Category: Soccer

Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor

The men’s soccer team played its first double overtime games of the season two weeks ago. The first was a 1-1 tie at American on Oct. 12. After the draw, Mayowa Alli ’14 capitalized on a golden goal opportunity that lifted the Bison to a 1-0 victory at Rutgers on Oct. 15. In their third game of the week, Austin Lenart ’17 had an early goal that failed to contain Navy, as the Orange and Blue fell 2-1 at home on Oct. 19. The team’s overall record stands at 8-4-1 (2-2-1 Patriot League).

Andrew Leischner ’17  had his first collegiate goal, which forced an overtime against an American squad that nailed an early goal to put pressure on the Bison offense. The Eagles initiated the scoring in the 13th minute, which was the lone goal in the first half.

The Bison equalizer came in the 84th minute when Leischner’s follow-up attempt eluded the goalkeeper after his first shot was ruled short of the goal line. The Orange and Blue controlled the ball in Eagle territory but could not come up with the game winner. Mike Lansing ’16 continued his exceptional goalkeeping, blocking six shots to protect the draw. Both teams combined for six overtime shot attempts. Joe Meyer ’14 earned his first career Brine Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award after his performance.

“American is a very skillful team that does a great job possessing the ball in the midfield, so it takes a lot of hard work to shut them down,” Meyer said. “Since I have been at Bucknell, we haven’t come away from American’s home field with any points, so to come back from being down most of the game really shows a lot of character.”

The Bison played another extended game against Rutgers, but this one ended in their favor. In the second overtime, Connor Willings ’16 threw the ball into the box and found Alli, who broke away from his defender and headed the ball past the Scarlet Knight goalkeeper. Alli and the rest of the Bison defense hounded Rutgers, limiting the team to four shots on target. This game raised the Bison’s road record to 5-0-1.

“We knew that if we scored a goal during OT the game would be over, so I wanted to draw most of my energy towards the defensive effort and provide support for the offensive players when we were in possession of the ball,” Alli said.

The fatigue from the previous two games carried over against Navy. Lenart’s first career goal in the sixth minute gave the Bison early momentum. Patrick Figgie ’16 dished the ball to Jesse Klug ’16, who found Lenart 25 yards in front of the goal. After the ball was misdirected, Lenart calmly took control and blasted it into the upper right corner. This goal ended Navy’s six-game shutout streak.

“There is no better feeling than scoring a goal, and for it to be my first one of the season was truly a great moment,” Lenart said.

Unfortunately, Navy struck about 10 minutes into the second half after a corner kick attempt led to a headed goal for the Midshipmen. Navy took the lead in the 72nd minute and did not let up. Alli’s pair of late header attempts could not force a third straight overtime game.

Navy’s victory ended the Midshipmen’s 12-year winless streak against the Orange and Blue.

The Bison will remain at home for a match against Colgate tomorrow at 4 p.m.

Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor 

Bison’s five-game winning streak brought to an end

In its Patriot League opener, the men’s soccer team fell 2-0 at home against Army on Sept. 28, snapping the Bison’s five-game winning streak. The Orange and Blue dropped to 5-3, while Mike Lansing’s ’16 four-game shutout streak came to an end.

“Overall, it was just a really tough loss. A few breakdowns resulted in both of their goals, and it was just not the best performance from our team. It is a loss we are going to learn from, just as we learned from our first two, and we followed that up with a five-game win streak,” Lansing said.

The Black Knights struck in the 36th minute after a corner kick found an Army defender who headed the ball past Lansing. Prior to the goal, Lansing had posted the longest Bison shutout streak in 30 years.

The Orange and Blue searched for the equalizer, as Jonathan Grad’s ’15 shot was blocked by the Army goalkeeper. Mark Leibensperger ’15 launched a follow-up attempt that was rejected again by the Black Knights. Both teams had six shot attempts in the first half.

Army scored an insurance goal 53 seconds into the second half after a Lansing deflection left him out of position on the follow-up from 18 yards out. The game stayed 2-0 after solid defense from the Orange and Blue, but the Bison could not capitalize on their 15-12 shot advantage, including headed shot attempts by Mayowa Alli ’14 that failed to find the back of the net.

Lansing’s career-best scoreless minute streak was stopped at 428:29, while Jesse Klug’s ’16 scoring streak halted at four games.

The Bison look to regain some momentum, as they face Lehigh on Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. in Bethlehem, Pa. They will also battle the new Patriot League member, Loyola (Md.), at home on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.

“We will look to come back strong on Saturday and we will grow from the loss. We are going to move on and focus on the next game ahead, rather than dwell on the loss against Army,” Lansing said.

Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor 

Jesse Klug’s ’16 two goals boosted the men’s soccer team to its fifth consecutive victory, a 2-0 road win over Seton Hall on Sept. 21. For his efforts, Klug won his second straight Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week Award as well as Bison Athlete of the Week. Goalie Mike Lansing ’16, who had 11 saves in this game, earned Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week Honors and became the first Bison goalkeeper since 1983 to have four straight shutouts. The Orange and Blue improved their record to 5-2.

Klug did not waste any time making his mark on the game. His first goal connected at the 5:40 mark when Chris Thorsheim ’16 returned a toss ball to Connor Willings ’16, who launched the ball into the box where Klug used his chest to drive the ball past the approaching goalkeeper. Lansing protected the shutout after making a spectacular save off of a Seton Hall header.

“We are a hard working team that never quits no matter how tired we are,” Austin Lenart ’17 said. “I believe it was our hard work and communication that allowed us to be so successful defensively.”

The insurance goal in the second half happened in the 83rd minute after a series of moves from Thorsheim led to a shot from Lenart. After his attempt went off the post, Klug blasted the rebound into the net.

“The second half goal came when Chris Thorsheim played a through ball into the box that I was able to get onto,” Lenart said. “I then tried to put the ball past the goalie and it deflected off of the post and into the middle of the box. Jesse Klug then one-timed the ball into the back of the net for a goal.”

Seton Hall held a 23-9 shot advantage to go along with a 9-1 edge on corner kicks, but it was Klug who secured his fourth straight game-winning goal. Lansing also extended his shutout minutes streak to 393:05 over four games. Klug’s team-leading five goals this season is second in the Patriot League rankings and 14th best in the nation.

The Bison begin Patriot League play tomorrow when they face Army at home at 3:30 p.m.

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.

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.

Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor

All-Patriot League player Chris Thorsheim ’16 posted two first-half goals for the men’s soccer team in its season opener on Aug. 30, but Canisius pulled off a stunning comeback and came away with a 3-2 overtime victory at Emmitt Field.

Thorsheim scored his first goal in the 24th minute, as Austin Lenart ’17 won the ball in the middle of the field and delivered his first collegiate assist to Thorsheim, resulting in a highlight reel 30-yard goal that landed in the upper left corner of the net. The Orange and Blue pulled ahead further after Thorsheim stole the ball away and scored off the breakaway. Canisius shifted the momentum in its favor with a 30-yard goal of its own in the 40th minute.

“I thought how the goals were scored were far different from how the game was played, but that is soccer. Canisius controlled the early parts of the game and then we scored two quick goals from Chris Thorsheim. After the goals we started to play better and control things more. However, just before the half, Canisius took control of a team defensive lapse and scored to make it 2-1 at half instead of 2-0,” head coach Brendan Nash said.

In the second half, the Bison had a 13-5 shot advantage but were unable to convert on their attempts. Another goal by the Golden Griffins in the 63rd minute brought the game to a 2-2 standstill. The Orange and Blue had several chances at the go-ahead goal, including attempts from Justin Galiani ’17 and Jesse Klug ’16, but the Canisius defense protected the tie heading into overtime.

“The problem in the beginning of the second half was our lack of energy. We came out unorganized and it came back to bite us. After they scored their second goal we woke up and created quite a few quality chances. Unfortunately we were not able to capitalize on them,” Thorsheim said.

Canisius completed the comeback in the sixth minute of overtime, nailing a difficult goal in the far post to steal the win.

Goalie Mike Lansing ’16 finished the game with three saves. The Orange and Blue held a 22-15 shot advantage, but it was Canisius’ lone shot in overtime that clinched the match.

“I think that our ability to create chances was one of the major positives we can take from this game. I think our outside backs were great offensively and defensively during this game as well. Our ability to get wide and start the attack with them looks promising,” Thorsheim said.

The Bison continue their homestand this weekend, as they face Buffalo tonight at 7 p.m.  followed by a match against La Salle on Sept. 8 at 2 p.m.

“The biggest positive was the size and energy of our home crowd. Holmes Stadium can be a great place for our students and community to show their school spirit. Friday night it was a great atmosphere. We hope that trend will continue for our next three home games next week,” Nash said.

Chris McCree

Sports Editor

The men’s soccer team concluded its 2012 season with a 1-0 loss to American in the Patriot League semifinal game on Nov. 9. Despite playing the top-seeded Eagles even for most of the game, the Orange and Blue could not come back from a 13th minute goal that found the back of the net after deflecting off the crossbar.

