Bucknell University
Harvard
Men's Lacrosse Challenges Harvard Saturday on the Road
2/24/2023 10:15:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Bucknell (1-2, 0-0 PL) at Harvard (0-1, 0-0 Ivy)
When: Saturday, Feb. 25 – 4 p.m.
Where: Jordan Field – Cambridge, Mass.
Live Stats: GoCrimson.com
Watch: ESPN+
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_MLAX
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell is 1-2 (0-0 PL) following its 18-5 loss on the road at Richmond last Saturday. The Bison have dropped two in a row after their dominant 20-6 win over Mercer in the season opener.
• Bucknell has collected three Patriot League weekly awards this season. Last Monday, Will Hopkins became the second Bison freshman to earn Rookie of the Week this season, and Bucknell has claimed nine of the last 16 PL Rookie of the Week awards dating back to the start of 2022. Dutch Furlong was named PL Offensive Player of the Week following the team's first game.
• Bucknell posted a 9-6 (3-5 PL) record in 2022 and was 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 2022 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 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 in his 18th season leading the Bison. He possesses a 145-98 career record and is a three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year selection.
Category Leaders
• Goals: Michael Meyer (9)
• Assists: Dutch Furlong (11)
• Points: Dutch Furlong (16)
• Shots: Connor Davis (31)
• Ground Balls: Danny Striano (14)
• Caused Turnovers: Andrew Stanzel (10) – 7th in NCAA in caused turnovers/game (3.33)
• Face-Off Wins: Conor McCusker (21)
• Face-Off Percentage: Griffin Shaffer (.500)
• Save Percentage: Rich O'Halloran (.429)
• Goals Against Average: Rich O'Halloran (6.53)
• Saves: Jaz Zanelli (15)
Inside the Richmond Box Score
• Bucknell was on the scoreboard first and sat tied with Richmond early in the second quarter, but the Spiders went on to win 18-5.
• Richmond scored seven unanswered over the final 13:38 of the second quarter to grow a sizable lead and outscored Bucknell 9-3 in the second half.
• Richmond held an 18-6 advantage in faceoffs and saw 10 extra-man opportunities, compared to Bucknell's four.
• Michael Meyer finished with two goals for the Bison, while Connor Davis, Tanner Germain and Richie Striano each finished with one apiece. Davis also added an assist to match Meyer's two points, and Cam Doolan handed out two helpers. Andrew Stanzel led the team with four ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Harvard at a Glance
• Harvard is 0-1 following a season-opening 25-21 loss at No. 1 Virginia last Saturday. The Crimson outscored Virginia 13-5 over the final two periods, but the 20-8 halftime deficit proved too much to overcome.
• Harvard was ranked No. 17 by Inside Lacrosse and No. 18 in the USILA Coaches Poll entering its season opener. It's now receiving votes in both polls.
• Harvard was picked fifth in the 2023 Ivy League preseason poll and received one first place vote. Additionally, three Harvard players received preseason All-New England team honors from the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association: Sam King, Miles Botkiss and Greg Campisi.
• The Crimson were 8-5 (3-3 IVY) last season and faced No. 6 Rutgers in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, falling 19-9 to the Scarlet Knights. Harvard was undefeated on its home field last season and is a perfect 7-0 at home under head coach Gerry Byrne, who took over the program in 2019.
• King led the Crimson in points in the team's season opener, registering nine with seven goals and two assists. Fellow sophomore Owen Gaffney chipped in five goals and one assist.
• Junior Christian Barnard started in the cage against Virginia last weekend and allowed 15 goals with two saves before handing things over to freshman Adam Blind, who made seven saves and gave up 10 goals over the final 41 minutes of the contest.
• Bucknell and Harvard are meeting for the fifth time in program history, and the all-time series is tied at 2-2. Bucknell is also 1-1 when playing Harvard on the road.
• Harvard won the most recent meeting between the two schools 12-9 in 2005. Bucknell held a 4-2 lead early in the second period, but Harvard used a 9-0 run to pull ahead. Four straight goals brought the Bison within three of tying at 11-8, but the Crimson held on.
A Look Ahead
• Bucknell turns around and travels to Wilton, Conn. on Tuesday to face Bellarmine in a neutral-site game at Wilton High School at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
