The Canisius College men's soccer team used an early goal and a strong defensive effort to earn a 1-0 victory against Bucknell in its home opener on Friday night. With the win, the Griffs improve to 1-2-0 on the season, while the Bison even its record at 2-2-0.
“Bucknell is a very talented and hard-working team and we knew to be successful, that nothing less than 100 percent effort would do,” said Canisius head coach Dermot McGrane. “I thought the quality of our play in the second half wasn't our best, however, we did a great job to grind out this win and give us some momentum moving forward.”
Senior Derek Maier netted his first collegiate tally – the only score the Griffs would need on the night – to give Canisius the early advantage. With Maier forcing some pressure, a Bucknell defender attempted a pass back to the goalie but the senior forward continued his pursuit of the ball near the edge of the box. He forced the netminder to make a sliding clearance attempt only to see the ball deflect off Maier and trickle into the net for his first career goal in the 20th minute of play.
After a quiet first half, it was the defense and junior goalie Andrew Coughlin's turn to shine. The senior recorded four of his five saves in the second 45 minutes of action, including an outstanding stop in the 61st minute. Pat Plourde broke free from the Canisius defense and had a point-blank look at the goal but Coughlin made the stop and the rebound shot sailed over the crossbar to preserve the lead and eventual Griffs victory.
A junior transfer from Syracuse, Coughlin's five saves helped him earn his first victory and shutout in the Blue & Gold.
Both teams finished the contest with 11 shots on the night, while Bucknell held a slight edge in corner kicks, 4-3. Clarke Fox recorded one save in defeat for the Bison.
Canisius continues play at the Demske Sports Complex on Sunday afternoon with a 1 p.m. tilt against Bryant.
Game Notes: The win ended an 11-game winless streak in home openers for the Griffs … The team's last win in its first game at the Demske Sports Complex came during the 2002 season with a 3-2 victory against Duquesne … Maier scored his first goal in his 44th career appearance … Maier was also making his first start of the season and his first since starting five games as a rookie in 2011 … Coughlin also earned one win and one shutout during his tenure at Syracuse (one career start with the Orange) … Canisius posted a win over Bucknell for the second-straight season and evened the all-time series at 2-2-0.
