April 11, 2003
Bucknell faces yet another crucial Patriot League test on Saturday at West Point's Shea Stadium, as the Bison go in search of their sixth straight victory and fourth straight win over Army. With four teams still very much in contention for the conference title - and the NCAA Tournament berth that goes with it - conference losses can be devastating. Fortunately for the Bison, they have yet to slip in PL play and bring a league-best 3-0 record into today's contest, including a key 8-7 win over Hobart (last year's PL NCAA representative) on March 29. Army, on the other hand, suffered a stunning 15-8 loss at Colgate this past Tuesday. That outcome not only made the Black Knights' remaining games with Bucknell and Hobart "must-wins," but it also put the 2-1 Raiders right back in contention in the PL race.
Bison Lax on the Airwaves
In the second of at least two men's lax broadcasts this season, today's game against Army will air on the radio (WMLP AM-1380) in the Lewisburg area and worldwide on the intertet (www.BucknellBison.com). Doug Birdsong, the "Voice of the Bison," handles the play-by-play. Any NCAA Tournament games involving the Bison would also be aired.
Bison on a 5-Game Stampede
Bucknell enters Saturday's game with the nation's third-longest winning streak, five games. Only third-ranked Georgetown (7) and No. 2 Princeton (6) boast longer active winning strings. The Bison have outscored their last five opponents by a 56-26 margin, and that includes two gritty one-goal wins over Hobart (8-7) and No. 18 Villanova (7-6). Bucknell's lone blemishes have both come against top-10 teams from the ACC, a 13-3 season-opening loss to No. 9 North Carolina and a 14-8 defeat at No. 3 Maryland.
Bison in Search of PL Four-Peat
Bucknell has either shared or won outright each of the last three Patriot League championships. In 2000, Bucknell and Hobart both finished atop the PL with 5-1 records; in 2001 the Bison went a perfect 6-0 in league play; and last season, Bucknell, Army and Hobart ended in a three-way tie for first at 5-1. The Bison, who also won the league championship in 1996, have the league's best record over the last three years.
PL Records (since 2000)
1. Bucknell 19-2 .905
2. Hobart 19-4 .826
3. Army 15-6 .714
4. Colgate 10-11 .476
5. Lehigh 7-14 .333
6. Lafayette 5-16 .238
7. Holy Cross 0-22 .000
Getting Defensive
Bucknell has gained a reputation in recent years as being a top-notch defensive squad, and this season has been no different. The Bison lead the Patriot League and rank second nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 6.3 goals per game. The Herd has allowed seven goals or less (and only 30 total) in each of their seven victories. Not surprisingly, Bucknell has all four of this season's Patriot League player of the week honorees - senior goalie Justin Sussman on March 17 and April 7, senior long-stick middie Justin Slama on March 24 and sophomore defensive middie Ryan Goodman on March 31.
National Leaders: Scoring Defense
1. Villanova 4.78
2. Bucknell 6.33
3. Providence 6.38
4. Vermont 6.44
5. Dartmouth 6.50
6. Georgetown 6.57
Sussman Sturdy in Cage
Backstopping Bucknell's terrific defense for the fourth straight year is senior goalie Justin Sussman. Few netminders in the nation have been more consistent than Sussman over the last three-plus seasons. A preseason honorable mention All-American for the second straight year, Sussman leads the nation in save percentage (.703) and leads the Patriot League while listing fourth nationally in goals-against average (6.19). Sussman currently ranks fourth on Bucknell's all-time saves list (527) and has joined Ken Mangano (703), Tom Sanders (664), Bryan McAdam (531) and Colin Barker (501) as the only Bison goalies with 500 career saves.
Sussman's Success Dates Back to 2000 Army Game
Just prior to the fifth game of the 2000 season, Bucknell coach Sid Jamieson faced a dilemma when his starting goalie, Andy Smith, went down with a knee injury. With one of the team's biggest games of the season looming against 16th-ranked Army, Jamieson turned to a raw freshman named Justin Sussman. All the rookie did was turn aside 12 shots in a thrilling 10-9 win over the Black Knights, and Sussman has been the Bison starter ever since. He has a 31-19 career record, has led the Bison to three PL titles, and is 3-0 lifetime against Army.
Young Close Defensemen Doing the Job
Locking up opponents in front of Sussman has been an outstanding close defense trio of junior Blaise Fletcher and sophomores Reece Pacheco and Ned Hare. Opponents are averaging only 31.2 shots per game, and converting only 20.3 percent of those launches into goals.
No Sophomore Jinx For Cara
Sophomore attackman Chris Cara, who last season broke Bucknell's freshman scoring record en route to Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors, has picked right up where he left off in the scoring department. He currently leads the team in scoring with 34 points on 14 goals and 20 assists, and he ranks second in the league in both points and assists, as well as eighth nationally in helpers.
Fetchet, Terracciano on Comeback Trail
One of the disappointing notes from the 2002 season was the loss of veterans Wes Fetchet and John Terracciano to season-ending knee injuries early in the campaign. Both players have come back strong in 2003. Fetchet, the 2001 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, has eight goals, including a hat trick against Mount St. Mary's. Terracciano, one of the team's fastest middies, has six goals and three assists in eight games.
Truly "Special" Teams
Bucknell has really picked up its extra-man offense after struggling in that area last season. The Bison have outscored their opponents 19-6 this season in EMO situations. Bucknell leads the Patriot League and ranks 10th nationally with a 39.6% success rate. Meanwhile, Bucknell's extra-man defense has yielded only a half-dozen goals in 42 chances for a 14.3% conversion rate, the second-best in the nation behind only top-ranked Johns Hopkins. The Bison have killed off their last nine penalties.
Two Legendary Coaches on the Sidelines Today
Each year the Bucknell-Army game pits two of the legends in the college lax coaching fraternity, as Army's Jack Emmer and Bucknell's Sid Jamieson rank first and third, respectively, in wins among active coaches. Emmer picked up his NCAA-record 301st coaching victory with last weekend's upset of eighth-ranked Rutgers. Jamieson owns 226 career victories.
Bucknell Head Coach Sid Jamieson
A legend in the college lacrosse coaching circle and the only mentor in the 36-year history of Bucknell Lacrosse, Sid Jamieson earned Patriot League Coach of the Year accolades in 2001 after leading the Bison to their second conference title and first NCAA Tournament appearance. Jamieson was the USILA national Coach of the Year in 1996 after leading BU to an undefeated season. Jamieson, who was recently inducted into the Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame, has a 223-217 (.507) career record.
Bucknell-Army Series
The Black Knights have an 18-4 lead in an all-time series that dates back to 1979. Bucknell has won three straight in the series, however, including an 8-5 verdict last season in Lewisburg. In fact, Bucknell's four series wins have coincided with its four Patriot League titles - 1996, 2000, 2001 and 2002. Army's last win over the Bison was a 12-10 edging at West Point in 1999.
Bison Tracks
Bucknell's top midfield line of seniors Andrew Copelan, John Terracciano and Rob Lane combined for five goals and seven assists in last week's 12-5 win over Lafayette ... the Bison won all five games on their recent homestand ... the current five-game winning streak is the longest since the perfect 12-0 season of 1996 ... Chris Cara had his third career five-assist game in BU's 7-6 win over No. 18 Villanova ... the Bison have outscored their opponents 47-24 in the first half this season.