“One of the biggest things to take away from this season would definitely be confidence,” Chris Thorsheim ’16 said. “Our record does not truly represent how we dominated most teams this season.”

From the beginning of the game, American came out looking like the stronger team and managed to control the tempo of the game for much of the first half. The Eagles reeled off eight shots in the half to the Bison’s three, forcing goalie Mike Lansing ’16 to make three saves. The Orange and Blue’s best attempt in the half came off of Jesse Klug ’16, but his volley sailed just wide of the goal.

In the second half, the Bison came out charging, outshooting their opponent 7-2. Not having a single shot on target in the first half, the Orange and Blue made the Eagles’ goalie make two saves in the second. Still, the Eagles’ defense stood strong and the Bison couldn’t manage to find the equalizer they desperately needed.

“Our biggest problem against American was our ability to bring numbers forward,” Thorsheim said. “Once the forwards had the ball, the outside midfielders and center midfielders needed to join in the attack. We were simply not dangerous enough because of this.”

With less than 20 seconds remaining in the contest, the Bison had one last chance to force overtime when Josh Plump ’13 drew a free kick just outside the box. With the season in the ballots, CK Kumah ’13 sent a good-looking strike over the American wall, but the ball skimmed just over the bar.

With the loss, the Bison wrapped up their season with a 7-8-5 record overall. Despite the losses, the Orange and Blue played every team close this year and did not fall to any opponent by more than a single goal.

“If winning against the teams that beat us this year is not motivation to succeed, I don’t know what is,” Thorsheim said. “The feeling of tying or losing after dominating a team is terrible. That’s the feeling we need to remember next season and fuel us with the desire to win.”

Looking ahead to next season, the Bison will be without their six seniors: Brendan Burgdorf ’13, Vinny Cinotti ’13, Collin Costello ’13, Jermaine Jarrett ’13, Kumah and Plump. The team has a solid group of underclassmen that received considerable playing time throughout the season. With an offseason to train, the Orange and Blue will return to action next fall, trying to improve on their results from this season.

Chris McCree

Sports Editor

The men’s soccer team qualified for the Patriot League Tournament last weekend, despite a devastating overtime loss to Lafayette on Nov. 3. With the game scoreless after 90 minutes of regulation, the Bison fell victim to a fluke of a goal just nine seconds into extra time. Though a disappointing result, the Orange and Blue maintained its playoff spot after a Colgate victory and a tie between Army and Lehigh prevented any team from climbing up the standings.

“When Lafayette scored in overtime, we all felt our season had just ended,” head coach Brendan Nash said. “Since it happened on such a strange goal it was an emotional end to the game. Knowing we had no control over our postseason chances, it was a somber tailgate and bus ride home.”

Coming into the game, the Bison knew all they needed was a tie to guarantee a bid into the playoffs. Both teams struggled to manufacture many good offensive opportunities with each side managing to record just seven shots in regulation. Goalie Mike Lansing ’16 ended with three saves on the day.

In overtime, Lafayette sent a 50-50 ball forward towards the Bison goal and it took an unusual spin past Lansing to give the Leopards the 1-0 win. The Orange and Blue then had to wait the rest of the night to hear whether they would play in the postseason.

“Over the course of the season, the team has learned that even though soccer is a 90 minute game with very little scoring, each play throughout the game is very important,” Nash said. “We must still improve on playing the game for the full 90 minutes, or 110 if overtime is required, this weekend.”

The Orange and Blue closed out its regular season with a 7-7-5 record overall and 2-3-2 in the Patriot League. Despite winning just the two league games, the team has not lost a contest by more than a single goal.

As the fourth seed in the tournament, the Bison will go up against top-ranked American in the first round. The only time the two teams met in the regular season, American came away with the 1-0 victory.

“I think the loss will motivate us rather than deflate us,” Nash said. “Our team has had some tough losses this year and we have needed to bounce back from each one. This will be the same situation.”

The first round matchup will take place today at 11 a.m. in Washington D.C. Second seed Lafayette will take on Colgate later in the day, and the championship game is expected to be played on Nov. 11.

“Our confidence is still high because our team has experience and knows what it takes to win the tournament,” Josh Plump ’13 said. “As long as we show up to play and put together two complete games, we should be successful this weekend.”

Chris McCree
Sports Editor

The men’s soccer team earned a crucial 1-0 win on Oct. 27 over visiting rival Colgate, moving the team into fourth place in the Patriot League standings with one game remaining. Entering the game one place outside of playoff contention, the Orange and Blue received an early goal from Jesse Klug ’16 and held on for the remainder of the contest to improve their league record to 2-2-2.

