Bucknell University
Marist
Men's Lacrosse Visits Reigning MAAC Champ Marist Saturday
2/7/2024 10:43:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Bucknell (0-1, 0-0 PL) at Marist (0-0, 0-0 MAAC)
When: Saturday, Feb. 10 – 12 p.m.Â
Where: Tenney Stadium – Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRedFoxes.com
Follow on Twitter:Â @Bucknell_MLAX
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell heads to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for its second of two road games to start the 2024 schedule. The Bison look to capture their first win of the season against a Marist team that is seeing its first game action on Saturday.
• Bucknell fell 14-10 at Merrimack on Saturday to start the season 0-1. The Bison had previously won four consecutive season openers.
• Senior Brendan Coyle was announced as an honorable mention for Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Week on Monday after winning 15 of 26 (.576) in draws and registering a team-high eight ground balls against the Warriors. Additionally, freshman Peter Grandolfo became the third Bucknell rookie in three years to register a hat trick in his first collegiate performance.
• Bucknell is coming off a 3-10 (2-6 PL) season in 2023. Seven of the team's losses were by three goals or less, and three of its league losses were by two or fewer.
• Bucknell returned two of its four All-Patriot League honorees from last season. Dutch Furlong and Will Hopkins both made the 2023 All-Patriot League Second Team, and Furlong was a Tewaaraton Watch List member. He led the Bison in points for a second season in a row and ranked fourth in the nation with 2.92 assists per game. 2022 Patriot League Rookie of the Year Connor Davis is also back this season.
• Bucknell was picked to finish seventh in the 2024 Patriot League Preseason Poll. Bucknell's roster consists of 28 returners and 14 newcomers. It graduated 2023 All-Patriot League defensemen Hank Bethel and Andrew Stanzel.
• Furlong, Davis, Ethan Gyllenhaal and Richie Striano were voted team captains ahead of the 2024 season.
• Bucknell head coach Frank Fedorjaka is in his 19th season leading the program. He owns a 147-107 career record and is just the second head coach in the program's 57-year history.
Inside the Merrimack Box Score
• The Warriors used a 7-0 run in the middle portions of Saturday's season opener to defeat the Bison 14-10 in North Andover, Mass. The Bison responded with their own 4-0 run but never drew closer than three the rest of the way.
• The two teams sat knotted up at 3-3 early on before Merrimack's run, which lasted more than 15 minutes of game time. Bucknell held the edge in faceoff wins (15-12) and made good on 88 percent of its clear attempts, but the Warriors led 41-32 in the shots department. Bucknell had 21 turnovers compared to Merrimack's 16.
• Bucknell's Connor Davis led the game with five goals on 10 shots, and Peter Grandolfo posted a hat trick and an assist in his first collegiate game. Michael Meyer contributed to all four goals during Bucknell's scoring run, assisting on three and scoring one himself.
• Bucknell's Max Nolan started the game at goalie and played all 60 minutes, finishing with 11 saves.
Category Leaders
• Goals: Connor Davis (5)
• Assists: Michael Meyer (3)
• Points: Connor Davis (5)
• Shots: Connor Davis (10)
• Ground Balls: Brendan Coyle (8)
• Caused Turnovers: Louie Germain (2)
• Faceoff Wins: Brendan Coyle (15)
• Faceoff Percentage: Brendan Coyle (.577)
• Save Percentage: Max Nolan (.440)
• Goals Against Average: Max Nolan (14.0)
• Saves: Max Nolan (11)
Marist at a Glance/Series History
• The Red Foxes open their season Saturday. The reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions were picked to finish second in the 2024 MAAC Preseason Poll, receiving four of 10 first-place votes coming in just one point behind Siena.
• Marist went 10-8 (6-3 MAAC) in 2023 and defeated Siena in the MAAC Championship game to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. It faced No. 16 Delaware and fell 25-10 in the first round.
• Marist returned Second Team All-MAAC attackman William Embury, as well as All-MAAC Rookie Team members Vinny Butrico and Drew Anderson. Two-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Year Jojo Pirreca was lost to graduation.
• Bucknell is 7-1 in the all-time series with Marist dating back to 1992. It suffered its first-ever loss to the Red Foxes last March when Marist outscored the Bison 14-11 in Lewisburg. After falling behind 10-5, the Bison scored five unanswered to tie the game with 10:37 to play, but Marist notched four goals in the final 5:55 to seal the victory. Dutch Furlong and Jack Dudas both scored hat tricks in the contest.
A Look Ahead
• Bucknell makes its home debut at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium at noon on Saturday, Feb. 17 when it hosts Dartmouth.
