Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Richmond
Men's Lacrosse Hosts #16/17 Richmond For Midweek Matchup at Christy
3/11/2024 2:55:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Bucknell (2-4, 1-1 PL) vs. #16/17Â Richmond (4-2, 0-0 A10)
When: Tuesday, March 12 – 4 p.m.Â
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter:Â @Bucknell_MLAX
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell plays its first midweek game of the season when it hosts the Richmond Spider at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium Tuesday afternoon for non-Patriot League action. The Bison are looking to remain unbeaten at home this season, but they'll be challenged by a Spiders team that was ranked 16th in the latest USILA Coaches Poll and 17th in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.
• The Bison are looking to bounce back from a 13-10 loss to reigning Patriot League regular-season champion Boston U. on Saturday in Boston. Bucknell fell behind 3-0 early in the first quarter, but they tied the game back up after a 3-0 run. They trailed 12-6 heading into the fourth and once against started to come back, outscoring the Terriers 4-1 in the final frame. It wasn't enough, however, as Bucknell dropped to 1-1 in league play.
• The Bison outshot Boston 47-25, but they placed only 25 of those shots on target and were just 12 for 20 on clears. The Terriers also won 16 of 25 faceoffs. Bucknell converted on 3 of 6 man-up opportunities.
• Bucknell is one of three 1-1 Patriot League teams. Army and Colgate are both 2-0, and Lehigh is 1-0. Loyola, Lafayette and Holy Cross are each seeking their first league victories.
• Hans Huber was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on Monday for putting together his third two-goal game of the season against the Terriers. Huber scored twice on just three shots and has converted on six of his 10 shots for the season. He's the second Bison to earn PL Rookie of the Week honors this season, joining Peter Grandolfo. Bucknell's rookie class has contributed 28 percent of the team's scoring this spring.
• Connor Davis notched his fourth hat trick of the season on Saturday, scoring three goals and adding five ground balls in the performance. Davis has scored eight goals over the last two games and ranks second in the Patriot League as well as 13th nationally with his 3.17 goals per game. He eclipsed the 100-career points milestone on Saturday.
• Bucknell added nine more caused turnovers on Saturday and ranks seventh in the country with 10.17 caused turnovers per game.
• 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 Hopkins both made the 2023 All-Patriot League Second Team, and Furlong was a Tewaaraton Award 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.
• 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 149-110 career record and is just the second head coach in the program's 57-year history.
Category Leaders
• Goals: Connor Davis (19)
• Assists: Michael Meyer (9)
• Points: Connor Davis (20)
• Shots: Connor Davis (54)
• Ground Balls: Brendan Coyle (37)
• Caused Turnovers: John Young (8)
• Faceoff Wins: Brendan Coyle (68)
• Faceoff Percentage: Brendan Coyle (.470)
• Save Percentage: Max Nolan (.419)
• Goals Against Average: Jaz Zanelli (12.73)
• Saves: Max Nolan (36)
Richmond at a Glance/Series History
• Richmond won its third straight game and improved to 4-2 on the season with a 13-4 victory at UMBC on Friday. Its only losses were to No. 3 Virginia and a double-overtime loss to No. 6 Maryland.
• Richmond came in at No. 16 in the latest USILA Coaches Poll and No. 17 in this week's Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.
• The Spiders currently lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 8.17 goals per game this season. They're also third in scoring margin (15.67). Richmond posted an 18-2 win over St. John's back in February and a decisive 23-7 win over Robert Morris.
• Richmond's redshirt-junior goalie Zach Vigue leads the nation in save percentage (.660) and is second in goals-against average (7.76). Leading the Spiders in scoring are graduate-student Dalton Young and senior Luke Grayum with 16 goals apiece. Young also leads the Spiders in assists after posting three in the recent win over the Retrievers.
• Richmond went 11-5 (4-1 A10) in 2023 and captured an Atlantic 10 Championship title. The Spiders went on to lose 17-8 to Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
• Richmond leads the all-time series against Bucknell 3-0 dating back to 2018. The Bison fell by just a single goal (9-8) in the 2018 meeting and lost 13-11 in 2019. Richmond won 18-5 over the Bison in Virginia last season.
• During last year's meeting, the Bison jumped out to a 1-0 lead and tied the game at 2-2 in the second quarter, but Richmond used an 11-1 run to break the game open. Richmond won 19 of 25 faceoffs and limited the Bison to just 16 shots on goal. Michael Meyer led the Bison with two scores in the contest.
A Look Ahead
• Bucknell remains at home to host Colgate at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 16.
