Men's Soccer Travels to Lehigh for First Road Contest of 2021

Saturday, March 20

Bethlehem, Pa.

5 p.m.

Bucknell University

Lehigh

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Men's Soccer Travels to Lehigh for First Road Contest of 2021

3/18/2021 9:32:00 AM | Men's Soccer

5LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell University men's soccer team will look to continue its recent run of good form when it travels to Bethlehem to take on Lehigh in a rematch of last season's Patriot League semifinal matchup.

Setting the Scene
What: Bucknell (1-1, 1-1 PL) at Lehigh (0-1, 0-1 PL)
Where: Ulrich Sports Complex, Bethlehem, Pa.
When: Saturday, March 20, 5 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+

About the Bison

Bucknell rebounded from a 1-0 defeat to Lafayette in Williamsport, Pennsylvania with a 2-1 win at American at Emmitt Field.
The men's soccer program returned to its home field for the first time since October 2019 in an inspired performance against an American side looking to begin the season 2-0.
Bucknell opened the scoring on a near post header by Patrick O'Hara off of a bending corner kick from senior preseason All-League pick Matt Thorsheim.
Thorsheim has now scored or assisted in three of Bucknell's last four goals scored, after his two-goal game in the Patriot League quarterfinals last season.
The Bison own a 4-0-4 record dating back to September 6, 2019 when Thorsheim scores a goal or provides an assist. Bucknell's only outlier since the 2019 season was a 2-1 defeat to Mount St. Mary's on that day in which Thorsheim scored the equalizing goal from the penalty spot.
Trevor Wiggins scored Bucknell's winning goal in the 54th minute against American on Saturday, which helped Bucknell to its first win against the Eagles since 2017. Bucknell is now unbeaten in the last four games against American, with a two wins and two draws in the last four matchups.
Wiggins was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week in Bucknell's victory, and the headed goal was the second of his career after he also found the back of the net on a header off a set piece in a 3-0 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) last season.
Wiggins has been a steadying veteran presence on a Bucknell back line that featured two first-year starters and one converted midfielder in MJ Kuczura, Colin Eifert, and Jameson Railey, respectively. Cody Wax also spent time as a right back during Bucknell's win on Saturday.
Sebastian Paz and Kuczura both made their first career starts for the Bison against the Eagles, while Chris Masur made his second consecutive start in the midfield after starting just one game as a first year. Paz nearly made an instant impact for the Bison as he found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled offside. First year Samir Nouri also made his second consecutive appearance off of the bench.
Bucknell defensively limited sophomore goalkeeper Bennett Schwartz to just one save. Schwartz has made several key saves so far for the Bison this season in his first two collegiate appearances.
Eifert assisted Wiggins' goal on a long throw-in on Saturday. The junior has started back-to-back games for the Bison after not making an appearance in his first two seasons, and his long throw proved to be effective on multiple occasions on against the Eagles.

About Lehigh/Series History

Lehigh enters the game at 0-1 after a 2-0 defeat to American to open the season. The Mountain Hawks were off last weekend after their scheduled contest against Army was postponed.
Lehigh, the preseason favorite in the Patriot League, previously went nine straight games unbeaten in the Patriot league, and dropped its first opening game of the Patriot League slate since 2016.
Lehigh managed 11 shots in that game, but just one on target in the defeat.
Bucknell last played the Mountain Hawks in a tightly-contested 1-0 defeat in Bethlehem in last season's Patriot League semifinal. The two teams met twice in six days after a 1-1 draw on the last day of the regular season secured Bucknell's spot in the Patriot League playoffs.
The Mountain Hawks return a strong core that includes Preseason Patriot League Midfielder of the Year Stevo Bednarsky and reigning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Josh Luchini. Luchini has scored 17 goals and added six assists in two seasons in the program.

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