No. 20/RV Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Begins PL Play at No. 13/14 Loyola

Saturday, March 14

Baltimore, Md.

3:30 p.m.

Bucknell University

#13/14 Loyola (Md.)

Photo by: Phil Puccio

No. 20/RV Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Begins PL Play at No. 13/14 Loyola

3/10/2020 9:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse

No. 20/RV Bucknell (5-1, 0-0 PL) vs. No. 13/14 Loyola (Md.) (4-2, 1-0 PL)
When: Saturday, March 14 – 3:30 p.m.
Where: Ridley Athletic Complex – Baltimore, Md.
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Live Stats: LoyolaGreyhounds.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_MLAX

No. 20/RV Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are currently 5-1 (0-0 PL) following their victories over Binghamton (16-4) and Marist (20-11) two weeks ago. Their 5-1 start is their best since 2013; that season, they won eight of their first nine games en route to a 12-4 (5-1 PL) record.
• Bucknell's game at Boston University, which was scheduled for March 7, was postponed.
• This week, the Bison remained slotted 20th in the USILA Coaches' Poll; they also received votes in this week's Inside Lacrosse Media Listing.
• In 2019, Bucknell posted a 6-9 (4-4 PL) record. The Bison closed the regular season on a four-game winning streak and earned their 13th Patriot League Tournament berth in the past 15 seasons.
• Bucknell was selected to tie for sixth in the 2020 Patriot League preseason poll. Bryant Boswell represented the Bison on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• Seniors Grayson Burns, Matt Fedorjaka, Conor Shears and Will Yorke are serving as team captains in 2020.
• Bucknell returned its three All-Patriot League honorees from a year ago in Boswell, Shears and Yorke. In Yorke, Tommy Sopko and Alston Tarry, the Bison also returned their top three point producers from that season.
• Following the 2019 campaign, Bucknell lost four-year starting goalie Christian Klipstein and four-year primary faceoff specialist Jarett Witzal to graduation. Klipstein was a two-time All-Patriot League selection while Witzal graduated as the school record holder in seven different statistical categories, including career faceoff wins and single-season faceoff percentage.
• The Bison will play eight games at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium during the 2020 regular season, highlighted by a late February tilt with Ohio State.
• Bucknell is a relatively young team, featuring just five seniors and 27 underclassmen. In 2020, the Bison welcomed 17 newcomers who hail from an impressive 10 different states: California (3), Connecticut (2), Maryland (2), New Jersey (2), New York (2), Pennsylvania (2), Delaware, Missouri, New Hampshire and Texas.
• Frank Fedorjaka is in his 15th season as Bucknell's head coach and 20th campaign as a collegiate head coach. He is just the second head coach in Bison men's lacrosse history.

Category Leaders
• Goals: Will Yorke (25) – t-2nd in NCAA
• Assists: Alston Tarry (14)
• Points: Will Yorke (31)
• Shots: Tommy Sopko (60)
• Ground Balls: Nick Crovatto (45)
• Caused Turnovers: Travis Talarico (15) – t-5th in NCAA
• Face-Off Wins: Nick Crovatto (87)
• Face-Off Percentage: Nick Crovatto (.554)
• Save Percentage: Ben Clark (.538)
• Goals Against Average: Ben Clark (9.37)
• Saves: Ben Clark (63)

Inside the Binghamton Box Score
• Bucknell rolled past Binghamton, 16-4, on Feb. 25. The Bison held the Bearcats scoreless for nearly 35 minutes while netting 10 goals of their own.
• Will Yorke led the offensive onslaught, logging four goals and three assists, while freshmen Jack Feda, Jack Billitier, Luke Diiorio and Ethan Opdahl each netted his first collegiate goal in the final six minutes of regulation to put an exclamation mark on the resounding victory.
• Bucknell's lock-down defense was led by Travis Talarico (3), Hunter Newman (2) and Conor Shears (2), who all caused multiple turnovers. Talarico also tied faceoff specialist Nick Crovatto for the team lead with six ground balls.
• Notably, the Bison goalies only faced eight shots on net over the course of the entire contest. Crovatto went 12-for-18 in the faceoff x, winning five of six during Bucknell's 5-0 third quarter.
• The Bison held advantages in shots (53-17), shots on goal (36-8) and ground balls (44-30); they also went 5-for-6 on the man advantage and held Binghamton to 20-for-33 on clears.

