Feb. 23, 2012
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VILLANOVA, Pa. - No. 9 Villanova (1-0, 0-0) returns to Villanova Stadium for the first time in 2012 to face the Bucknell Bison (0-2,0-0) in a non-conference matchup this Saturday. Game time is scheduled for Noon.
The weekend contest marks the second of three games against in-state rivals to start the year. Villanova will host Drexel this coming Tuesday and previously beat Lehigh, 17-7, in Bethlehem, Pa. on February 18th to begin the season.
Saturday's matchup will mark the 13th overall meeting between the two schools, with the all-time series tied at 6-6. Bucknell claimed the latest victory on February 26th, 2011 in a 10-8 win at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium last season. Villanova was last victorious against the Bison during the 2004 season, when the Wildcats posted a 16-11 victory at Villanova Stadium. Prior to the 2011 matchup, the two teams had not met in seven years.
Villanova This Season: The Wildcats enter Saturday's contest with a perfect 1-0 record after defeating Lehigh, 17-7, in Bethlehem, Pa. last weekend. Villanova scored ten unanswered second-half goals and 11 different players posted points in their first win at Lehigh since the 2003 season. The triumph also marked the largest margin of victory over an opponent in a season opener since Feb. 24th, 2002 in a 19-7 win over St. Joseph's.
As of the latest USILA Coaches and Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Polls released on Monday, Feb. 20th, Villanova will face six ranked opponents this season: No. 4 Notre Dame, No. 6 Syracuse, No. 7 Maryland, No. 14 Princeton, No. 17 Penn and No. 20 Penn State.
`Nova Offense: Villanova returns an astounding 12 letterwinners on offense from the 2011 season, and the experience showed after 11 different Wildcats posted points in the season opener. With just one game under their belts, VU has posted 17.00 goals per game compared to just 7.00 from the competition, including a .725 shot on goal percentage over their competitors .613.
Senior Kevin Cunningham (Garden City, N.Y.) lead the Villanova attack after notching five goals and two assists versus Lehigh, while junior Will Casertano (Millbrook, N.Y.) and sophomore Kevin O'Neil (Cockeysville, Md.) each have five points apiece
'Nova Defense: Senior Dan Gutierrez (Chevy Chase, Md.) had a career-day in net against the Mountain Hawks, making 12 saves and facing 40 shots as Villanova's goalkeeper. For his efforts, Gutierrez was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for the week of Feb. 20th.
The starting trio at close defense, seniors Chris Creighton (West Chester, Pa.), Ryan McDonagh (Huntington, N.Y.) and sophomore Chris Conroy (Chatham, N.J.) combined for five ground balls in the season opener while sophomore LSM John LoCascio (Fairfield, N.J.) picked up four ground balls for the day.
A Look at Bucknell: Bucknell will bring a 0-2 record into Saturday's showdown against the Wildcats. The Bison are coming off an overtime 11-10 loss to No. 19 Delaware before falling at UMass, 11-9, last Friday evening. The 2011 Bison won the Patriot League and advanced into the first round of the NCAA Tournament but fell to Virginia, 13-12, in overtime in the opening round.
Bison Offense: Bucknell averages 9.5 goals per game on offense and surrenders 10.65 goals per game defensively. Senior Billy Eisenreich leads the team with eight points via four goals and four assists while junior Chase Bailey has posted three goals and two assists through two games. Sophomore Todd Heritage, junior Peter Burke and freshman David Dickson each have contributed four points apiece.
Bison Defense: Defensively, junior goalkeeper Kyle Feeney has started both games for the Bison and is credited with a 0-2 record. He posts a 10.48 goals against average and a .523 save percentage after facing 62 shots and playing over 120 minutes behind the net.
The Last Meeting (2/26/11): A late three-goal run to tie the score at 8-all in the fourth quarter gave No. 20 Villanova a fighting chance for the win, but the Wildcats couldn't secure the victory as they fell to Bucknell, 10-8, in Lewisberg, Pa.. Kevin Cunningham led the offensive effort with a hat trick and an assist for the day while Brian Karalunas contributed five caused turnovers and four ground balls on the defensive end. Bucknell's Ryan Klipsten led the Bison with a five point performance, scoring four goals and one assist.
