Point Box Score
• Despite a seven-point effort by Tom Smith, Bucknell was clipped by No. 17/16 Army West Point, 15-13, on March 30.
• Trailing the Black Knights, 13-9, with 14:25 remaining in regulation, the Bison responded with four unanswered goals to even the score. While Jarett Witzal won the faceoff following Will Yorke's equalizer at the 2:14 mark, Army West Point got the ball back off a Bucknell turnover.
• Brendan Nichtern ultimately netted the go-ahead goal with just 40 seconds remaining on the clock; the Black Knights tacked on an additional tally 24 seconds later, taking advantage of a faceoff win and the Bison pressing to generate a turnover.
• Smith posted his seven points, a new career high, on four goals and a career-best three helpers. During Bucknell's 4-0 run to even the score at 13 all, he recorded a goal and two assists. Yorke, who finished with a hat trick, scored the final two goals of that run.
• Witzal was sensational in the X, winning 20 of 31 faceoffs; his number of faceoff wins was two shy of his school record set in 2016 against Lehigh. He also scooped up a school-record 14 ground balls; he seized the top spot from Jake Clarke, who registered 13 against Penn State during the 2009 campaign.
• Beyond Smith and Yorke, Ryan Durkin (2g-2a), Tommy Sopko (2g) and Malas (1g-1a) had multi-point outings for Bucknell. A.J. Baretto made 10 saves for the Black Knights while Christian Klipstein finished with 11 stops. Ben Clark also saw time in the cage for the Bison, making two saves.
• Army West Point was Bucknell's fifth ranked opponent of the season and second in a row at home.
Marist at a Glance
• The Red Foxes are currently 4-4 (2-1 MAAC) after ceding a 12-11 decision to Detroit Mercy on March 30. The Titans scored four unanswered goals in the final frame to hand them their first conference loss of the season.
• A year ago, Marist struggled, finishing the year with a 3-12 (2-4 MAAC) record and failing to qualify for the MAAC Tournament.
• In 2017, the Red Foxes went 10-6 (4-2 MAAC). For the fourth-straight season, they advanced to the MAAC Championship final; there, they fell to top-seeded Monmouth by a slim 9-8 decision.
• In last year's season opener for both teams, the Bison and Red Foxes met for the first time since 2005. Bucknell rallied from an early four-goal deficit to top Marist, 11-9, at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• Will Sands led the Bison's comeback effort, recording five of his game-high eight points during a 5-0 run that turned a 7-3 deficit into an 8-7 advantage. Ben Clark, who took over in net after the Red Foxes' seventh goal, was impressive in his collegiate debut, making four saves and forcing a critical turnover with 1:24 remaining in regulation to help Bucknell defend its two-goal edge.
• Following that game, Sands earned his first of four Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week nods while Clark was recognized as the Patriot League Rookie of the Week and named to the USILA DI Team of the Week.
• Bucknell assistant coach Matt Dugan was a three-year starter and primary face-off man at Marist. During his time as a Red Fox, the 2013 graduate twice posted a face-off percentage north of .510 and finished in the MAAC's top five in ground balls three times.
• Goals: Will Yorke (23)
• Assists: Tom Smith (10)
• Points: Will Yorke (30)
• Shots: Will Yorke (79)
• Ground Balls: Jarett Witzal (69) - t-10th school history
• Caused Turnovers: Conor Shears (15)
• Face-Off Wins: Jarett Witzal (110)
• Face-Off Percentage: Jarett Witzal (.491)
• Save Percentage: Christian Klipstein (.521)
• Goals Against Average: Christian Klipstein (11.61)
• Saves: Christian Klipstein (123)
Milestones Met Against Army West Point
• Christian Klipstein: Moved to fifth in school history in career saves; now has 532
• Jarett Witzal: Broke 10-year-old school record with 14 ground balls
• Jarett Witzal: Cracked Bucknell's single-season top 10 in ground balls for the second time; now has 69, matching 2017 total
Career Milestone Watch
• Christian Klipstein: Needs 21 saves to move to fourth in school history with 553
• Reed Malas: Needs one goal to reach the 50-goal plateau
• Jarett Witzal: Needs nine ground balls to move into second in school history with 258
Single-Season Milestone Watch
• Jarett Witzal: Needs three ground balls to move to ninth with 72; needs 11 to vault to fifth with 80
A Look Ahead
• The Bison next resume Patriot League play by traveling to Lafayette for a 3:30 p.m. game on Saturday, April 13.