Inside the Marist Box Score
• Will Yorke's record-setting day propelled Bucknell to a 20-11 victory over Marist on Feb. 29.
• Yorke broke the school record in goals (9) and tied the school standard in points (11) to lead the Bison to their commanding win over the Red Foxes. Notably, both teams received votes in this week's United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Coaches' Poll and Inside Lacrosse Media Listing.
• Yorke's nine goals also matched the Patriot League record, set by Navy's Dave Little against Lehigh in 2017.
• Beyond Yorke, Alston Tarry (3g-3a), Sumner Brumbaugh (2g-3a) and Matt Fedorjaka (4a) logged at least three points against Marist; Brumbaugh and Fedorjaka's figures represented new career highs.
• Hunter Newman filled the stat sheet with an assist, nine ground balls and two caused turnovers while Travis Talarico and Bryant Boswell each caused three turnovers. Talarico added five ground balls, tied for second among Bison with Fedorjaka and faceoff specialist Nick Crovatto.
• At halftime, Bucknell held a commanding 12-3 lead, bolstered by going on a 6-0 run to close out the second quarter. While the Red Foxes regrouped, opening the third quarter with a 4-0 run, the Bison strung together a 4-0 run of their own from the third quarter's 7:18 to 4:25 marks; that run gave them a 10-goal cushion, effectively putting the game out of Marist's reach.
• Bucknell held advantages in shots (56-35), shots on goal (33-20) and ground balls (41-33); the Bison also limited the Red Foxes to 10-for-19 on clears.

No. 13/14 Loyola at a Glance
• The Greyhounds were ranked 13th in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Coaches' Poll and 14th in the Inside Lacrosse Media Listing this week. They will be the Bison's second ranked opponent of the 2020 campaign; Bucknell previously was downed by then No. 17/19 Ohio State, 15-11, on Feb. 22 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• Loyola is currently 4-2 (1-0 PL) after falling to then No. 12 Duke, 13-10, on March 7. The Blue Devils were the Greyhounds' third ranked opponent of the season; Loyola previously was topped by then No. 1 Virginia (9-12) in its season opener and dispatched then No. 11 Johns Hopkins (10-7) in its next game.
• The Greyhounds were narrowly picked as the Patriot League favorite in the 2020 preseason poll; they and Army West Point each accumulated 111 points, with Loyola's eight first-place votes edging the Black Knights' seven. Attackman Kevin Lindley was tabbed as the Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while defenseman Ryan McNulty was selected as the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
• A year ago, the Greyhounds went 12-5 (7-1 PL). While they captured the Patriot League regular-season title, they were bounced by Army West Point, 7-5, in the tournament semifinals. After receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships, they clipped then No. 11 Syracuse (15-13) in the opening round before falling to then No. 1 Penn State (14-21).
• Following the 2019 campaign, Loyola lost Pat Spencer to graduation. The 2019 Tewaaraton Award winner, also a four-time USILA All-American and four-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, wrapped up his career ranked first in NCAA Division I history in assists (231) and second in points (380).
• Loyola leads the all-time series, 7-3. After facing off three times in the 1980s, the teams didn't meet again until the Greyhounds joined the Patriot League in 2014.
• A year ago at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium, then No. 6 Loyola opened up a 5-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, ultimately prevailing by a 12-7 margin.
• Before the 2019 meeting, Bucknell had won its previous two games against Loyola by one-goal margins. In 2018 in Baltimore, the Bison knocked off the then No. 6 Greyhounds, 12-11.
• Bucknell handed two-time defending champion Loyola its first, and only, Patriot League loss of the 2018 campaign by building a four-goal advantage and then holding off a furious comeback attempt in the final six minutes of regulation. Reed Malas (3g-2a), Will Sands (1g-4a) and Connor O'Hara (4g) led the way offensively during the thrilling upset, which propelled their team back into the national rankings at 16th in the USILA Coaches' Poll and 18th in the Inside Lacrosse Maverik Media Listing.
• In 2017 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Bucknell stunned then No. 17/18 Loyola, 9-8, in double overtime. Sands led the way with seven points (2g-5a), including the game-winning goal, while Christian Klipstein made 15 saves.

A Look Ahead
• The Bison next return to Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium, hosting Canisius (March 17 at 4 p.m.) for their final non-conference game and Colgate (March 21 at 1 p.m.) in Patriot League action.