Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Faces Boston University in PL Quarterfinals

Tuesday, April 30

Boston, Mass.

7 p.m.

Bucknell University

Boston University

Photo by: Phil Puccio

Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Faces Boston University in PL Quarterfinals

4/29/2019 3:04:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Media Notes

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell men's lacrosse team will face Boston University in the Patriot League quarterfinals on Tuesday, April 30 at 7 p.m.

The Bison, who are riding a four-game winning streak, have now qualified for 13 of the past 15 Patriot League Tournaments. They're set to take on the Terriers in the quarterfinal round for the second-straight season.

The complete game notes can be viewed here.

Bucknell (6-8, 4-4 Patriot League) vs. Boston University (10-5, 5-3 Patriot League)
When: Tuesday, April 30 – 7 p.m.
Where: Nickerson Field – Boston, Mass.
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Live Stats: GoTerriers.com
Tickets: GoTerriers.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_MLAX

Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison enter the postseason with a 6-8 (4-4 Patriot League) record after topping Colgate, 10-8, on April 26. With their victory over the Raiders, they clinched the sixth seed in the Patriot League Tournament.
• Bucknell will ride a conference-best four-game winning streak into its Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal game against Boston University. Over that stretch, the Bison have ceded an average of just 7.25 goals per game.
• 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 (606), 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; he later became the first Bison to win his 600th career faceoff against Colgate on April 26.
• 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 Colgate Box Score
• Bucknell clinched the sixth seed in the Patriot League Tournament with a 10-8 victory over Colgate on April 26 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• Needing a win to secure their 13th Patriot League Tournament appearance in the past 15 seasons, the Bison received a 14-save effort from Christian Klipstein and multi-point outings from six different players to power past the Raiders.
• Tommy Sopko (3g) and Tom Smith (2g-1a) paced the Bison offensively; Smith was one of three seniors to enjoy a multi-point performance on Senior Night, joining Reed Malas (2g) and Ryan Durkin (2a).
• Jarett Witzal had a strong night in the x, winning 13 of 22 faceoffs and collecting a game-best nine ground balls. With his seventh victory of the contest, he became the first Bison to win his 600th career faceoff; he also moved to second in school history with 273 career ground balls and became the third Bison to log at least 90 in a single campaign.
• Klipstein reached the double digits in saves for the 10th time this season. Seven different Bison caused a turnover, with Conor Shears registering two. Alston Tarry (5) and Smith (3) extended multiple possessions by coming up with loose ground balls.

Boston University at a Glance
• Boston University enters the postseason with a 10-5 (5-3 Patriot League) record after being edged at Navy, 13-12, on April 26.
• The Terriers received votes in this week's United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Coaches' Poll and Inside Lacrosse Media Listing. Last week, they were slotted 16th in both polls; they fell out of the rankings after their loss to the Midshipmen.
• Chris Gray, a Tewaaraton Award nominee, broke the Patriot League's single-season points record in 2019. With 99 points (43g-56a) to date, he has a chance to become the first player in conference history to reach the 100-point threshold in a single campaign.
• Gray and James Burr (50g-14a) both rank in the NCAA's top 20 in points. Gray is the NCAA leader and one of just three players with at least 90 points while Burr is slotted 16th.
• Boston University is one of five teams with at least two players in the top 20, joining Cornell (3), Georgetown, Maryland and Penn State.
• A program-record Terriers were recognized on the 2019 All-Patriot League First Team: Burr, Gray, Quintin Germain and Brendan Homire.
• Boston University reached the 10-win threshold for the second time in the program's six years of existence.
• A year ago, the Terriers went 8-9 (3-5 Patriot League). They rallied from a 0-3 start to Patriot League play, winning three of their final five league games to clinch the final spot in the tournament. There, they stunned co-regular season champion Bucknell in the opening round, 12-11, behind Gray's nine-point outing (5g-4a).

