After a pair of tie games and one more loss to their record, the UB men's soccer team, now 1-4-3 overall, is looking to step up their performance on the field, as well as add wins to their less than stellar record.
This weekend will be a perfect opportunity for the Bulls to improve their standings, as they travel down toward Albany today to take on Siena, and then make their way back to UB Sunday to compete in their first MAC game of the season against Akron.
The outlook on the Siena game is promising for the Bulls, since Siena has experienced a rough start in their season as well, compiling a record of 0-5-0 overall.
"This should be an exciting game," said UB's head soccer coach John Astudillo. "I'm expecting to go head to head with Siena. Our defense may make one or two mistakes on the field, but ultimately our team is ready to play. Preparation should not be an excuse if we lose a game this coming weekend."
Sunday against Akron though, may be another story. Akron is having a phenomenal season, and is presently ranked 10th nationally, after their 1-0 overtime win against the No. 11 ranked team, Indiana. Akron is also ranked first in the Great Lake Region.
One reason why Akron is such a powerhouse on the field this season may be because of a few new players to their lineup. The team is full of veterans, as opposed to Buffalo, which has accumulated 13 new players to their 23-man lineup. Even though the Bulls have new players on the field this season, Astudillo said he feels the UB team is settling in pretty well together, and will do just fine against Akron.
"Akron is a strong team, but we welcome the challenge and see it as a chance to step up our performance and prove to the MAC that we can be just as forceful," said Astudillo. "We will be able to compare ourselves with one of the best teams out there.
"Our attackers are coming around, and our midfield is the strongest part of our game," continued Astudillo. "The trio of Greg Galemore, Matt Stuczynski and Dave Pidgeon should be rock solid on the field, and as for the backs, Mike Geller, Andrew Butler and Cheick Diarra are playing skillfully in their positions as well. Pat Beckley has been steady in his midfield position, and Andrae Clarke has been coming in with some solid goals."
As for a game strategy against Akron, Astudillo said he feels some alterations to the line up may be necessary.
"You can't just disregard Akron's different line up and how it has been effective for them, so we will have to modify our lineup a bit," said Astudillo. "We might bring the extra guy up the midfield, if we have to. That is where their midfielder is usually positioned."
The Bulls will also need to pay attention to Akron's defense and try to attack them as much as they can, suggested Astudillo.
The Buffalo team is well prepared for the upcoming games against Siena and Akron, so Astudillo is anxious to see if his team can deliver under pressure. Coming home with a couple of victories this weekend would be a great confidence builder for the team.
The game kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday at Siena, and Akron will challenge the Bulls at 3 p.m. Sunday in RAC Field.
