A league-high five Bucknell men’s soccer players were named to the All-Patriot League Teams on Wednesday. Seniors Corey Curnutte (Waterford, Mich./Detroit Country Day), Joey Kuterbach (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood) and Joe Mellott (Highland, Md./Mount St. Joseph) earned first-team honors, while sophomore Conor O’Brien (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./St. Anthony’s) and Justin Wolf (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) landed on the second team.
Bucknell’s three first-team selections equaled Colgate for most in the league, while the five total honors topped the league. It is the most all-league selections for the Bison since they placed five players on the first team and two more on the second team in 2003.
Corey Curnutte
Bucknell’s only repeat All-Patriot League choice, Curnutte was a second-team honoree one year ago. The midfielder has a career-high four goals and 10 points this season and has started at least 18 games every year of his career. The physical player is in his second year as a team captain and has helped the Bison to a 4-1-1 record in games he has registered a point this season. Curnutte’s 74 career starts are the most among current Bucknell players.
Joey Kuterbach
Kuterbach, who is also in his second year as co-captain, ranks among the best goalies in program history. The 2006 Patriot League Tournament MVP has totaled 71 saves and owns a career-best 0.75 goals-against average this season. His .835 save percentage ranks third in the Patriot League, while his career high-tying eight shutouts are tied for first. Kuterbach has moved up the Bison career lists in saves and shutouts this year. He stands fourth in Bucknell history in shutouts with 18, just one behind third-place Mark Wrigley, while his 232 saves place him in a tie for seventh with Kevin Meyer. Additionally, Kuterbach owns a 0.90 career goals-against average to rank fifth in Patriot League history.
Mellott has continued the tradition of strong Bison defenders, following in the footsteps of former first-team selections Michael Lookingland and Tim Faneck, as well as 2006 second-team choice Andrew Loia. A four-year starter, Mellott has recorded 10 assists in his career, including one this year in a win over La Salle. He has been the backbone of the Bison defense that has limited opponents to just 15 goals this year, with only six coming in Patriot League play. The Highland, Md., native has appeared in 73 career games with 67 starts.
Conor O’Brien
Bucknell’s top two scorers, O’Brien and Wolf, landed on the second team. O’Brien leads the squad with seven goals and 18 points this year. His goal total is the most for a Bison since Scott Visnic netted 12 in 2003. O’Brien ended the regular season strong, tallying five goals in the final six contests. A starter in all 41 games of his career, O’Brien’s 23 career points rank second among current Bucknell players to Wolf.
Justin Wolf
Wolf blossomed in his final year, his first as a team captain. The midfielder has five goals and five assists this season for a career-high 15 points. Four of those goals were game-winners, including one in last Saturday’s victory over American that clinched a postseason berth for Bucknell. Wolf ranks second in the Patriot League with those four game-winning scores and has led the Bison to a 5-0 record in games he scores. With five assists this year, Wolf has moved into a tie for 10th place on Bucknell’s career assist list with 13. He has registered at least two assists every year of his career.
Bucknell’s all-league selections will lead it into a Patriot League Tournament match with Colgate on Friday at 6 p.m. The Bison, who have qualified for the postseason in four of the last five years, won the tournament title last year as the No. 4 seed. This season, Bucknell is the third seed after winning its final two league games of the season to finish 9-5-4 overall and 4-2-1 in Patriot League play.
Bucknell Men’s Soccer Players on All-Patriot League Teams
First Team
Corey Curnutte, M
Joey Kuterbach, GK
Joe Mellott, D
Second Team
Conor O’Brien, F
Justin Wolf, M
Source: Five Bucknell Men’s Soccer Players Earn All-Patriot League Honors
