Men's Soccer Kicks off 2021 Season with Pair of Games at Top-10 ACC Teams; Watch on ACC Network

In-Depth Season Preview

Bucknell (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Patriot League) at #4 North Carolina (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC)
When: Thursday, Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Dorrance Field, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Streaming: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats: GoHeels.com

Bucknell (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Patriot League) at #7 Wake Forest (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC)
When: Sunday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m.
Where: Spry Stadium, Winston-Salem, N.C.
TV/Streaming: ACC Network
Live Stats: GoDeacs.com

Bucknell at a Glance

Bucknell kicks off its 89th season of varsity men's soccer competition with a couple of major tests on opening week. The Bison head to the Tar Heel State to take on No. 4 North Carolina on Thursday night and No. 7 Wake Forest on Sunday. Both games can be seen on the ACC Network.
Bucknell prepped for this week's opener with three exhibition games, a 2-1 home win over Fairleigh Dickinson followed by road losses to No. 11 Penn State (3-0) and Villanova (1-0).
Bucknell rolls into Chapel Hill with one of its youngest squads in recent memory. The 28-man roster is comprised of four seniors, six juniors, eight sophomores and 10 freshmen. The eight sophomores could really be classified as rookies, as they also went through a full August preseason training camp for the first time.
The Bison are playing fall soccer for the first time in two years. The Patriot League canceled all fall sports in 2020 due to COVID-19, although the Bison were able to conduct some limited training throughout the semester. A modified, conference-only schedule was arranged for the spring, and Bucknell posted a 1-4-1 record. The lone win came against American, which went on to win the league title and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and three of the four losses came by one goal.
Bucknell returns two goal-scorers from last spring (Patrick O'Hara, Sebastian Paz), and six active Bison have combined to score 14 career goals.

Bucknell Active Players, Career Goals
Patrick O'Hara 6
Eddie Perez-Pelaez 3
Alex Clarke 2
Chris Masur 1
Jameson Railey 1
Sebastian Paz 1

If senior goalkeeper Aiden Perry gets the call between the pipes this week, it will be his first career appearance. Perry, who played well during the preseason scrimmages, was cut from the team as a freshman before earning a place in the team last season, but he did not see action in any of the spring games. Junior Bennett Schwartz, himself a former walk-on, played every minute in goal in the six spring fixtures.
The Bison will be particularly young along the back four, with three sophomores and a freshman expected to start on opening night. First-year Swede Gabe Dahlin will pair with sophomore Matthew Owusu at center back, flanked by sophomores M.J. Kuczura and Collin Murphy.
Interim head coach Matt Brown has named three captains for the 2021 season: seniors Alex Clarke and Patrick O'Hara, and sophomore M.J. Kuczura. Kuczura, an outside back from Chester Springs, Pa., is the first sophomore captain in team history.
Thursday's match at North Carolina will feature a clash of brothers, as Bucknell senior Alex Clarke goes up against his younger brother, UNC sophomore Akeim Clarke. Alex is a team captain who enters the season with 35 career appearances, 23 starts and two goals to his credit. Akeim is coming off a strong debut season for the Tar Heels, when he played in 15 games and scored his first career goal in an NCAA second-round win over Charlotte.

North Carolina at a Glance

The Tar Heels are ranked No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll. Like Bucknell, UNC will be making its season debut on Thursday.
North Carolina returns nine of its 11 starters from last year's squad that advanced all the way to the NCAA College Cup semifinals. UNC was an unseeded at-large selection to the tournament, but they knocked off Charlotte, Stanford and Wake Forest before bowing out with a 1-0 loss to eventual-champion Marshall in the semis.
The Tar Heels were picked second in the ACC Coastal Division, behind only Pittsburgh.
North Carolina played two preseason exhibition games. The Tar Heels drew Marshall 1-1 in a rematch of last year's NCAA semifinal, and they also dropped a 1-0 decision at Liberty.
Carlos Somoano is in his 11th season at North Carolina and has a 137-42-30 (.727) career record. His winning percentage is fourth-best among all active Division I head coaches.
UNC finished 9-5-4 overall and 7-2-3 in the ACC last season. The Tar Heels must replace last year's top scorer Giovanni Montesdeoca (5G, 2A, 12P). Santiago Herrera (4G) is the team's top returning scorer.
The Tar Heels also return goalkeeper Alec Smir, who played every minute for them in goal last season. He boasted a 0.57 GAA and nine shutouts in 18 starts.

