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.

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2009-03-25