TOWSON, Md. – Sophomore attackman Austin Winter (Mountain Lakes H.S./Boonton Township, N.J.) scored three goals and added a career-high six assists as 15th-ranked Bucknell University (6-2) earned its sixth win in the last seven games with a 12-10 non-conference victory over Towson University (1-5) at the Tigers' Johnny Unitas Stadium on Tuesday evening.

It was the first meeting between the former East Coast Conference rivals since the 1995 season. With the win, the Bison earned their second all-time victory against the Tigers in 16 meetings and won at Towson for the first time in the program's history.

Winter gave the Bison a quick 1-0 lead just 1:38 into the first quarter when he converted a feed from junior midfielder Doug Buckley (Chaminade H.S./Wantagh, N.Y.) for his eighth goal of the season. However, the Tigers used a goal and an assist from senior attackman Jonathan Engelke (Farmingdale H.S./Massapequa, N.Y.) to ignite a three-goal run, which gave Towson a two-goal lead with five minutes left in the opening period.

The Bison responded with a three-goal run of their own over a five-minute span to regain their one-goal edge at 4-3. While Winter had two assists during the run, sophomore attackman Tim Brandau (McDonogh School/Owings Mills, Md.) added a goal with an assist.

Engelke ended the Bucknell spurt with his second goal of the game after receiving a full-field pass from senior goalkeeper Billy Sadtler (Albemarle H.S./Charlottesville, Va.) with 7:44 remaining in the second quarter. It was the first assist of Sadtler's career.

After the teams traded goals to even the score at 5-5 with 4:33 remaining in the first half, the Bison tallied three unanswered goals in the final 2:29 to take an 8-5 advantage at the intermission. Junior attackman Joe Mele (Kellenberg Memorial H.S./Westbury, N.Y.) scored twice during the run while Winter tallied a goal with an assist.

Freshman attackman Tim Stratton (Manheim Township H.S./Lititz, Pa.) narrowed the Tiger deficit to 8-6 just over three minutes into the third quarter when he converted an Engelke feed for his second goal of the game, but Mele and senior midfielder Nick Marks (Salisbury School/Barrington, Ill.) countered with back-to-back goals to extend the lead to 10-6.

The Tigers closed to within 10-9 with 9:43 remaining in the fourth quarter by using a three-goal run. After junior Randall Cooper (Friends School/Phoenix, Md.) scored off another Sadtler assist with one second left in the third quarter, Stratton narrowed the margin to 10-8 with his third goal of the game by scoring off a pass from freshman Matt Hanzsche (Mount St. Joseph H.S./Catonsville, Md.).

Engelke tallied his third goal of the game just 31 seconds later off a feed from sophomore midfielder Eric Boyle (Annapolis H.S./Annapolis, Md.) to complete the run and cut the Bison lead to 10-9.

However, Brandau ended the Tigers' rally by scoring off a Winter pass with 7:31 remaining for an 11-9 advantage. Boyle scored an unassisted goal with 3:26 left before Winter secured the victory with his third goal of the game, an unassisted marker past Sadtler to give Bucknell a two-goal lead that the Bison did not relinquish.

Winter led the Bison with a career-high nine points while Brandau added three goals with an assist. Mele recorded his third "hat trick" of the season with a three-goal effort as the Bison outshot Towson by a 35-28 margin.

Engelke, who tied a season high with five points in the loss, moved into seventh place on the Tigers' career goals list with his three-goal effort against the Bison. He passed Brad Reppert, '02 and now has 93 goals in his career.

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2008-03-25