Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Clipped by No. 17/16 Army West Point, 15-13

Saturday, March 30

Lewisburg, Pa.

1 p.m.

Bucknell University

2-8, 1-4PL

#17/16 Army West Point

8-2, 4-1PL

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Army	3	3	6	3	15
Bucknell	4	3	2	4	13

Photo by: Phil Puccio

Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Clipped by No. 17/16 Army West Point, 15-13

3/30/2019 3:41:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Despite a seven-point effort by Tom Smith, the Bucknell men's lacrosse team was clipped by No. 17/16 Army West Point, 15-13, on Saturday at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

Trailing the Black Knights (8-2, 4-1 Patriot League), 13-9, with 14:25 remaining in regulation, the Bison (2-8, 1-4 Patriot League) 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. The first, which came at the 6:46 mark, came in transition off of a Matt Fedorjaka feed after Hunter Newman picked off a pass to spring the Bison ahead.

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.

At halftime, Bucknell held a 7-6 lead. The teams traded goals throughout the first two quarters, with neither being able to build more than a two-strike cushion. After Smith completed his hat trick with 53 seconds left in the half to put the Bison up, 7-5, Miles Silva scooped up his own rebound and found the back of the net 25 seconds later to make it a one-goal game entering the break.

Army West Point outscored Bucknell, 6-2, in the third quarter. From the third frame's 5:39 mark to the fourth quarter's 14:25 mark, the Black Knights netted five unanswered goals to build a 13-9 advantage. But the Bison battled back, holding them scoreless for nearly 14 minutes while scoring four goals of their own.

Smith kicked off the run at the final stanza's 13:06 mark, finding the back of the net during a man advantage. Next, Smith found Reed Malas for a goal with 11:44 remaining in regulation. While Yorke then struck twice to draw Bucknell even, Army West Point broke through in the final minute to avoid the upset.

The Bison led in shots (40-38), ground balls (40-37) and faceoffs (20-11). Beyond Smith and Yorke, Ryan Durkin (2g-2a), Tommy Sopko (2g) and Malas (1g-1a) had multi-point outings for Bucknell. Army West Point was paced by Nichtern, who registered eight points on equal totals of goals and assists. Silva and Nate Jones added four goals apiece.

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. The Bison next travel to Marist for their final non-conference game of the 2019 campaign on Tuesday, April 2 at 4 p.m.