The Bucknell/Boston University Series
• Bucknell holds a 4-3 series lead in the battle of BUs. The teams first met in 2014, Boston University's first season in the Patriot League.
• The Terries won the 2019 regular-season contest at Nickerson Field, 13-9, by closing the game on an 8-1 run.
• Boston University snapped a three-game losing skid to the Bison with its 12-11 upset in the 2018 Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals on April 24.
• The Terriers stunned then No. 10 Bucknell, the Patriot League co-regular season champion, behind Chris Gray's nine-point outing. Four of Gray's points, two goals and two assists, came during a 6-0 Boston University run that turned a late 11-6 deficit into their first victory over a top-10 team in program history.
• In the 2018 regular-season meeting, the Bison outscored the Terriers, 9-0, in the second half to emerge a 16-9 victor on March 17 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• Bucknell held Boston University without a goal for the final 41 minutes of the contest. The Bison trailed by as many as four and were down, 9-7, at halftime.
• Will Sands was sensational, finishing one point shy of tying Bucknell's school record with 10 (3g-7a). Lukas Munoz led all players with four caused turnovers, forcing three in the second half alone. He also paced the Bison with five ground balls. For his efforts, he captured his first career Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award.

Category Leaders
• Goals: Will Yorke (31)
• Assists: Reed Malas and Tom Smith (12)
• Points: Will Yorke (42)
• Shots: Will Yorke (109) - t-5th school history
• Shots on Goal: Will Yorke (60)
• Shots on Goal Percentage (min. 10 shots): Tommy Sopko (.716)
• Ground Balls: Jarett Witzal (93) - 3rd school history
• Caused Turnovers: Conor Shears (23)
• Face-Off Wins: Jarett Witzal (151) - 4th school history
• Face-Off Percentage: Jarett Witzal (.487)
• Save Percentage: Christian Klipstein (.544)
• Goals Against Average: Christian Klipstein (10.37)
• Saves: Christian Klipstein (167)

School Record Holders on the 2019 Roster
• Jarett Witzal: Career Faceoff Wins (606), Season Faceoff Wins (171, 2016), Game Faceoff Wins (22, 2016 vs. Lehigh), Season Faceoff Winning Percentage (.6173, 2016), Career Faceoff Attempts (1,149), Season Faceoff Attempts (325, 2018), Game Ground Balls (14, 2019 vs. Army West Point)

Milestones Met Against Colgate
• Christian Klipstein: Moved to third in school history with 576 career saves
• Jarett Witzal: Became the first Bison to win his 600 career faceoff
• Jarett Witzal: Became the third Bison to collect at least 90 ground balls in a single season
• Jarett Witzal: Moved to fourth in single-season faceoff wins; now has 151
• Will Yorke: Cracked Bucknell's top five in single-season shots; now is tied for fifth with 109

Career Milestone Watch
• Christian Klipstein: Needs 24 saves to become the third Bison with 600

Single-Season Milestone Watch
• Christian Klipstein: Needs five saves to crack Bucknell's top 10 with 172; needs six to move to eighth with 173; needs 13 to vault to seventh with 180
• Jarett Witzal: Needs three faceoff wins to match own third-place total with 154; needs 12 to vault to second spot with 163
• Jarett Witzal: Needs five ground balls to move to second with 98; needs 12 to match Jake Clarke's school record with 105
• Jarett Witzal: Needs 15 faceoff attempts to match own school record with 325
• Will Yorke: Needs one shot to become the fifth Bison with 110; needs 13 to move to third in Bison history

Bison All-Patriot League Selections
• Attacker Will Yorke and defenders Bryant Boswell and Conor Shears represented the Bison on the 2019 All-Patriot League Second Team.
• Bucknell has two other All-Patriot League players on its roster in goalie Christian Klipstein (2nd in '17 & '16) and midfielder Reed Malas (2nd in '18).
• The Bison lost five of their six 2018 all-league honorees: attacker Will Sands (1st), midfielder Sean O'Brien (1st), defenseman Benny Borgognone (2nd), defenseman Matt Gilray (2nd) and attacker Connor O'Hara (2nd).
• Sands and O'Brien were also recognized as USILA All-Americans, with Sands making the third team and O'Brien garnering honorable mention accolades. Sands joined David Dickson (2013, 3rd), Billy Eisenreich (2012, 3rd), Chris Cara (2005, 3rd), Peter von Hoffman (1979, 3rd), Lou Kissling (1970, 3rd), Ed Farver (1969, 1st) and Jim McKee (1969, 2nd) as Bison who were tabbed to USILA's All-America First, Second or Third Team. Five members of that group have been inducted into the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame.

