Category: Men

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Golf Men Sports

Upperclassmen lead Bison to fourth- and fifth-place finishes

Jen Lee

Contributing Writer

Peter Scialabba ’15 and Thomas Walter ’14 led the Bison’s two five-man golf teams to a strong finish at the Bucknell Invitational on Sept. 14 and 15. Scialabba and Walter finished sixth and ninth, respectively, earning the Orange and Blue fourth- and fifth-place team finishes out of the 10-team pool.

After posting a 304 team score in the first round, the Orange team fired an impressive 298 in the second round and moved into fifth place. The Blue team posted consecutive team scores of 309, being led by an outstanding one-over-par 71 in the second round by Scialabba.

“We had high hopes heading into the weekend, and we did not play as consistently across the team as we wanted. Several guys had great starts, and others finished well, but only Peter and Thomas appeared to play well the whole weekend,” Nick Geissler ’16 said. 

Both Bison teams went low in the third and final round, moving the Orange team into fourth place and the Blue team into fifth. This strong finish will hopefully propel the Bison to another successful finish this weekend at the Cornell Invitational.

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Men Sports Water Polo

Men’s water polo captures four wins at home tournament

Billy Tyler

Senior Writer

The men’s water polo team emerged from the Bison Invite, in Kinney Natatorium this past weekend with four wins and one loss. The tournament featured eight teams, including the Bison, over the three-day weekend. The Bison posted a 2-1 record in games that counted on their record and two wins in exhibition games against Diablo Valley and Toronto.

The Bison set the tone early in their opening game against Salem International. Thirteen different Bison scored goals en route to a 19-4 victory. There was scoring early and often, but the immense offensive effort was spearheaded by Stefan Aleksic ’16, who scored a team-high four goals in the game. With his team holding an 11-3 halftime advantage, head coach John McBride was able to use his entire roster in the game. Even with this shuffling of players, the Bison received solid production from everyone on the team. All eight of the team’s second half goals came from underclassmen.

In their second game of the tournament, the Bison faced stiffer competition against Mercyhurst. In a tight game which featured four ties during the final 18 minutes of the contest, the Bison were unable to secure the victory and fell to Mercyhurst 9-8. Leading the offensive charge for this Bison in this tough loss was Julian Colina ’14 who scored one goal in each of the game’s four quarters to go along with his two assists. In the net, goalkeeper Keegan Williams ’15 had 10 saves for the Bison.

Following the tough loss, the Bison entered the final day with a determination to leave the tournament with a winning record. In their game against Fordham, the Bison built up a 7-4 halftime advantage. Then, in a game that was dominated by many scoring runs, the Bison scored four straight second-half goals that blew the game open. The explosive Bison offense from the tournament’s first game was back on display, led by its seniors. Eleven of the 14 goals scored by the Bison in their 14-7 victory were scored by seniors, including five by Jack Else ’14, four by Colina, and one apiece by Alex Nowlin ’14 and Mike Kimble ’14. The Bison also received another solid performance from Williams, who had 10 saves against Fordham. This double-digit game gave Williams 52 saves on the season and 101 in his career.

The next games for the Bison will feature the opening of league play with games tomorrow at Navy and George Washington, followed by a match at Johns Hopkins on Sept. 22.

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Cross Country Men Sports

McGowan-Dugan friendship lifts Men’s XC to fast start

Thomas Walter

Senior Writer

The friendly competition between Michael McGowan ’15 and John Dugan ’15 continues to push the men’s cross country team towards success. Dugan and McGowan both finished inside the top three, as the Orange and the Blue finished first in Penn State’s Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational on Sept. 13.

The Bison finished six points ahead of Penn State to capture the title. Both Dugan and McGowan were pleased with the team’s strong performance against stiffer competition in the second meet of the season.

“We were facing some better competition this week, so it was a good opportunity to test ourselves,” Dugan said. “We were excited to come out with a win, but there were some things we could do better.”

