WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army Men's Soccer came out victorious 2-1 against Bucknell on Sunday evening at Malek Stadium at Clinton Field. With the Senior Day win Army moves to 2-8-3 on the season with a 1-6-0 mark in Patriot League play and moves Bucknell to 6-8-1 overall, with a 3-3-1 conference record.
Prior to the game eight seniors were recognized for the Black Knights; captains Kelly Cooper and Owen Ennis, Owen Mejia, Colin McCarthy, Daniel Gormley, Keanu Likewise, Jubril Bamgbala and Riley Cullum.
Army Men's Soccer class of 2027 seniors: Left to right, Kelly Cooper, Jubril Bamgbala, Riley Cullum, Owen Ennis, Daniel Gormley, Colin McCarthy, and Owen MejiaHow it Happened:
The Black Knights applied offensive pressure right out of the gate, testing Bucknell goalkeeper Thomas Yerbury in the opening minute with a shot from Jubril Bamgbala that was saved. Both sides traded chances through the early portion of the match, with Army goalkeeper Blair Camargo making a pair of crucial stops against Bucknell's Jack Lucas and Drew Roskos to keep the contest scoreless.
The Black Knights broke through in the 29' mark to take the lead. Following a sustained offensive possession, Riley Cullum fed the ball to Bamgbala, who buried his fourth goal of the season to give Army West Point a 1-0 advantage. Army carried that momentum through the remainder of the first half, outshooting the Bison 7-5 in the opening 45 minutes to take their one-goal lead into the half.
Bucknell came out of the locker room aggressively in the second half and ultimately outshot the Black Knights 11-4 in the final period. Camargo stood tall against the Bison chances early in the frame, recording crucial saves on shots from Zain Elder and Jacob Thomas to preserve the lead. However, a foul in the box by Army in the 73' awarded the Bison a critical opportunity to equalize. Lucas stepped up to the penalty spot and converted the penalty kick for a goal, leveling the score at 1-1.
Despite the equalizer and pressure from Bucknell, the Black Knights weathered the storm and responded. Moments after Camargo made another save on a shot by Viktor Permyashkin in the 79', Army subbed in Liam Tucker. The substitution paid off immediately when in the 82' Tucker set up Jack De Simone, for the game-winning goal. De Simone's third of the season put the Black Knights back in front, 2-1.
Camargo thwarted a late strike from Bucknell's Drew Roskos in the 84' to secure Army's first home and conference win of the season, sealing a hard-fought Senior Day triumph for the Black Knights.
By the Numbers: Shots: Bucknell outshot Army 16-11. Corner Kicks: Bucknell took more kicks from the corner with six to Army's three. Saves: Army's Blair Camargo recorded six saves, and Bucknell's Thomas Yerbury notched three. Cards: YC – Army – Sebastian Woehl #13 (41:15), YC – Army – Riley Cullum #7 (48:18) Attendance: 131 people attended Malek Stadium at Clinton Field for the Senior Day match.
Up Next:
The Black Knights will be back in action at home on Friday, Oct. 30 taking on the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m., with the game broadcast live on ESPN+.
Army West Point Athletic Association, Inc. (AWPAA)
AWPAA is an IRS code 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to execute the United States Military Academy's intercollegiate athletics program. AWPAA is led by a board of directors that provides guidance to the director of athletics, who serves as the primary advisor to the USMA Superintendent and the USMA leadership on all NCAA operations. The AWPAA mission is to recruit, educate, train and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
