ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men's soccer team (4-11-1, 3-5 Patriot League) finishes out its regular-season schedule on the road against Bucknell (6-7-3, 3-4-1 PL) on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff has been moved up to 1 p.m. on Saturday from Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium in Lewisburg, Pa.
 
Navy and Bucknell are in the mix of a tightly contested race for the final two spots in the Patriot League Tournament. The Midshipmen are currently tied for seventh in league standings with Army as both teams have nine points, but the Black Knights hold the tiebreaker over Navy. Bucknell is currently in the all-important sixth spot in the standings with 10 points as the top six teams advance to the Patriot League Tournament. American is currently fifth with 12 points. Four teams have clinched a berth into the tournament with Loyola (19 points) securing the top spot in the league standings. Lehigh (15), Colgate (14) and Boston University (13) have all clinch spots in the postseason, but seeding for the trio is still undecided.
 
In order for the Midshipmen to earn a spot into the Patriot League Tournament, Navy needs Army to lose or tie at home against American on Friday night. Then, the Midshipmen would need a victory at Bucknell on Saturday afternoon. 
 
Last Time Out
Navy continued its strong finish to the regular season this past weekend as it upended Colgate on Sunday afternoon in a 1-0 victory. Jacob Williams scored on a penalty kick 17 minutes into the match to help the Midshipmen snap the Raiders' three-match winning streak. The penalty-kick goal was the only scoring in the match as Navy notched its second-straight shutout to win its third-straight contest.
 
The Navy defense only allowed Colgate one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes and the shot on goal came in the last five minutes of the game. The Midshipmen blocked eight Raider shots, including seven in the second half. Over the last two contests, Navy has surrendered just one shot on goal to help Tyler Fahning record his first two shutouts of his collegiate career.
 
The Midshipmen
The Midshipmen continue their ascent up the Patriot League standings and are now tied for seventh overall and a chance to get into the Patriot League Tournament. Williams has sparked Navy down the stretch with a goal in six of the last eight matches and seven goals in that span. The freshman has scored the last four goals for the Midshipmen and has scored in three-straight matches, which include three game-winning goals.
 
Williams' performance earned him two-straight Patriot League Rookie of the Week nods. He ranks second in the league with eight goals and is third with 16 points. Only counting Patriot League affairs, the native of Millersville, Md., leads the league with seven goals scored and 14 points during his first collegiate season.
 
The Navy defense has also found its stride recording back-to-back shutouts and has allowed just two goals in its last four matches. During the currently three-match winning streak for the Midshipmen, they have outshot their opponents 37-24 and hold a 17-5 edge in shots on goal. 
 
Fahning has started in goal for Navy the last seven matches and played 585 minutes. While in goal, the freshman has stopped 14 shots and posted a goals-against average of 1.54, to go along with his 3-4-0 record.
 
Scouting Bucknell 
The Bison have had six different goal scorers combine for their 12 goals this season. Tyler Peterson paces the team with three goals and six points. A trio of players for Bucknell has compiled five points this season with two goals and an assist. Nick King has been the facilitator for the Bison thus far with a team-leading three assists. 
 
In goal, Ryan Ott has started all but one match for the Bison. He has a goals-against average of 0.99 and made 54 saves en route to a .771 save percentage. 
 
Bucknell is currently on a three-match skid, losing to Army, Lehigh and Boston. Its last victory came in non-league action at Binghamton, 2-1. Following a 3-0-1 start to the Patriot League season, the Bison have dropped their last four league matches and slipped from second in the league to sixth -- which is the final transition spot into the league tournament.
 
All-Time Series Against Bucknell
Navy leads the all-time series against Bucknell with a record of 25-14-4. The Midshipmen went unbeaten over the first 20 meetings, 19-0-1, and got off to a 22-2-1 start in the series. Since the start of the 2002 season, the Bison have controlled the series with a record of 12-3-3. Navy has a spurt of five-straight unbeaten matches against Bucknell from 2012-14, but the Bison have won the last three meetings.
 
Despite dropping the last three affairs against Bucknell, the Midshipman and Bison have played tight with all three contests ending in one-goal decisions. The last time the two teams met in Lewisburg, Pa., was in 2015 and Bucknell earned a narrow 1-0 victory.
 
Last Time Against Bucknell
During the 2017 regular-season finale for both Navy and Bucknell, the Bison earned a 1-0 win at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. Patrick Mahoney scored the lone goal in the match for Bucknell in the 30th minute. Navy had a 10-7 edge is shots in the match, but six of the seven shots the Bison took were on goal, compared to just two from the Midshipmen.
 
Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon from Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium in Lewisburg, Pa.