“Even though Penn State held out one of their best runners, it was a strong showing for us. I think we improved on a lot of things we did wrong last week. There was some good pack running this week,” McGowan said.

McGowan ran the 5.2-mile race in 26:03. He has been the fastest Bison runner in the first two meets of the season; a feat that earned him Bison Athlete of the Week on Sept. 16.

“I think it is pretty cool that I had best athletic performance of all fall sports this past week. I feel honored because cross country is not one of the most recognized sports on campus,” McGowan said.

Dugan, who was only eight seconds behind his teammate, finished third overall in the race. Both teammates agree that training with one another helps tremendously.

“I think running with Michael everyday is great for both of us. We get to work out and train together every practice. When we run together we’re very confident we can compete against whomever,” Dugan said.

The Orange and the Blue have gotten off to a strong start. While the team ran better this week, the two friends are still looking for the entire team to continue working on running well in a pack in addition to overall more consistent running in meets.

“I like where we are at right now and I think if we can stay healthy, which was a big problem for us last year, then we will be in good position if we continue to work hard and take care of business like we’re supposed to,” Dugan said.

The Bison return to action when the team travels to Boston to run in the Boston College Coast to Coast on Sept. 27. They will also compete in the Bloomsburg Invitational on Sept. 28.

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis keeps climbing

Chris McCree

Senior Writer

The men’s tennis team continues to build on its early success by taking the Flight C singles and Flight A consolation title at the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational last weekend in Emmitsburg, Md. Colby Burke ’17 defeated teammate Irwin Reibeisen ’14 in the Flight C finals on Sept. 15 after both players cruised through their first two matches. Scott Bernstein ’14 also came away with the victory in the consolation bracket.

“I think we competed well and can definitely build off of this weekend,” Reibeisen said. “The beginning of the season is always a time to get solid match play in and continue to build team chemistry.” 

Though the only two Bison in the Flight C bracket, Burke and Reibeisen dominated the first two rounds. Neither of the two allowed an opponent to take more than three games in a single set. Both players competed in their toughest match when they faced off in a back-and-forth contest that ended in a 7-5, 6-4 win for Burke.

“Playing these matches enables me to see what I am doing well and what I can improve upon,” Reibeisen said. “I am very motivated to work hard in areas that need improvement as well as continue to improve my strengths.”

Despite his loss in the first round, Bernstein battled back to take the consolation title in Flight A singles. During his second round matchup against Harrison Kunkel of Loyola (Md.), Bernstein recovered from a one-set deficit to claim the victory in a tiebreaker 10-3. Bernstein went on to win a close matchup in the finals against Daniel Nino of Coppin State and claim fifth place overall for the Orange and Blue.

“Overall, I believe we posted a solid performance at Mount St. Mary’s,” Bernstein said. “We fought hard to magnify our strengths, execute smart strategies and gain better court-sense. It’s important in the beginning tournaments of the season to find some fundamental personal areas to improve on for the rest of the season.”

With two weeks of competitive action under their belt, the Orange and Blue will head to Flushing, N.Y. this weekend to take part in the USTA Tournament. Still in the early stages of the season, the team will look to build on its early success and work toward its ultimate goal of the Patriot League Championship.

“We have a lot of talent and experience on this team,” Reibeisen said. “We need to continue working to maximize our potential as a collective unit. I have high hopes for this season– the Patriot League title is within reach.”

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Men Soccer Sports

Men’s soccer continues winning streak

Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor

The men’s soccer team finished this weekend on the road with two shutout wins, defeating Albany 1-0 on Sept. 13, followed by a 2-0 victory against Siena on Sept. 15. The Orange and Blue are now 4-2 this season. Mayowa Alli ’14 earned Brine Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second week in a row, while Jesse Klug ’16 earned his first career Offensive Player of the Week award.

