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The Bucknell Bison are the 69th team in our 2018 schedule preview series and the ninth and final team from the Patriot League. The Bison were seen as a darkhorse in the conference, but went 5-8 overall and 3-5 in Patriot League play. They failed to make the league tournament.
Here’s the entire 2018 schedule:
Bucknell’s 2018 Schedule
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
| 1/20 | Bucknell | Virginia | Scrimmage | |
| 1/27 | Towson/Hobart | Bucknell | Scrimmages | |
| 2/3 | Marist | Bucknell | Scrimmage | |
| 2/10 | Bucknell | Bryant | 9-8 W | |
| 2/17 | Bucknell | Richmond | First ever meeting | |
| 2/24 | Bucknell | Colgate | Patriot League | 15-10 L |
| 3/3 | Navy | Bucknell | Patriot League | 13-7 L |
| 3/10 | Bucknell | Holy Cross | Patriot League | 10-8 L |
| 3/17 | Boston University | Bucknell | Patriot League | 12-6 W |
| 3/20 | Bucknell | Penn | In Newtown Square, Pennsylvania (Episcopal Academy); First meeting since 2012 (8-3 W) | |
| 3/24 | Bucknell | Loyola | Patriot League | 9-8 W/2OT |
| 3/31 | Bucknell | Army West Point | Patriot League | 11-10 L |
| 4/4 | Bucknell | Yale | First ever meeting | |
| 4/7 | Mount St. Mary's | Bucknell | 12-10 L | |
| 4/13 | Lafayette | Bucknell | Patriot League | 11-7 W |
| 4/20 | Lehigh | Bucknell | Patriot League | 9-6 L |
The Bison get rid of Delaware, Fairfield, and Villanova from their schedule. They add Penn, Richmond, and Yale for this year.
Let’s check out some notable games on this schedule:
Best Nonconference Game: @ Richmond
Neither team has ever played each other. We should have two good offenses going at it as well. Teddy Hatfield, Ryan Lee, and Mitch Goldberg are a pretty good unit at attack. Will Sands and Connor O’Hara at attack, along with Sean O’Brien at midfield, had big expectations last year, and have one more year as a group to do big things with the Bison.
Best Conference Game: vs. Lehigh
Last year, Bucknell needed to beat the Mountain Hawks in order to make their 11th straight Patriot League Tournament. But a 6-0 Lehigh run ruined their chances of another Patriot League berth. The Mountain Hawks have another year of experience under their belts, and the Bison might be in a similar situation when April comes.
Under The Radar Game: @ Colgate
Last year’s Patriot League opener began with a surprising 15-10 loss to the Raiders at home. The Raiders also didn’t make the conference tournament. Colgate loses starting goalie Brandon Burke, but does return Sam Cleveland and PL Rookie of the Year Griffin Brown, along with a bunch of others that played key roles in their conference title back in 2015.
Possible Upset: @ Loyola
Bucknell had some flashes of promise last year, including with a double overtime win over the eventual league champion Greyhounds. If Sands can have another big day on offense and goalie Christian Klipstein can have a similar 15 save performance like he did that day, there’s a good chance the Bison can do it again, this time in Loyola’s house.
For other schedules and team rosters, check out our Men’s Division I matrix.