Stifling Second-Half Defense Powers Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Past Marist

Tuesday, April 2

Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

4 p.m.

Bucknell University

3-8

Marist

4-5

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
BUCKNELL	2	3	3	2	10
Marist	0	4	2	1	7

Photo by: Phil Puccio

Stifling Second-Half Defense Powers Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Past Marist

4/2/2019 6:06:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Behind stifling defensive play in the second half, the Bucknell men's lacrosse team powered past Marist, 10-7, on Tuesday afternoon at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field.

The Bison (3-8, 1-4 Patriot League) held the Red Foxes (4-5, 1-2 MAAC) scoreless for roughly 25 minutes during the second half, a stretch over which they scored five goals to flip a 6-5 deficit into a 10-6 advantage. Bucknell's defense forced eight turnovers during that window while giving up only two shots on goal.

Offensively, five different Bison found the back of the net. Alston Tarry netted a hat trick while Ryan Durkin, Tommy Sopko and Tom Smith logged two goals apiece. By adding an assist, Sopko tied Tarry for the game-high total in points.

Seven different Bison caused a turnover over the course of the contest, with freshmen Travis Talarico and Drew Wellington causing two each. The duo also tied Jarett Witzal for the team lead with four ground balls. In net, Christian Klipstein finished with eight saves.

At halftime, Bucknell held a slim 5-4 lead. After keeping the Red Foxes off the board for the entirety of the opening stanza, the Bison ceded four goals during the second quarter. Smith sent his team into the intermission with the advantage by taking a Sopko feed and beating Jake MacGregor with 1:57 left to play. MacGregor, who finished with a career-best 18 saves, denied Reed Malas with three seconds on the clock to keep Marist within one.

The Red Foxes came out strong in the third quarter. They took their first lead of the game, a 6-5 edge, by netting two goals in less than 19 seconds with just over 12 minutes to play in that frame. Bucknell's defense responded, holding them without a goal until the fourth quarter's 2:01 mark.

Sopko kicked off the Bison's 5-0 run at the third quarter's 7:50 mark, collecting a Malas rebound and firing a shot into the back of the net. Thirty seven seconds later, right off a Witzal faceoff win, Malas found Tarry for a score that put Bucknell up for good. Sopko and Tarry each struck once more during that run, while Durkin finished it off at the fourth quarter's 4:13 mark.

The Bison held advantages in shots (48-32), shots on goal (28-15) and ground balls (31-27). Marist led by a narrow margin in faceoffs at 11-9. This was Bucknell's final non-conference game of the 2019 campaign.

The Bison, who snapped a four-game losing streak with their victory over the Red Foxes, are off this weekend. They next resume Patriot League play by traveling to Lafayette for a 3:30 p.m. game on Saturday, April 13.