The Bison entered their first road match looking to go over .500 for the first time this year. Shot attempts once again told the story for the Orange and Blue, who held a 9-3 shot advantage in the first half. Neither team found the net in the first half, but Klug lifted the Bison to a 1-0 lead just 2:05 into the second half. Justin Galiani ’17 delivered an assist to Klug, who was able to dribble across the box and launch the ball in the top right corner of the net. Albany had opportunities to bring the game into overtime, including a corner kick header in the 87th minute that sailed over the bar and a follow-up attempt in the 89th minute that was stopped by goalie Mike Lansing ’16, which sealed the win for the Orange and Blue.

“The key aspects to this weekend was everyone just doing their part and working as hard as they needed to to get a collective team win. In the Albany game it was just a grind-it-out match, and we prevailed from desire,” Josh Butzke ’14 said.

Against Siena, Butzke and Klug led the Bison to their fourth straight victory. The first goal came in the 21st minute when Sebastiaan Blickman ’17 dished the ball to Chris Thorsheim ’16, who found Klug on the breakaway. In just the beginning of the season, Klug scored his third goal of the year, tying his last season’s total. Butzke registered his second career goal in the 52nd minute after a defensive header ricocheted back, allowing him to score from 22 yards out. The Bison defense was stellar once again, holding its opponent to under 10 shots for the fourth time this season.

“With Siena, we played a great all-around game and really moved the ball well. As for my game, I was just ready for it and felt like I was going to really connect,” Butzke said.

Lansing, who had five saves against Siena, claimed his third shutout of the season.

“Personally, since the first two losses, I have made it my focus to work on the mental aspect of the game and to make sure that all of my orders to the back line are clear and precise. I’ve also pushed myself to be more aggressive on crosses and long balls into my 18. My defensive unit has been outstanding in the last four games,” Lansing said.

The Bison travel to New Jersey tomorrow to take on Seton Hall at 1 p.m.

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Golf Men Sports

Men’s golf takes fifth of 14 at Colgate Invitational

Jen Lee

Contributing Writer

The men’s golf team took fifth place out of a 14-team field at the season-opening Colgate Invitational at Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, N.Y. on Sept. 7-8. Schuyler Stitzer ’14 and Zach Pogust ’15 both went low for the Bison, leading the team to a strong finish.

The Orange and Blue started off their season with a bang, posting a 906 total for the 54-hole tournament. After a slow start in the first round, the Bison rallied in the afternoon to post an impressive 294, led by Pogust’s one-under 71.

“After struggling a little bit in the first round, I think the team did a nice job of bouncing back with a solid second round on Saturday and posting one of the lowest team scores on Sunday as well,” Pogust said.

All five players improved on their score from the morning round, and Pogust’s 71 was his first career sub-par round.

Led by Stitzer’s 1-over 73 in the final round, the Bison totaled 303, one of the lowest team scores posted that day. This strong finish allowed the Bison to hold onto their fifth place position, beating more than half of the field.

The men look to follow this impressive tournament with a victory at home this weekend at the Bucknell Invitational.

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Men Sports Water Polo

Men’s water polo shines with 3-0 season start

Billy Tyler

Senior Writer

The men’s water polo team opened its season this past weekend with three wins at the Navy Invite. This is the team’s third 3-0 start in its three years under Head Coach John McBride.

The tournament and season began with a thrilling contest against Notre Dame (Ohio) on Sept. 7. Despite leading 6-5 at halftime, the Bison found themselves facing an 11-8 deficit entering the fourth quarter. A quick flurry of three goals in the quarter’s opening minutes eliminated this difference and posed a back and forth battle to the game’s end. With the Bison down 14-13 in the game’s final minute, Mike Kimble ’14 found the back of the net with 22 seconds remaining to tie the game. Then with the game seemingly headed to overtime, Stefan Aleksic ’16 took a shot with 1.6 seconds left on the clock that snuck past the Notre Dame goalkeeper to seal the win.

In addition to his last second heroics, Aleksic ended the game with three goals and four assists. Other key contributors to the big win for the Bison were Jack Else ’14, who had a team-high four goals as well as Ratimir Babic ’17 and Sean Daley ’17, who tallied two goals apiece.

