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Bison Men's Lax Gains at Least Share of PL Title with 15-5 Win at Lehigh
April 26, 2003 BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Bucknell senior Kelly Hogue scored a career-high five goals and classmate Justin Sussman made 13 saves to lead the 20th-ranked Bison to a 15-5 romp at Lehigh in the regular-season finales for both teams Saturday evening at Ulrich Sports Complex. With the victory, Bucknell clinched at least a share of its fourth consecutive Patriot League title. Patrick Christensen added three goals and Chris Cara had a goal and three assists as Bucknell finishes its regular season 9-4, 5-1 in the Patriot League. The Bison are 21-3 against PL foes over the last four years and have shared or won outright the league title each year. Bucknell must now root for Lafayette, currently in the Patriot League's cellar, to upset Army on Tuesday night. An Army loss would give the Bison the outright title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Should the Black Knights prevail, both Bucknell and Army would finish in a first-place tie at 5-1, and the Cadets would gain the coveted NCAA bid based on their 10-9 win over BU earlier this month. Bucknell dominated Lehigh from start to finish, sprinting to a quick 5-0 lead. The Bison enjoyed a lead of at least four goals for the game's final 45:12. Bucknell was strong in transition in the first half, turning suffocating defense into a commanding 7-2 halftime lead. Sussman made seven saves in the opening 30 minutes, four of which directly led to Bison goals.
The 7-2 halftime lead was strikingly similar to Bucknell's most recent outing at Colgate, when the Raiders overcame that same deficit to tie the game at 7-7 in the third quarter before the Bison pulled out a 10-9 win. This time the Herd ensured there would be no comeback, scoring seven times in the fourth quarter to post their second-highest victory margin of the season along with their second-highest goal total.
In what may have been his final collegiate contest, Hogue was brilliant, adding a pair of assists to his five-goal ledger for a seven-point showing. He either scored or assisted on four of Bucknell's first five goals. After Worthy Sanders scored twice, Hogue tacked on three in a row himself for a 5-0 Bison lead. Five of Bucknell's seven first-half goals came immediately after a defensive stop. Sussman allowed only four goals before leaving to a large ovation with 2:30 remaining. Sussman, who entered the game ranked second nationally in save percentage (.657) graduates as Bucknell's winningest all-time goalie (30) and ranks third on the team's all-time saves list. Lehigh tallied the opening goal of the second half to reduce Bucknell's margin to 7-3, but Hogue's tally off a precise feed from Cara with 1:11 left in the third quarter sparked an 8-1 Bison run that put the game away. Christensen and Craig Fleishman each scored twice in the fourth quarter, and Brendan Shanley tallied his first goal of the season to complete the scoring. Tony Lowe, the nation's second-leading goal producer, scored four of Lehigh's five goals, the last coming on a rebound against backup goalie Matt Baran (2 saves) with 1:59 remaining. Bill Gugliemo made 14 saves for Lehigh. #20 BUCKNELL 4 3 1 7 -- 15 LEHIGH 0 2 1 2 -- 5BUCKNELL BREAKDOWN: Goals - Hogue 5, Christensen 3, Sanders 2, Fleishman 2, Cara, Fetchet, Shanley. Assists - Cara 3, Copelan 2, Hogue 2, R. Lane 2, Fetchet, O'Hearn, Sanders. LEHIGH BREAKDOWN: Goals - Lowe 4, Titus. Assists - Morin, Titus, Weiner.
Shots: Bucknell 40. Lehigh 29. |
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