There is a wonderful irony in the year of America250, the most popular Bison on campus is an Englishman. If the Bucknell presidency were open for election, soccer (or should we say football?) goalkeeper Freddie Lapworth would win in a landslide. Instead, he had to settle for the SAAC presidency. Lapworth, the ideal portrait of a John Bull citizen, ran the front desk at the KLARC with sterling efficiency, delivered a Patriot League title, helmed the most popular spin class, was the MC at the 2025 Buckys, and always had a jovial smile on his visage. There was no question that when he walked across the stage for graduation, Bucknell would lose one of its most beloved student-athletes.
His journey to Bucknell began with his first steps on the pitch. Like many English lads, he made football (soccer for the Colonials) his first love. He dabbled in cricket and tried rugby, but remained loyal to the beautiful game. He attended a game at Banbury United — his area's local club, and never looked back.
"I think for me, my dad is a big football fan. I just loved it. I’ve played for as long as I can remember. I enjoyed playing some cricket. Played a little bit of rugby in school. But it was always football for me."
Circumstances forced Lapworth into goal. A left-footed player, he began his career playing half as a jolly good left-winger and the other half as a brickwall goalkeeper. His team needed a full-time keeper, and Lapworth obliged. The transition worked marvelously. An academy scouted him, and the rest was, as they say, history.
"So I joined Oxford United when I was nine years old. They were in League Two at the time. They're in the championship right now, but it looks like they're going to get relegated to League One. But it's a much bigger thing at home because you're associated with a real club, not just an academy for making money."
The European model for youth sports bypasses the American pay-to-play system that hinders access to talent. The impact on U.S. soccer has been incalculable and damaging to the Stars and Stripes' international chances. Lapworth played in multiple European countries, gaining firsthand experience of what works and what doesn't when training young people. Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain rate highly in his eyes.
"The issue I have here is the pay-to-play model, which doesn't exist anywhere I've ever been, and it's a huge factor that keeps a lot of players from getting involved. Most of the good English players are from working-class families. It's an escape. The European model is significantly better. It's a shame because if the US had used the European model, it could have been great. They had some great athletes, but they priced people out."
Lapworth spent six months playing in Spain — an experience that molded his playing style. It was a fifth-tier club, recently founded to move up the ladder as fast as possible. The players were a mixture of Americans, English, Spanish, and South Americans. He did have a quibble about the goalkeeper training. It was all punch and no catch.
The combination of American academics and soccer drew Lapworth to travel across the pond. He spoke with several players who had made the move, and they praised the opportunity. For all the advantages of Europe’s development system, the American college pathway offered something England could not: a degree alongside elite competition. As he entered college, Lapworth was already considering staying in America. After graduation, that decision became permanent.
Bucknell's interim coach, Matt Brown, a fellow Englishman, recruited Lapworth. The familiar backgrounds and Brown making the trip to watch Lapworth at home sealed the connection. Current head coach Dave Brandt arrived and changed Bucknell’s fortunes, taking the Bison from last place to first. Lapworth noted that the team played good football during his freshman and sophomore seasons. They merely lacked that extra bit of fortune to turn the 50/50 games into victories.
"The nice thing with Brandt is that he's very refreshing with his ideas. He's a big team guy, and he wants to play good football. He doesn't just want to be a typical Patriot League team, which is long-ball direct."
Lapworth enjoyed one of the most accomplished careers in Bucknell soccer history. He led the 2024 Bison to the Patriot League championship, recording a league-high seven clean sheets and winning the conference's Goalkeeper of the Year Award. He earned All-Patriot League First Team honors (2024 & 2025), recorded 16 shutouts, gathered 177 saves, posted a 1.24 goals against average, and saved 72% of shots.
He excelled even more off the pitch. Lapworth won the 2026 Patriot League Award for Outstanding Leadership and Character, served as SAAC President in 2025-26, spent two years at Bucknell's Athletics Leadership Institute, and worked as an instructor with BisonRec, teaching Bucknell’s most popular HIIT, Pilates, and spin classes. Furthermore, he worked at the front desk at the KLARC, where he always supplied a smart smile and a friendly demeanor.
Real estate sprouted into a passion for the Englishman and his eventual career. He majored in Economics and History and excelled at both. During his sophomore year, he joined the real estate club and eventually became its Director of Alumni Relations. The Bucknell alumni network conjured its usual magic. The connections led to an internship and a job with Continental Realty Corporation, based in Baltimore, which specializes in apartments and shopping centers.
"A big part of the club is the Bucknell network, the business network in real estate. So we have guest speakers come back. We've done a trip to New York. The past two years, we've done trips to Baltimore, which last year's trip was how I got my internship. That's how I got a full-time job back at that same company just through networking. The one thing I love about commercial real estate is it's a very people-oriented business."
Lapworth departed Bucknell with one final hurrah. He performed an excellent, off-the-cuff statement at the 2026 Buckys. It was a year-later encore after serving as the host at the 2025 edition. During the short speech, he demonstrated the character and class that rendered Mr. Bucknell. An English accent means quality to American ears, and Lapworth has a superior vocabulary.
Most Bucknell student-athletes view their decision to commit positively. The university provides world-class opportunities and training. Lapworth succinctly summed it up in one pithy sentence:
"I think the best decision I've ever made was coming to Bucknell."
You cannot find a single person at Bucknell who disagrees, Freddie.