“The win against Colgate was a big win,” Brendan Burgdorf ’13 said. “It kept our chances of making the Patriot League Tournament alive, which has been our goal all season. Colgate is one of the top teams in the conference, so beating them gives us a lot of confidence that we can compete for the championship.”

Klug’s goal in the first five minutes of play provided an early spark for a Bison squad that has consistently been faced with early deficits throughout the season. Sprung on a breakaway by a Burgdorf header, Klug netted his third goal of the season into the right side of the net, launching an eruption of cheers from a large Senior Day crowd at Emmitt Field.

From that point on, the Orange and Blue defense held strong and allowed the Raiders just six shots throughout the contest. Goalie Mike Lansing ’16 made a key diving save midway through the first half to conserve the Bison lead and the Raiders could not create another legitimate scoring chance from that point on.

“The win was big for a few reasons,” head coach Brendan Nash said. “We had a nice Homecoming crowd, they are the defending champions and we needed to win to stay alive in the Patriot League playoff hunt. The win will help our confidence moving forward.”

Before kickoff, the Orange and Blue program recognized six seniors: Burgdorf, Vinny Cinotti ’13, Collin Costello’13, Jermaine Jarrett ’13, CK Kumah ’13 and Josh Plump ’13. All six players received field time during the match and Burgdorf moved into 10th place all-time on the points list with his assist.

Following the win, the Orange and Blue earned a 2-2 tie at Binghamton on Oct. 30. The team faced an early 2-0 deficit, but rallied in the last 20 minutes of the game to avoid the loss. Cinotti and Mark Kramarchuk ’16 scored the two goals for the Bison, giving the team a much needed boost of confidence heading into this weekend’s decisive match-up against Lafayette.

“There are many different options for the playoffs. However, the easiest thing for us to do is to get a win this weekend and get into the tournament,” Nash said. “Our guys know that once a team qualifies for the playoffs, the title is up for grabs. Yet, we first need to focus on qualifying this weekend.”

Standing in a tie for fourth place with Holy Cross, the Bison are guaranteed a playoff spot with a win tomorrow against Lafayette. The much anticipated game is slated to begin at 4 p.m. in Easton, Pa.

Chris McCree
Sports Editor

The men’s soccer team fell to Army 2-1 last weekend at home, dropping the team to 1-2-2 in league play and one spot out of the playoffs. The loss came as a result of a late goal with 13 seconds remaining on the clock, after a game-tying goal by Collin Costello ’13 less than a minute before.

“The result is obviously disappointing and puts us in a tough situation in the Patriot League with only two league games left,” Costello said. “The game of soccer is sometimes cruel, and the team that dominates most of the game does not always come out of the game with a win.”

The Bison fell behind early and were forced to ramp up their offensive pressure for the remainder of the game. This sense of urgency became more apparent in the second half, when the Bison outshot the Black Knights 14-4, stringing together a series of close attempts. With 56 seconds remaining, Costello finally found the back of the net for the Orange and Blue, knotting the game at one apiece.

“The one thing we have learned this year is that our team comes out to play in the second half of games,” Costello said. “This was again clear in the Army game where we outshot Army in the second half. If we can match that type of intensity and effort in the first half of games, I believe we can beat anyone we match up against.”

Looking as if the game was headed into overtime, the Black Knights put together one last push resulting in the game-winning goal. For the Bison, the loss is particularly tough to take because they outplayed their opponents for the vast majority of the game. Ending the game with 19 shots to Army’s nine, the Bison controlled the ball well, but couldn’t capitalize on key chances throughout the contest.

Although they hold just one league win, the Bison are still very much in the playoff hunt. One point away from fourth place, the Orange and Blue have two more chances to earn valuable points against Colgate and Lafayette.

“While a loss never feels good, we are still confident as a team that we have the ability and desire to win our last two Patriot League games and make it into the playoffs,” Costello said. “As a team, we have still not put together a full 90 minute effort. If we make sure we take care of the details, are confident in our abilities and finish our chances, we will be successful versus Colgate this weekend.”

The Orange and Blue did get a boost of momentum on Tuesday by taking down NJIT 1-0. Patrick Figgie ’16 recorded the lone goal for the Bison in the 23rd minute, but it proved to be enough due to a strong effort by the defensive unit. Goalie Mike Lansing ’16 made five saves and recorded his fourth shutout of the year.

Standing at 6-6-4 on the season, the team enters a pivotal stretch in their season. Their push for a playoff berth begins this weekend when they host Colgate tomorrow at 4 p.m.