Wheeler Leads Towson Over Bucknell
from press release
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell men’s
lacrosse team saw its three-game winning streak come to an end on
Tuesday night, thanks in large part to Towson goalie Rob Wheeler,
who made six of his 14 saves in the final quarter to preserve the
Tigers’ 8-7 victory at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
Freshman Charlie Streep (New Canaan, Conn./Loomis-Chaffee) scored a
career-high four goals for the shorthanded Bison, who fell to 4-5
on the season.
It was an even game throughout, with neither team able to compile a
lead of more than two goals. Wheeler made a highlight-reel kick
save on a point-blank shot to preserve a 6-6 tie with nine minutes
to play, then with Towson clinging to a one-goal lead he made three
saves in the final 33 seconds, including two on one flurry to deny
Streep and Joe Mele (Westbury, Conn./Kellenberg Memorial). Bucknell
had one last shot on a restart from the top of the box with nine
seconds left, but a hard lefthanded shot from Perry Menzies
(Upperco, Md./Hereford) skipped wide.
The Bison played without Honorable Mention All-America attackman
Austin Winter (Boonton Twp., N.J./Mountain Lakes), who had a
nine-point game in a win over Towson last season, and top faceoff
man Jake Clarke (Cos Cob, Conn./Greenwich), who is ranked seventh
nationally in faceoff percentage. Both players were held out with
minor injuries suffered in Saturday’s win over Air Force
Will Harrington had two goals and an assist, including what
eventually turned into the game-winning goal for the Tigers, who
won their second straight to improve to 3-4.
All seven of Bucknell’s goals came from midfielders. In
addition to Streep’s four tallies, Doug Buckley (Wantagh,
N.Y./Chaminade), Chris Palmer (Atlanta, Ga./The Lovett School) and
Brandon Buchmayr (Darien, Conn./Darien) all scored goals.
Trailing 2-1 late in the first quarter, Bucknell held the ball for
a last shot, and the maneuver paid off as Streep beat his man and
scored while falling away to even things at 2. Bucknell’s
ride accounted for the only goal of the second quarter. The Bison
forced a turnover near midfield, Streep pounced on the ground ball
and fired into an empty net with Wheeler caught upfield.
The fast-moving first half featured five goals and no penalties,
but in the second the teams combined for six infractions, several
of which played a big part in the game’s outcome.
Brock Armour and Buckley traded goals to start the second half, but
Towson erased its 4-3 deficit by scoring three straight goals. Sean
Maguire tied it at the 7:53 mark of the third quarter, then just 30
seconds later, Wheeler fired a length-of-field pass against the
10-man ride, and Bill McCutcheon grabbed the ball behind the last
defender and scored into the open net. Harrington shot one in off
the goal post with 2:21 left in the period to give Towson its first
multi-goal lead at 6-4. Bucknell got one back before the end of the
third period when Palmer fired home a hard lefthanded shot from up
top.
The Tigers drew the game’s very first penalty 47 seconds into
the fourth quarter, and the Bison made them pay when Streep flashed
into the middle and fired home a pass from Billy Eisenreich
(Chatham, N.J./Chatham).
The Bison thought they had gone ahead when Tim Brandau (Owings
Mills, Md./McDonogh) took a cross-crease pass all alone on the
doorstep, but Wheeler scrambled back to make the stop. Nick Sciubba
(Sea Cliff, N.Y./Salisbury School), who entered the game in relief
in the third quarter, answered Wheeler with a tricky save of his
own on Harrington at the other end. But the Bison turned it over on
the clear, and the Tigers cashed in when Tim Stratton found Maguire
open for the go-ahead goal with 7:17 to play.
Bucknell was flagged for a late hit after the goal, then it picked
up another penalty for a push from behind near the sideline on the
ensuing faceoff. With the two-man advantage, Harrington scored with
a lefthanded low-to-low shot from a hard angle to Sciubba’s
left.
Towson won the next faceoff as well, but Billy Haire (Darien,
Conn./Darien) came up with a big ground ball to set up a Bison
goal. With 3:54 to play, Streep faked left, then wheeled back to
his right and shot around a screen for his fourth goal of the
day.
Bucknell played Towson even in the faceoff area for three quarters
even without Clarke, but Mitchell Rosensweig, who is also ranked in
the top 10 nationally, won his fourth in a row. The Bison were
flagged for a one-minute cross-checking penalty with 1:31 left in
the game. They forced a turnover an cleared with just over a minute
to play, but Bucknell had to kill off the rest of the penalty
before it could get into its offense.
With 33 seconds left Wheeler deflected a shot by Brandau. After a
re-start, he made a tough save on Streep, then another on Mele who
tried to score on the rebound. Towson came up with the ground ball,
but Brandau immediately stole it back for Bucknell. His pass in
front did not connect, but after a wild scramble Towson was
whistled for a loose-ball push with nine seconds left.
Bucknell called timeout and went to Menzies, the senior middie who
had 12 goals in his previous four games. Menzies went to his left
and shot wide with three seconds left, and after another timeout, a
desperation pass on the re-start did not connect as time
expired.
Towson outshot the Bison 32-27 and finished with an 11-8 edge in
faceoffs after winning the last four of the night.
Matt Antonelli (Arnold, Md./Archbishop Spalding) finished with nine
saves and six goals against, while Sciubba picked up one save and
allowed two scores in 15:50.