Head Coach Frank Fedorjaka
• Frank Fedorjaka took over as the Bucknell head men's lacrosse coach in 2006 when he succeeded longtime mentor Sid Jamieson. Now in his 14th season at the helm of the program, he has fashioned a stellar 128-82 (.610) record, including a 61-35 (.635) Patriot League ledger.
• At the end of the 2018 regular season, Fedorjaka was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year for the third time in his career. He was previously named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2011. In 2009, the Bison won the Patriot League regular-season crown with a 6-0 record; the 2011 squad captured both the regular-season and tournament titles, advancing to Bucknell's second NCAA Tournament in program history.
• The Bison have won nine or more games in nine of Fedorjaka's previous 13 seasons, including a program-record 14 in 2011, 12 in 2013 and 11 in 2018.
• Including a five-year stint as head coach at Franklin & Marshall from 1994 to 1998, Fedorjaka has a 167-113 (.596) lifetime record.

Bucknell in the 2018 National Polls
• The Bison were ranked 16th in the final Inside Lacrosse Maverik Media Listing, and 17th in the final United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Coaches' Poll, of the 2018 campaign.
• Fresh off of capturing a share of the 2018 Patriot League regular-season title, Bucknell entered the national top 10 for the first time since the 2013 campaign on April 23.
• The Bison, who wrapped up the regular season with an 11-3 (7-1 Patriot League) record, moved to 10th in both the USILA Coaches' Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Maverik Media Listing.
• Bucknell last appeared in the national top 10 on March 25, 2013 following thrilling road victories over then No. 2 Cornell (9-8) and No. 20 Albany (18-12). The Bison were listed sixth in that week's Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, which remains their highest ranking in program history, and seventh in the USILA Coaches' Poll.

Week        USILA   Inside Lacrosse
Feb. 26        20        -
Mar. 26        16       18
Apr. 2           14       14
Apr. 9           12 11
Apr. 16         11    12
Apr. 23         10    10
Apr. 30         14 15
Final             17       16

Bucknell Captures Ninth Patriot League Regular-Season Title in 2018
• In 2018, Bucknell captured its ninth Patriot League regular-season crown.
• The Bison previously won the regular-season title in 1996 (5-0), 2000 (5-1), 2001 (6-0), 2002 (5-1), 2003 (5-1), 2005 (5-1), 2009 (6-0) and 2011 (6-0). It was the fifth time they shared the crown; they claimed it outright with their undefeated league records in 1996, 2001, 2009 and 2011.
• Bucknell's seven Patriot League wins represent its highest total in program history. With the additions of Loyola and Boston University, the league's regular season expanded to eight games in 2014. Before the 2018 campaign, the Bison had never won more than five Patriot League games since those squads joined the league.

Bucknell in the Patriot League Tournament
• Bucknell has appeared in 13 of the past 15 Patriot League Tournaments, including 10 in a row from 2007 to 2016.
• After suffering championship-game losses in 2008 and 2009, the Bison won their first Patriot League Tournament title in 2011 behind convincing victories over Lehigh and Colgate.
• In 2013, the Bison again advanced to the Patriot League championship game, where they fell to top-seeded Lehigh.
• Bucknell is 7-12 all-time in the Patriot League Tournament.
• Because of the goal differential between the three co-champions, the Bison were seeded third in the 2018 Patriot League Tournament; on April 25, they were upset in the quarterfinals by sixth-seeded Boston University, 12-11, at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

Bucknell in the NCAA Tournament
• The Bison appeared in the 2001 and 2011 NCAA Tournaments after securing an automatic bid as the Patriot League champion.
• In 2001, Bucknell played fifth-seeded Notre Dame in its first NCAA Tournament game at Army West Point's Michie Stadium. The Fighting Irish used a 6-0 run to turn a 2-2 deadlock into an 8-2 advantage 39 seconds into the third quarter and never looked back, ultimately winning by 12-7 margin.
• In 2011, the Bison were minutes away from their first NCAA Tournament win in program history, but seventh-seeded Virginia scored twice in the final 2:32 of regulation to force overtime. Then, Matt White found the back of the net 1:27 into the extra frame to lift the host Cavaliers to a stunning 13-12 verdict at a rainy Klockner Stadium.
• Against Virginia, Bucknell finished with a 47-30 shot advantage, went 18-for-19 on clears, won 15 of 29 face-offs and committed only eight turnovers. Billy Eisenreich and Ryan Klipstein, the older brother of current Bison goalkeeper Christian Klipstein, each posted four points (2g-2a) while Charlie Streep and Todd Heritage added hat tricks.

A Look Ahead
• With a victory over Boston University, Bucknell will advance to the Patriot League semifinals, which will be hosted by Loyola on Friday, May 3. As the sixth seed, the Bison are locked into facing the top-seeded Greyhounds should they advance.