The Bucknell-North Carolina Series

This will be the first-ever meeting between the Bison and Tar Heels.
Bucknell's last game against an ACC opponent was a 1-0 loss to Syracuse in 2015. The Bison and Orange will meet again in Lewisburg later this season.

Wake Forest at a Glance

Wake Forest is ranked No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll. The Demon Deacons have been ranked in the top 25 for 87 straight weeks and in the top 10 for 67 straight weeks.
Wake Forest went 13-3-2 last season and made it to the NCAA quarterfinals. After beating Coastal Carolina and Kentucky, the Demon Deacons were eliminated by ACC rival North Carolina by a 2-1 count in the quarters. All 11 starters from that UNC game are back this fall.
Accoring to TopDrawerSoccer.com, Wake Forest has the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the nation.
Senior Kyle Holcomb led the Demon Deacons with nine goals last year, and he has 21 in his career.
In preseason action, Wake Forest defeated Furman 2-0 before falling by the same scoreline against Coastal Carolina.

The Bucknell-Wake Forest Series

The only other meeting between the Bison and Demon Deacons came on Oct. 4, 1982 in Lewisburg.
The Bison won 1-0 thanks to an early goal, as Steve Goldenring finished a cross from Mike Schaak in the eighth minute. That was the second game of a five-game winning streak that also included shutout victories over Rutgers and Pitt. Bucknell went 12-6 that season and received votes in the national polls for several weeks.

Bucknell Men's Soccer 2021 Season Preview

MJ Kuczura

When the Bucknell men's soccer team lines up against a pair of top-10 teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference later this week, the Bison will do so with one of the youngest rosters in recent program history. Of the 28 players on the 2021 roster, 18 are freshmen and sophomores, and both of those classes could really be considered rookies after last year's campaign was limited to just six games in the spring due to COVID-19.

The good news for Bucknell fans is that what the team lacks in experience it makes up for in potential, which appears to be bursting at the seams as the new season gets underway. Led by interim head coach Matt Brown, the young Bison squad will be severely tested early on. The squad has already played exhibition games against No. 11 Penn State, Villanova and Fairleigh Dickinson, and this week the Bison hit the road to face No. 4 North Carolina and No. 7 Wake Forest. The first four games of the season are on the road before St. Bonaventure comes to Lewisburg on Sept. 12.

"We are obviously very young, but the hope is that our difficult non-conference schedule also brings a lack of fear at the same time," said Brown. "In particular the games against UNC and Wake Forest are great preparation for conference play later in the year. The experience is valuable, and we hope it pays dividends down the road."

While the roster skews young, there are still a number of veteran leaders ready to guide the Bison into the unknowns of a new season. The squad just completed its first true preseason training camp in two years, and the senior class of Alex Clarke, Patrick O'Hara, Colin Eifert and Aiden Perry have all emerged as likely contributors.

Clarke and O'Hara are co-captains, along with sophomore M.J. Kuczura, and Brown said he has been very pleased with the team's leadership, focus and preparation despite all the new faces and a mid-camp coaching change.

"This is a transition period, but the guys have adapted very well and are ready for the season," said Brown. "We know what we want to do, and now we just have to take each game as it comes. We have quality at every position, the young guys are coming along to help us build our depth, and we will have as good a chance as anyone to be in contention at the end of the season."

There have been a number of good position battles throughout the preseason, including an interesting one at goalkeeper between a couple of former walk-ons in senior Aiden Perry and junior Bennett Schwartz. Perry did not make the squad as a freshman but returned during the COVID-altered 2020-21 season, when he served as Schwartz's backup. Now Perry is in contention to make his first career appearance after a very strong preseason. Schwartz gained his first experience at the collegiate level when he played every minute in goal in the six games last spring, and he collected his first career shutout against Colgate.

"Aiden has great character and a big personality, and he has really stepped up and established himself during the preseason," said Brown. "Bennett went from walk-on goalkeeper to the number one position last spring, and he worked hard, performed well and made the most of his opportunity."

Brown is very high on his back four, although the group very much epitomizes the theme of youth with three sophomores and a freshman slated to line up against North Carolina in the opener. Kuczura, who the first sophomore co-captain in team history, and classmate Collin Murphy will handle the outside back positions, with sophomore Matthew Owusu and freshman Gabe Dahlin at center back.

"M.J. is an absolute winner," Brown said in praise of Kuczura, who debuted with five starts last spring. "He is a great played who just wants to win. He is going to log a lot of minutes this year, and we have high hopes that he will impact the team in a positive way."

