Men’s Lax Turns in Best Defensive Performance in 12 Years, Earns 400th All-Time Win in 11-2 Downing of St. Bonaventure

Friday, February 6

Lewisburg, Pa.

3 p.m.

Bucknell University

2-0

St. Bonaventure

0-1

St. Bonaventure

Bucknell

Photo by: Lauren Medeiros

Men’s Lax Turns in Best Defensive Performance in 12 Years, Earns 400th All-Time Win in 11-2 Downing of St. Bonaventure

2/6/2026 6:14:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Peter Grandolfo scored four goals, including three in a row to break open a tight game in the third quarter, and the Bucknell defense turned in its stingiest defensive effort in 12 years in an 11-2 win over St. Bonaventure on Friday afternoon at snowy Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Now 2-0 on the season, the Bison earned the 400th win in team history, which dates back to 1968.

Jaz Zanelli made seven saves and the Bison forced 22 turnovers on the way to its lowest goals-against total since a 13-1 win over Lafayette on Apr. 11, 2014. It was the 30th time in team history, spanning 757 games, that Bucknell allowed two goals or fewer.

Freshman Sean Murray had a big day with a goal and three assists, and his first collegiate tally gave Bucknell a 3-0 lead with 2:28 left in the first quarter. The Bison hit a lull offensively, however, as both teams had trouble protecting the ball with a light snow falling throughout much of the day.

St. Bonaventure, which was making its 2026 debut after last week's game at VMI was postponed, pulled within 3-2 on Cole Tucker's extra-man goal at the 5:51 mark of the second quarter, and the score didn't budge until the 8:54 mark of the third.

Freshman pole Riggs Taylor plucked a nice ground ball in traffic and raced downfield with numbers. He found Mike Meyer to his left, and Meyer dished to Sean Berrigan on the crease to start Bucknell's 8-0 second-half surge.

That's more like it! Great GB from Riggs Taylor leads to a Sean Berrigan transition goal. Peter Grandolfo followed with his second of the day 1:49 later, and the Bison lead 5-2 with 7:05 left in the 3rd. #rayBucknell

Watch: https://t.co/v2yvUUCG4S @ESPN | @PatriotLeague pic.twitter.com/l7koA7uF9j
— Bucknell Men's Lax (@Bucknell_MLAX) February 6, 2026

Grandolfo then scored three in a row to give him seven on the season, and the Bison opened up a 7-2 lead. On the second of those goals, Berrigan nabbed the rebound off a shot that was initially saved, and then he found Grandolfo on the crease who scored with a quick stick just as he got decked from behind. The penalty was waved off, and then 2:25 later Grandolfo finished a feed from Murray.

The Bison added four more goals in the fourth quarter, with Murray handing out two more assists to Luke Brunner and Anthony Panetti. Will Hopkins scored his first of the day after the Bison took possession and killed off a one-minute penalty, and Meyer scored on a nice low-to-low shot from the left flank off a feed from Hans Huber.

Bucknell finished with a 40-30 shot advantage. Isaac Farmer made nine saves in goal for the Bonnies. In addition to Zanelli's seven stops, Luke Renault and Parker Day both made saves immediately after coming on in relief late in the game.

The close defense trio of Will Pickering, Caleb Lewis, and Corbin Lukanski, along with long-stick middies John Young, Jack Morvillo, and Taylor, and short-stick middies Luke Fliss, Charlie Miller, and Owen Wuchte, smothered the Bonnies all day. Most of their 30 shots were scattered from the perimeter.

St. Bonaventure won 10 of the 17 faceoffs, but Colin McLoy had a strong afternoon winning six of his nine draws.

Bucknell returns to action next Friday at Robert Morris at 1 p.m.