Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Continues Road Swing at Lafayette
4/8/2019 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
The Bison, who most recently closed non-conference play with a 10-7 victory at Marist on April 2, will look to stretch their winning streak over the Leopards to nine games.
Bucknell (3-8, 1-4 Patriot League) vs. Lafayette (4-8, 0-5 Patriot League)
When: Saturday, April 13 – 3:30 p.m.
Where: Fisher Stadium – Easton, Pa.
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Live Stats: GoLeopards.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_MLAX
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are currently 3-8 (1-4 Patriot League) following their 10-7 victory over Marist on April 2 in their final non-conference game of the season.
• 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 (574), 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 Marist Box Score
• Behind stifling defensive play in the second half, Bucknell powered past Marist, 10-7, on April 2 in its final non-conference game of the season.
• The Bison held the Red Foxes 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.
• The Bison also kept Marist from getting on the board for the entirety of the first quarter.
• 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.
• Freshmen Travis Talarico and Drew Wellington each caused a team-best two turnovers. The duo also tied Jarett Witzal for the team lead with four ground balls.
• The Bison held advantages in shots (48-32), shots on goal (28-15) and ground balls (31-27). The Red Foxes led by a narrow margin in faceoffs at 11-9.
• With its victory over Marist, Bucknell closed non-conference play with a 2-4 record. The Bison's three nationally ranked non-conference accounted for three of their four losses.
Lafayette at a Glance
• The Leopards are currently 4-8 (0-5 Patriot League) following their 16-4 loss to Holy Cross on April 6.
• Lafayette's first-year head coach, Patrick Myers, was an assistant coach at Bucknell from 2006 to 2008. In Myers's first season in Lewisburg, the Bison knocked off No. 1 Maryland, 7-6, in double overtime. Bucknell rose as high as eighth in the national polls during Myers's tenure.
• The Leopards, who were selected to finish last in the 2019 Patriot League preseason poll, are the only team without a league win. Their four victories came in a row between Feb. 9 and Feb. 23 over NJIT (14-10), Wagner (13-10), Manhattan College (13-5) and Binghamton (13-12); they are currently riding a seven-game losing skid.
• Bucknell leads the all-time series with Lafayette, 44-7, and has won eight-straight games dating back to 2011.
• Last year at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, the Bison cruised to a 15-6 victory over the Leopards to give themselves a chance to play for at least a share of the Patriot League title in their next game against Lehigh. Reed Malas and Tom Smith led Bucknell to its fifth-straight victory, each netting a career-best five goals.
• The Bison also dominated in the faceoff x, winning 17 of 25. Jarett Witzal went 16-for-23, setting Bucknell's school record for career faceoffs won in the process. Witzal's sixth faceoff win of the contest pushed him past Jake Clarke, who won 422 from 2008 to 2011. Witzal entered the 2018 regular-season finale with 433.
• In 2017, Bucknell rode a seven-goal third quarter to a 11-7 victory over Lafayette at Fisher Stadium. Connor O'Hara recorded a natural hat trick in that decisive quarter while Witzal went 17-for-21 at the face-off x and collected 10 ground balls.
• Goals: Will Yorke (24)
• Assists: Tom Smith (10)
• Points: Will Yorke (31)
• Shots: Will Yorke (84)
• Ground Balls: Jarett Witzal (73) - t-8th school history
• Caused Turnovers: Conor Shears (15)
• Face-Off Wins: Jarett Witzal (119)
• Face-Off Percentage: Jarett Witzal (.488)
• Save Percentage: Christian Klipstein (.522)
• Goals Against Average: Christian Klipstein (11.18)
• Saves: Christian Klipstein (131)
Milestones Met at Marist
• Jarett Witzal: Entered a tie for eighth in single-season ground balls; now has 73
Career Milestone Watch
• Christian Klipstein: Needs 13 saves to move to fourth in school history with 553
• Reed Malas: Needs one goal to reach the 50-goal plateau
• Jarett Witzal: Needs five ground balls to move into second in school history with 258
Single-Season Milestone Watch
• Jarett Witzal: Needs two ground balls to move to sixth with 75; needs seven to climb to fifth with 80
• Jarett Witzal: Needs 17 ground balls to become the third Bison to collect at least 90 in a single season
• Jarett Witzal: Needs 15 faceoff attempts to crack Bucknell's top five for the third time with 259
A Look Ahead
• The Bison close their road swing by facing Lehigh on Saturday, April 20 at 12 p.m. That game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
