LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell men’s soccer team’s storybook turnaround season will have another chapter. One season after finishing at the bottom of the Patriot League table, the co-regular season champion and second-seeded Bison advanced past No. 3 American 6-5 in a penalty kick shootout in the PL Tournament semifinals on Tuesday night at Emmitt Field. And with No. 4 Colgate defeating top-seeded Boston University in the other semifinal match, Bucknell will host the Raiders in the final on Saturday at 6 p.m.

The Bison and North Florida are the only two Division I teams in the country to win or share a regular-season conference title in 2024 after finishing at the bottom in 2023, and now Bucknell will be playing in its first Patriot League title match since 2014, when it won 3-2 in overtime on Sebastiaan Blickman’s golden goal at Boston University.

There was high drama from start to finish in this one, and the Bison nicked the lead in the 18th minute. David Krumov sent a terrific ball through to Jack Lucas down the left channel, and Lucas was taken down in the box for a penalty. Lucas, who had converted the team’s only penalty kick of the season all the way back on Aug. 31 against Mount St. Mary’s, did it again from the spot to put the hosts in front.

American turned up the heat in the second half and had the Bucknell pinned back for a long stretch. The Bison dealt with a number of dangerous crosses, and a low service from Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Troy Elgersma just missed a sliding Taku Takahashi on the back post. The Eagles finally found their equalizer in the 69th minute, when Sam Hershey looped a header over the outstretched arm of Freddie Lapworth.

While American pushed hard for a second goal, the Bison found their footing later in the half and had some good chances of their own. Lucas, who had a Man of the Match type performance on the left wing, delivered a tantalizing cross that just missed Drew Roskos flashing in front of goal.

In the final two minutes, Roskos just missed on the half-volley from the center of the area off a long throw from Collin Sullivan. The Bison earned two late corner kicks and pinged the ball around the box in the closing seconds but could not find the match-winner.

American goalkeeper Matthew Tibbetts made the save of the night in the 98th minute to keep his team alive. Tibbetts dove to his left to snag a well-struck shot from Cohen Weaver from the edge of the area.

Ethan Boyle had a chance to win it for the Eagles in the second OT period but fired over the bar from space in the center of the box.

Both teams started 3-for-3 in the shootout – Roskos, the goalkeeper Lapworth, and Lucas all fired shots home for Bucknell — but the Bison were in jeopardy after a shot rang the crossbar in round four. Lapworth came up big with an immediate save to keep the shootout on level terms after four rounds. Zane Domsohn and Kiko Hidalgo both had conversions answered by American, and then in round seven Ben Sheffield put the Bison back ahead 6-5. The ensuing shot skipped wide of the right post, and the Bison bench and the large student crowd flooded the field in celebration.

Bucknell will be looking for its fifth Patriot League Tournament title and first under third-year head coach Dave Brandt, who received the Patriot League Coach of the Year trophy before the match and then presented Lapworth with his Goalkeeper of the Year award.

The Bison are now 6-2 all-time in PK shootouts in the Patriot League Tournament. They will face a Colgate squad on Saturday evening coming off a 1-0 win over Boston University, despite being outshot 15-1 in the match. The Bison defeated the Raiders 1-0 at Emmitt Field on Oct. 26 on a late goal from Jimmy Pombor.