Bucknell University
Robert Morris
Men's Lacrosse Hosts Reigning ASUN Champ Robert Morris Saturday
2/10/2023 11:49:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Bucknell (1-0, 0-0 PL) vs. Robert Morris (0-0, 0-0 ASUN)
When: Saturday, Feb. 11 – 3 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Watch: ESPN+
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_MLAX
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell opened its 2023 season with a bang by thrashing Mercer 20-6 at home last Saturday. The Bison have now won four straight season openers.
• Bucknell was one of two Patriot League teams to pick up a win during the opening weekend. Navy is 2-0 after defeating Mount St. Mary's and Queens University.
• Junior Dutch Furlong and freshman Michael Meyer picked up Patriot League weekly awards for their efforts in Bucknell's win over the Bears. Furlong received PL Offensive Player of the Week after totaling a career-high 10 points, and Meyer took home Rookie of the Week honors after scoring six goals.
• Bucknell posted a 9-6 (3-5 PL) record in 2022 and were back in the Patriot League Tournament after missing during the abbreviated 2021 season. The Bison have missed the tournament just three times since 2005. Bucknell fell to third-seeded Loyola in the PL quarterfinals.
• Bucknell got off to a 5-0 start last season and finished first in the Patriot League in assists per game, ground balls per game and points per game. They were second in goals per game and shots per game.
• Bucknell set program records for goals (203), assists (127) and points (330), as well as a host of individual records.
• Bucknell was picked sixth in the 2023 Patriot League preseason poll. Additionally, sophomore Connor Davis was one of 16 student-athletes named to the 2023 Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Davis, who earned PL Rookie of the Year last season, scored 45 goals to tie for second in program history and was named PL Rookie of the Week six times.
• Bucknell lost 12 seniors to graduation, including 2022 All-League defenseman Drew Wellington and standout faceoff specialist Nick Crovatto. The Bison welcomed 15 newcomers this year, including 13 freshmen.
• Along with Davis, Bucknell brought back second-leading scorer Dutch Furlong, who finished sixth in the Patriot League in both shots per game and goals per game.
• Midfielders Cam Doolan and Furlong are the two returning Bison that started all 15 games last season.
• Seniors C.J. Baroni, Jack Feda, Conor McCusker, Andrew Stanzel and Danny Striano were voted team captains for the 2023 season.
• Head coach Frank Fedorjaka is entering his 18th season leading the Bison. He possesses a 145-96 career record and is a three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year selection.
In the Record Books
• As was the case last season, Bucknell carved up the record book during its season-opening win over Mercer last weekend.
• Bucknell set a new record for goals in a season opener with 20.
• Michael Meyer tied the Bucknell freshman goal-scoring record with his six strikes.
• Bucknell just missed the record for the largest opening-day victory margin, which is 15. The Bison defeated the Bears by 14.
• Dutch Furlong fell two points shy of the school record for points in a game, notching a new career high of 10.
Category Leaders
• Goals: Michael Meyer (6) – t-1st in NCAA in goals/game (6.00)
• Assists: Dutch Furlong (6) – 1st in NCAA in assists/game (6.00)
• Points: Dutch Furlong (10) – 1st in NCAA in points/game (10.00)
• Shots: Connor Davis (11)
• Ground Balls: Danny Striano (5)
• Caused Turnovers: Hank Bethel, Andrew Stanzel (4) – t-1st in NCAA in caused turnovers/game (4.00)
• Face-Off Wins: Griffin Shaffer (10)
• Face-Off Percentage: Griffin Shaffer (.667)
• Save Percentage: Jaz Zanelli (.643) 9th in NCAA in save percentage
• Goals Against Average: Jaz Zanelli (5.95)
• Saves: Jaz Zanelli (9)
Inside the Mercer Box Score
• Three Bison scored four or more goals, including a team-high six by freshman Michael Meyer, to lead Bucknell to a 20-6 win over Mercer. Meyer, Dutch Furlong and Connor Davis combined for 14 points and seven assists.
• Freshman Jaz Zanelli made the start in goal in his first collegiate game and made nine saves.
• Bucknell jumped out to a 3-0 lead after just 4:04 of play and was up 13-2 by halftime.
• Bucknell outshot Mercer 46-24 and had a decided edge in time of possession thanks to an 18-12 faceoff advantage and 30 Bears turnovers. Defensemen Andrew Stanzel and Hank Bethel both had four caused turnovers, and 12 different Bison had at least one.
• The 19 caused turnovers were the most the Bison had recorded since March 9, 2019.
Robert Morris at a Glance
• The Colonials open their season against Bucknell on Saturday after facing Ohio State and Seton Hill in exhibition games over the past two weeks.
• Robert Morris went 10-6 (4-1 ASUN) in 2022 and captured an ASUN Championship title in their first year competing in the conference. After knocking off both Air Force and Utah in the conference tournament, the Colonials went on to lose to Delaware in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
• The Colonials were picked to finish third in the 2023 ASUN preseason poll. Graduate student Owen Down was named to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference Team as well.
• Robert Morris returns 2022 All-ASUN players Bo Columbus and Taggart Clark, as well as 2022 All-Freshman Team goalie Nate Randall.
• Bucknell and Robert Morris are meeting for the fifth time, and the series is currently split at 2-2. The Colonials won in the first-ever meeting in 2011 and took an 8-7 victory in 2021. Bucknell won the 2012 matchup and earned a win on the road last spring.
• On Feb. 12, 2022, the Bison defeated Robert Morris 14-12 to improve to 2-0 on the season. Bucknell had five players register at least three points, and clinging to a one-goal lead, Bucknell held the Colonials off the board for the final 13:56 of the game.
• Connor Davis registered five points in last year's meeting, while Cam Doolan added a hat trick and an assist.
A Look Ahead
• Bucknell travels south for its first road game of the season. The Bison visit Richmond on Saturday, Feb. 18.
