Set Pieces Key as Bison Men’s Soccer Upends American 2-1 at Emmitt Field

Saturday, March 13

Lewisburg, Pa.

4 p.m.

Bucknell University

1-1, 1-1PL

American

1-1, 1-1PL

American

Bucknell

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Set Pieces Key as Bison Men’s Soccer Upends American 2-1 at Emmitt Field

3/13/2021 7:05:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Playing on Emmitt Field for the first time this season, the Bucknell men's soccer team scored twice from set plays and defeated American 2-1 on Saturday afternoon. Patrick O'Hara and Trevor Wiggins registered the goals, as the Bison pulled level at 1-1 on the young season.

"Coming out of the first game we knew we had a lot to work on, and I thought we really grew as a team from last week," said head coach Brendan Nash, whose squad fell 1-0 to Lafayette in the season opener last Saturday at Penn College. "We though American was going to be much improved from last year, and that was the case. We had the better of play for a while, but they also put us under pressure and we were able to withstand those moments. We were much better today than last week, but we still have steps to take."

Nash's squad was helped out by the return of co-captains Wiggins and Matt Thorsheim, who was a Preseason All-Patriot League pick. Those two, along with freshman MJ Kuczura, made their season debuts after missing the Lafayette game due to injury.

Thorsheim made a number of forays into the penalty area and finished with a team-high four shot attempts. Wiggins was credited with the winning goal in the 54th minute, his second career tally.

"It was great to have our captains back out there," said Nash. "They are both terrific players and were very instrumental in how things went today."

The Bison were dangerous on set pieces all day, and they thought they had a goal on a free kick eight minutes into the match. Cody Wax's ball into the box hopped past a defender, and freshman Sebastian Paz finished from about eight yards out, but after a consultation between the referee and his assistant, Paz was ruled to be offside.

No matter, Bucknell needed only three more minutes to get on the board, this time on a corner kick. Thorsheim's service to the near post was met by a nice flicked header from O'Hara, with the ball settling in the far side netting. It was the first goal of the season for O'Hara, who scored five in 2019 in a breakout sophomore campaign.

American equalized in the 17th minute on a David Coly penalty kick. Right back Damian Searchwell played a long ball over the top to Nick Dimitrijevic, who got a step his defender and was taken down in the box.

Bucknell nearly scored again on a corner kick in the 25th minute, but Eagles keeper Jake Agnew made a terrific save on Colin Eifert from close range.

American switched keepers at the half, and replacement Lorenzo Gordon was tested just 2:30 into the second half. Thorsheim played in Jameson Railey, but Gordon went high to tip the curling shot over the bar.

Eifert, a junior back who is seeing his first career action this spring, created some chances with his long throws throughout the day, and the Bison cashed in on one for the go-ahead goal. From the right touch line, Eifert's throw all the way into the center of the area was headed on frame by Wiggins. The ball took a deflection off the back of an American player, which wrong-footed Gordon as the ball skipped across the line.

"We feel that we have the potential to be strong on restarts this year," said Nash. "They can really change a game, as we saw today."

American nearly pulled even again just past the hour mark, when Coly got a half-stride on his defender as he entered the area and fired a shot off the crossbar.

Railey's great work on the left flank resulted in a cross to Paz, whose running header went over the bar with about seven minutes to play. The Bison then withstood some pressure from the Eagles in the closing minutes, with Eifert coming up with an important block on Coly with about 15 seconds to play.

Bucknell outshot American 14-13 and led 8-2 in corner kicks. Bennett Schwartz made one save for the Bison, while the Eagles' keepers combined for four.

The Bison hit the road for their next two contests. Bucknell visits Lehigh next Saturday, and then will travel to Navy on Wednesday, March 24 to make up the game that was postponed on Feb. 27.