Murphy and Owusu also got a taste of their first collegiate action in the spring, and both showed well.

"Collin is a dynamic player both right and left-footed, and he is very intelligent on the ball," said Brown. "We can use him in a variety of different roles without sacrificing any quality. Matthew is also very calm and composed on the ball. He is a very talented player, and we are going to need him to play well. He has learned a lot in just the past year, and he had a very good preseason."

The 6'3" Dahlin hails from Gothenburg, Sweden by way of Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey. He will be put to the test early against top competition, but Brown feels he is more than up for the challenge.

"Gabe was heavily recruited, and we are very pleased he is here," said Brown. "I foresee him being a key part of the team for the next four years. He's the type of player you can base a team around."

Brown also cited junior Zach Hurchalla as being in the mix on the back line. Hurchalla started 13 games as a freshman in 2019 and notched three assists.

The Bison do have plenty experience at the wide midfield spots with senior co-captains Alex Clarke and Patrick O'Hara slated to log heavy minutes. Clarke, who will go up against his younger brother Akeim in the North Carolina game, appeared in all 17 games with 12 starts as a freshman and then battled some injuries as a sophomore in 2019. O'Hara is Bucknell's top active scorer with six career goals. Five of those came during a breakout sophomore season, and last year he scored a big goal in a 2-1 win over eventual Patriot League champion American.

"Alex and Patrick are model student-athletes and just terrific young men," said Brown. "Patrick is a 4.0 student, and he is just as smart on the field. He makes things happen and really drives the team. Alex has the ability to play in tight spaces, and he is a great competitor."

Centrally, junior Chris Masur is back after starting four of the team's six games in the spring. On the very first shot of his collegiate career in 2019, Masur scored a golazo from long distance against Northeastern, and he has the ability to finish and create for others. Brennan Gac, a sophomore transfer from the University of Denver, along with juniors Mo Tall and Jameson Railey, and freshman Aidan Lawlor are all candidates for significant time in the midfield.

"Chris is a junior who has improved year after year after year," said Brown. "He is a technical, crafty, intelligent player who can pull the strings in the middle of the park. Brennan has been a very nice addition. He has settled in very well, and he loves to get on the ball as much as possible to start our attacks. Mo Tall is a tricky winger who likes to cut in and out. Jameson Railey has been injured for part of the preseason but is going to be an important player. He is left and right-footed and has a very good shot. And Aidan has been very impressive thus far, a warrior in the middle of the park."

Senior Colin Eifert, junior Eddie Perez-Palaez and sophomores Jordan Miller and Sebastian Paz are among the leading candidates at striker. Eifert and Perez-Pelaez stand 6'3" and 6'2", respectively, and both are excellent in the air. Eifert is a converted center back, where he started all six games last spring, and he picked up an assist in the win over American. Perez-Pelaez burst onto the scene with three goals in his first two collegiate games in 2019, and he is a good bet to rekindle that scoring prowess this season. Miller has also played multiple positions and brings great speed and finishing ability in the final third, as evidenced by his goal against Fairleigh Dickinson in the team's first exhibition game. Paz played at least a half hour in all six games last spring and opened his account with a goal against Loyola.

"Eddie is a tricky player but also brings that Spanish calm on the ball," said Brown. "He is very composed, and he is a guy we need to have firing on all cylinders this season. Colin is also a calm and composed finisher, and as a senior he has been around and knows what it takes to win, especially in Patriot League play."

Men's Soccer Kicks off 2021 Season with Pair of Games at Top-10 ACC Teams; Watch on ACC Network

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alex Clarke

Gabe Dahlin

Colin Eifert

Brennan Gac

Zach Hurchalla

Aidan Lawlor

Chris Masur

Jordan Miller

Collin Murphy

Patrick O'Hara

Matthew Owusu

Sebastian Paz

Eddie Perez-Pelaez

Aiden Perry

Jameson Railey

Bennett Schwartz

Mo Tall

Men's Soccer Kicks off 2021 Season with Pair of Games at Top-10 ACC Teams; Watch on ACC Network

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alex Clarke

Gabe Dahlin

Colin Eifert

Brennan Gac

Zach Hurchalla

Aidan Lawlor

Chris Masur

Jordan Miller

Collin Murphy

Patrick O'Hara

Matthew Owusu

Sebastian Paz

Eddie Perez-Pelaez

Aiden Perry

Jameson Railey

Bennett Schwartz

Mo Tall

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