At defensive midfield, Bucknell head coach Frank Fedorjaka has plenty of depth and talent. With a pair of senior long-stick defensive midfielders, and the “best ground ball guy” he has ever coached, set to lead the way, the Bison will be as disruptive to opposing offenses as ever.
Seniors Reid Delanois and Frankie Higgins are both expected to make an impact as long-stick defensive midfielders. Fedorjaka noted that these former defensemen complement each other very well, with Delanois being a lefty who excels at picking off passes and Higgins being adept at sparking offense from the defensive end.
Delanois, who has also served as a wing on faceoffs, enters his senior campaign with 24 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers in 18 career games, four of which were starts at defense. In 2020 at then No. 17/19 Ohio State, he filled the stat sheet with four ground balls, three caused turnovers and a shot on goal.
Reid has a lot of games under his belt,” Fedorjaka said. “He knows how to play within our team defense. He’s great at knocking passes down, scooping the ball up and clearing it. He has become a vocal leader for us as well.”
Higgins, who Fedorjaka said has a “great mind for the game,” currently owns 15 ground balls, five caused turnovers and an assist in 15 career games, three of which were starts at defense in 2021.
Frankie is really skilled,” Fedorjaka said. “He’s more of an offensive-minded defensive player. He’s great at clearing, passing and creating offense from the defensive end. He also has good checks and plays solid defense.”
Fedorjaka is especially excited to see what junior Danny Striano will accomplish in 2022. He praised the former Providence Friar for his “nose for the ball,” noting that he has an uncanny ability to come up with it in scrums and while under pressure.
D. Striano appeared in all eight of Bucknell’s 2021 games as a short-stick defensive midfielder and key faceoff wing. He led the Bison with 30 ground balls, an impressive average of 3.75 per game, adding two assists, four caused turnovers and four faceoff wins; notably, he collected multiple ground balls six times, topping out at eight at then No. 18/16 Navy.
I’ve been coaching for over 30 years, and Danny Striano is the best ground ball guy I’ve ever coached,” Fedorjaka said. “He’s as good as I’ve ever seen, on any team, at scooping ground balls. He’s an excellent short-stick defensive middie. He has excellent speed, and he’s great at sparking offense from the defensive zone.”
D. Striano’s brother, Richie Striano, is also expected to make an impact as a short-stick defensive midfielder. The younger Striano, a sophomore, spent the 2021 campaign on the offensive side of the ball. Fedorjaka believes that Bucknell will benefit greatly from his transition to short-stick defensive midfielder.
Richie is still learning the defense, but he makes up for a lot with his athleticism and aggressiveness,” Fedorjaka said. “He’s really physical and strong. He’s hard to get around. He also helps us with ground balls and clearing, like his brother.”
Junior Joe Scattareggia will be equally critical to the Bison’s success. Scattareggia, who has appeared at both long-stick and short-stick defensive midfield, enters the 2022 season with 15 ground balls, seven caused turnovers and two points (1g-1a) in 13 career games.
Joe has a lot of experience, having played both long stick and short stick for us,” Fedorjaka said. “He’s definitely versatile enough to continue to do that, but his focus is going to be on the short stick. He’s a smart player who’s always in the right place at the right time.”
Fedorjaka noted that freshman Ben Bonafede, sophomore Ethan Gyllenhaal and senior Jared Hodell all have the potential to contribute as short-stick defensive midfielders.
Ben is very aggressive, tough and physical,” Fedorjaka said. “Ethan is one of the fastest guys on the team. He has a lot of potential. Jared is a senior who plays with toughness and savvy. He’s a big, physical player.”
Returnees: Reid Delanois (LSM), Ethan Gyllenhaal, Frankie Higgins (LSM), Jared Hodell, Joe Scattareggia, Danny Striano, Richie Striano
Newcomers: Ben Bonafede, Ryan Caione
The Bison open their campaign on February 5 with an 11 a.m. game at Mercer. Their first home game is scheduled for February 19 against St. John's. Highlights of their 2022 schedule include a home tilt with Penn State on March 15 and a full compliment of eight Patriot League games for the first time since 2019.
Fedorjaka said that Bucknell, which features a deep roster with talent across all four classes, is poised to excel in both non-conference and Patriot League competition.
I’m really excited to coach this team," Fedorjaka said. “We have a senior class that provides not only talent but great leadership. Our seniors are surrounded by many other classes that have a lot of talent and play-making ability. We have really strong team chemistry. I’m looking forward to getting back to a normal schedule and working with this particular group of student-athletes. We’ll be tested by our non-conference schedule, and we’re looking forward to getting on the road and playing some good competition so that we’re ready for our Patriot League opponents.”
Photos by Noel Gyllenhaal, Brett Hosterman, Marc Hagemeier and Sam Miller