A great showing from the Red Fox faithful couldn’t help the Marist Red Foxes secure a victory as they fell to the Bucknell Bison by a score of 15-7 in Poughkeepsie, NY.
The Face off X is a huge part of the game and it every game the Red Foxes seem to lack in that category throwing yet again another plethora of guys to try to stop the Bison, as they lost that advantage 9-26. Their main go-to on the faceoff this game was freshman Dylan Bedell.
“Their crew today at Bucknell is very good and we went with Bedell for most of the game and Dylan was doing a very good job of winning the ball and winning the clamps.” Said Head Coach Keegan Wilkinson. “Dylan continued to grow as the game went on, he’s a very talented kid.”
Red Fox senior goalie Anthony Novellano was getting was getting shot on all day recording a career high 22 saves for the Red Foxes.
Coach Wilkinson had high praise for the senior goaltender who has been having a stellar season so far.
“I am really proud of Anthony, you look at each game, I think he’s played his butt off,” said Wilkinson. “I think the defense has done a really nice job; he would be the first one to tell you that the defense is forcing shots that he likes to see. He’s waited his turn; this program is not a place where you come and play right away.”
On the other side of the field, in between the pipes a quiet day for the Bison freshman goalie Max Nelson gathering nine saves in the game.
Bucknell started the game with a goal from the freshman midfielder Cam Doolan three minutes into the game. To start it was all Bison on the offensive side of the ball with seven shots in the first five minutes of the game.
It looked like Marist could get nothing cooking on offense until senior attackmen JoJo Pirreca scored the first goal at home for the Red Foxes to make it a 1-1 game.
The Bison’s best offensive player, freshman attackmen Connor Davis from Maryland, who leads the nation in goals, found the back of the net on a fastbreak beating Novellano off-stick side high to make it 2-1 Bison. The Bison added a goal with two minutes left in the first quarter from senior Attackmen Alston Tarry to make it a 3-1 lead which ended the scoring for the first quarter.
Ten seconds into the second quarter the Red Foxes got that spark they needed from senior long stick midfielder JT Roselle off an assist from senior midfielder James Lyons to close the Bison lead to 3-2.
The Bison answered back by two goals from Tarry, his third of the game in the first half to make it a 5-2 Bison lead with eleven minutes left in the first half.
The Bison weren’t done yet with their scoring run with goals from sophomore attackmen Dutch Furlong and senior midfielder Harry Wellford, a Saint Louis native to make it a 5-goal advantage for the Bison with four minutes left in the first half.
Novellano was pressured throughout the first half but stood tall with 14 saves in the first half alone. Novellano praised his defense on how they give him shots he likes to see.
“Obviously that is a really talented Patriot League team, the defense played well and we will get better every day and we are looking forward to playing a really good air force team,” Said Novellano
The stories of the first half were advantages in shots (33-12) and time of possession for the Bison, leading both of these categories by a lard margin.
The Bison opened up the second half with goals from Furlong and Davis to make it a 9-2 advantage for Bucknell.
The Red Foxes tried to fight their way back in the game with a goal from junior attackmen Kellen Pulera with ten minutes left in the third quarter. Just as the Red Foxes were gaining momentum goals from Tarry, his fourth of today and two Furlong, his fourth of the game to make it a handling 12-3 lead for the Bison.
Redshirt senior midfielder Jason Intermesoli answered back at the Bison with a spin move and a goal of his own to shorten the lead to 12-4. Every time the Red Foxes would score the Bucknell would answer back with a goal of their own as Davis would score his third goal of the game to make it a 14-4 lead to end the third quarter.
It took the Red Foxes five minutes to get on the board in the fourth quarter with meaningless goals from Lyons. Senior attackmen Vito Musso and Pirreca were a little for a Red Fox comeback.
Marist looks to rebound in their next game against the Air Force Academy out in Colorado. Game is scheduled for Saturday, March 5, with the opening face off at noon.
Edited by Mackenzie Meaney
Photo by Marist Athletics