The next game of the tournament against Gannon proved an easier contest than the season opener. The Bison had a solid first half, leading 8-4 at the break. But their strength showed in the third quarter, as they outscored Gannon 6-2. RJ Moore ’17 led this offensive explosion, as he scored six goals in only his third collegiate start. The Bison offense received production from Babic, Else, Julian Colina ’14, and Alex Nowlin ’14 with multiple goals.

The Bison succeeded in carrying the momentum gathered in the tournament’s first two games into its final one against Iona. This 12-7 victory followed a similar pattern to the victory over Gannon; a halftime edge of 6-4 was turned into a 9-5 lead, following a great third quarter. The star of this game was goalkeeper Keegan Williams ’15, who recorded a career-high 15 saves in only his fourth career start. This added to his total of seven against Iona to complete an impressive day of work between the pipes.

The Bison will now look to match last weekend’s strong performance this weekend. The team hosts the Bison Invite from tonight through Sept. 15 and will play five games during this three-day period.

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Football Men Sports

Football clinches season-opener for third year in a row

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team won its season-opening game for the third year in a row with a 27-14 victory over Marist on Sept. 7 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

The team was led by the impressive play of quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14, who completed 12 of 16 passes for a combined 176 yards and two touchdowns. The Bison running game was led by Matt DelMauro ’16, who rushed 20 times tallying 83 yards. In addition, CJ Williams ’17 ran the ball for 42 yards and a touchdown. Wesley contributed another 51 yards on 11 carries, which helped give the Bison a balanced offensive front marked by 177 rushing yards and 176 passing yards.

The Bison began the game with a quick punt but then began an offensive assault on the Marist defense marked by scores on five consecutive drives. Derek Maurer ’15 began scoring with a 38-yard field goal, the first of his career. The next three touchdowns were scored on drives of more than 70 yards, beginning with a drive marked by a 45-yard pass from Wesley to tight end Josh Lebo ’15. With the ball at the Marist 26-yard line, the Bison completed two crucial 3rd-and-1 tries and a short pass, placing the Bison in position for a three-yard pass to Travis Friend ’14 for the touchdown.

The Marist offense retaliated with a 74-yard drive. It totaled 14 plays and ended with a three-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 10-7.

The next Bison possession ended in a touchdown and was marked by hard-nosed running by Williams. The drive was 14 plays and 75 yards with Williams accounting for 26 yards on seven carries. This helped the Bison gain valuable yardage and run 6:58 off of the game clock.

The last Bison score of the half began with 2:16 to play on the Bison 22-yard line. On the third play of the drive, Wesley connected with Josh Brake ’15 for a 66-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline, ending a promising offensive half for the Bison.

“I thought we came out with a lot of confidence in our preparation, and it showed in the first half,” Jeff Goyette ’14 said. “There are still some things that we need to work on, but it’s always great to open our season with a win.”

The Bison stagnated offensively in the second half with five consecutive punts on short drives of no longer than five plays.

Led by Evan Byers ’15, who finished the contest with 12 tackles, one sack, and a recovered fumble that helped solidify the win for the Bison, the defense showed great resilience. In addition, Tajh Turner ’14 caught an important interception deep in Marist territory that led to a Bison field goal.

The Bison win moved Wesley past Scott Auchenbach ’90 as the Bison all-time leader in total offense and puts him 154 yards behind Auchenbach’s mark of most career passing yards (5,256). Team-wise, the Bison’s record moved to an all-time 8-1 record against Marist.

The Bison have a one week break before facing a tough Cornell squad at Ithaca, N.Y. on Sept. 21.

“We came out and had a pretty good first half but there are still a lot of things we as a team need to work on,” Friend said. “It definitely was a good feeling to get the first win out of the way, and we’ll use this bye week coming up to prepare for Cornell and just take it one game at a time.”

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis wins titles in singles and doubles at Bucknell Quad

Chris McCree

Senior Writer 

The men’s tennis team opened its fall season by winning titles in Flight A singles and doubles as well as in Flight C singles on its home courts at the Bucknell Quad. Nick Bybel ’16 claimed a singles title for the second straight year and followed it up by claiming the doubles title with Aidan Lynch ’14. The only other Bison to play in a championship match was Scott Bernstein ’14, who came away with the win in Flight C singles.

