Pair of 2-0 Sides Clash when Men's Soccer Visits George Mason Tuesday Night

Bucknell (2-0) at George Mason (2-0)
When: Tuesday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m.
Where: George Mason Stadium, Fairfax, Va.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoMason.com

Bucknell at a Glance

A pair of 2-0 sides clash on Tuesday night when the Bison travel to George Mason. Bucknell has posted a pair of 2-0 shutout wins over Robert Morris and Mount St. Mary's to start the season, while the Patriots have beaten Navy (2-0) and Delaware (4-2).
The Bison have had some outstanding teams through the years, but oddly this is the first time they have started a season 2-0 since 2002. That year, Bucknell debuted with road victories over Robert Morris and Binghamton on the way to a 13-win season. Going even farther back, this is the first time the Bison have started a season with two straight shutouts since 1990, when the team opened with four clean sheets against Dickinson, Susquehanna, Temple, and Lehigh.
Bucknell is one of 10 Division I teams that has yet to concede a goal this season. The Bison will be challenged by a George Mason team that has already put six on the board in two games.
Among the goalkeepers who have yet to allow a goal this season, Freddie Lapworth has the second-most saves with 10. Rhode Island's Edu Rodriguez has made 13 saves in his two clean sheets.
The Bison are on shorter rest than originally planned. The home opener against Mount St. Mary's was originally scheduled for last Thursday night, but it was postponed due to thunderstorms. The two teams played on Saturday in Lewisburg, and Bucknell received a goal in each half from Jack Lucas and Ben Sheffield en route to the 2-0 win.
Lucas scored on a penalty kick in the 26th minute after Mason Lillis stole the ball and was taken down in the box. Lucas then set up Sheffield's header in the 66th minute on a nice cross off a short corner kick.
Drew Roskos and Cade McGrath scored the goals in the season-opening win at Robert Morris. Lucas also had an assist in that game, and he leads the team with four points on a goal and two assists.
Bucknell outshot Mount St. Mary's 20-6 and has a 27-19 shot advantage on the season.
Roskos became the first Bucknell freshman to score in a season opener since Eddie Perez-Palaez against FDU in 2019.
The 2024 Bison have plenty of new faces with seven freshmen and four transfers on the roster. The freshman Roskos and transfers Cohen Weaver (Penn State), Jimmy Pombor (Lock Haven), and Winston Oziri (Northumbria in U.K.) all started the first two games. Transfer Cade Whitmire (Tulsa) and freshmen Gianluca Marroni, Matt McLeod, and Noah Handzel have seen action off the bench.
Bucknell's most experience comes in the back, where the junior Lapworth backs up a defensive trio of senior Aidan Lawlor and juniors Ben Sheffield and Jackson Sullivan. McGrath, a junior, and sophomore Jack Lucas bring experience to the two wing back positions, and seniors Jack Roberto and Nick Prime are also veterans in the defensive third.
The Bison finished 2-10-4 last season, when they seemed to be punished for every little mistake in the back. There were a number of games where Bucknell controlled the bulk of the possession, only to fall a goal short. The Bison held the opposition to single-digit shot attempts nine times but went just 1-5-3 in those games. Seven of the 10 losses came by one goal, including heartbreakers against Patriot League rivals Navy, Holy Cross, and Boston University where the deciding tally came in the 87th minute or later.
Loyola was picked as the preseason favorite in the Patriot League, with defending champion Boston University a close second. The Bison were tied for ninth in the preseason poll.
Dave Brandt is Bucknell's 14th full-time head coach and just the third dating back to 1967. Brandt, who is now in his third season at Bucknell, brought with him a remarkable career record of 354-86-40 in stints at Messiah, Navy, and Hope. Brandt won six Division III national championships at Messiah and led Navy to the 2013 Patriot League title and an NCAA Tournament first-round win.

George Mason at a Glance

Third-year head coach Rich Costanzo's team is off to a strong start with six goals on the board in a pair of wins over Navy and Delaware.
George Mason finished 5-7-3 overall and 2-5-1 in the Atlantic 10 last season. The Patriots were picked 13th in the A-10 preseason poll.
Graduate student defender Luis Maestre, who had five goals and nine assists last season, was a Preseason All-Atlantic 10 selection
George Mason last played on Friday night at home against Delaware and came away with a 4-2 win. Leo Lemoine (6'), Quentin Clain (45'), Martim Sereno (61'), and Asparuh Slavov (90') scored the Patriots' goals.
The Patriots received a goal in each half from Henry Wachsman and James Eliuda in the season-opening win at Navy on Aug. 22.

The Bucknell-George Mason Series

Bucknell is 1-0-2 all-time against George Mason, including a 1-0 overtime win in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament in Fairfax. Mark Schmiegel scored the golden goal and Joey Kueterbach made seven saves in Bucknell's first NCAA win since 1974.
The two teams met in Fairfax again in 2019 and played to a 1-1 draw. Leon Reilhac scored for GMU in the 17th minute but the Bison tied it on Matt Thorsheim's penalty kick in the 75th.
George Mason made its first trip to Lewisburg last season, and the two teams finished in a 0-0 draw at Emmitt Field. It was a defensive struggle, as both teams attempted only five shots, and goalkeepers Freddie Lapworth and Jaume Salvado were needed for only one save apiece.

Pair of 2-0 Sides Clash when Men's Soccer Visits George Mason Tuesday Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Noah Handzel

Freddie Lapworth

Aidan Lawlor

Mason Lillis

Jack Lucas

Gianluca Marroni

Cade McGrath

Matt McLeod

Winston Oziri

Jimmy Pombor

Nick Prime

Jack Roberto

Drew Roskos

Ben Sheffield

Jackson Sullivan

Cohen Weaver

Cade Whitmire

Pair of 2-0 Sides Clash when Men's Soccer Visits George Mason Tuesday Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Noah Handzel

Freddie Lapworth

Aidan Lawlor

Mason Lillis

Jack Lucas

Gianluca Marroni

Cade McGrath

Matt McLeod

Winston Oziri

Jimmy Pombor

Nick Prime

Jack Roberto

Drew Roskos

Ben Sheffield

Jackson Sullivan

Cohen Weaver

Cade Whitmire

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