“The first weekend is generally a time to work out the early year kinks and to get back into the swing of competitive play,” captain Kyle Rosen ’14 said. “I am proud to say that I saw a lot of tough matches, constant high energy, and solid performance all around. I have no doubt that our level will continue to elevate as the fall season continues.”

During the first day of competition, the Orange and Blue advanced seven players to the singles quarterfinals. Bybel took down his first round opponent with relative ease, winning 6-0, 6-1. Rosen also earned a victory, coming back after dropping the first set 1-6.

In Flight A, the Bison had four of eight players in the quarterfinals. Bybel faced off against fellow Patriot League rival Luke Gensburg of Colgate, overcoming a late push to take the three-set victory (6-3, 2-6, 10-8) and repeat as champion.

In doubles, the Bison had three teams reach the semifinal round. Bybel and Lynch proved to be the strongest of the three, taking down the team from Colgate (8-3).

This weekend, the Bison will play in the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational. Despite a strong showing at home, the Bison will look to continue improving in preparation for its Patriot League season in the spring.

“My expectation for this season is a Patriot League Championship,” Rosen said. “That requires effort taken at all times on and off the court. That goal must be taken seriously by every player. Then, and only then, will it be possible. I have the utmost confidence in our ability to be the best team out there.”

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Men Soccer Sports

Men’s soccer team looking up

Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor

The men’s soccer team ended its four-game home stand on a high note, going 2-1 this past week. After dropping its second game of the season to St. Francis (Pa.) 1-0 on Sept. 4, a third-minute goal by Chris Thorsheim ’16 lifted the Bison to a 1-0 victory against Buffalo on Sept. 6. The Orange and Blue won their second straight game on Sept. 8, scoring two second-half goals to guide them to a 2-1 win over La Salle.

The Bison had 21 shot attempts against St. Francis (Pa.), but none got past the Red Flash goalie. Patriot League Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week Mayowa Alli ’14 led the Bison defense that held the Red Flash to zero shot attempts in the first half. St. Francis converted on its second of three shot attempts in the 57th minute, scoring on a low volley that came off a Bison clearance. The Bison kept the pressure on with 13 second-half shot attempts, including a last-minute header from Austin Lenart ’17 that forced the opposing goalie to make a spectacular save, effectively sealing the win for the Red Flash.

Thorsheim continued his offensive showcase, nailing the lone goal in the third minute against Buffalo to earn the team’s first win of the season. Josh Butzke ’14 set up the corner kick that found John Miller ’15, who launched the ball back into the box where Thorsheim scored off an initial deflection by a Buffalo defender. The Orange and Blue held a 16-8 shot advantage, and Alli protected the shutout by rejecting a follow-up attempt in the 10th minute of the game.

“We had three games in the matter of five days last week, which was very physically demanding, and we were able to fight through the soreness and win two of the three. The two wins came from pure passion and toughness, compared to the two losses earlier in the week that were disappointing and were truly unlucky,” goalie Mike Lansing ’16 said.

The Bison evened their season record at 2-2 following their victory over La Salle. After the Explorers scored in the 30th minute, Thorsheim registered a penalty kick goal in the second half to tie the match. In the 73rd minute, Patrick Figgie ’16 split two defenders and delivered a nice cross pass to Jesse Klug ’16 who earned his first goal of the season and gave the Orange and Blue their second win in a row.

In the Bison’s first four games, they have outshot opponents 78-32, while Thorsheim has scored four of the Orange and Blue’s five goals.

“It’s great to come back from two unfortunate losses. I am playing much higher up the field this year to support our one forward. This allows me to be in between their midfield and backs which gives me a lot of space to turn and create chances going forward,” Thorsheim said.

The team hits the road to face Albany tonight at 8, followed by a match at Siena on Sept. 15.