Sibling rivalries oftentimes get violent, and Friday night's fight between the princes of the Queen City was no exception. Although the teams don't match up on paper, Canisius (0-6-2 overall) played up to their competition at UB Stadium as the Bulls (9-1 overall) topped the Griffs in a 2-1 victory.
Buffalo jumped out to an early lead with a pair of first-half goals. The first came from junior Andrae Clark at the 14:30 marker, and the second from sophomore Lee Catchpole just over a minute later.
Canisius responded with a goal of their own late in the second half, and then tried desperately to tie the game as the clock wound down. The Bulls defense stayed strong, ensuring the victory.
Friday's contest was a knock-around, push-'em-down game, which elevated into a highly physical contest as the teams combined for a total for 29 fouls.
"This was one of the more physical games this season, both teams showed a lot of heart in this game," Clarke said.
After their first loss last Sunday, the Bulls were focused on victory and looking to take out some frustration on the Griffs.
"We concentrated on playing one step at a time, we kept the intensity up and we played like we wanted to win," Galemore said.
Although the team's offense was strong, the defensive players put forth a powerful performance.
"Our defense is the working force behind the team week-in and week-out," said head coach John Astudillo.
Astudillo added that there are some defensive players that deserve special acknowledgment.
"Brian Knapp and Erik Jaanimagi played especially well in this evening's game," Astudillo said.
Astudillo added that his team is growing and both the veterans and the newcomers have continually shown improvement.
"The guys are always getting closer. That's important," Astudillo said. "The younger guys are playing to standard and the older guys are helping them out."
The players have a positive outlook on the rest of the season, and believe they are an extremely competitive team.
"We're very optimistic. We have been since game one. This is one of the best teams I've every played on," said senior Greg Galemore.
Aside from his goal, Clarke had four shots and one assist, while Galemore had three shots on goal and an assist. Clarke's assist against Canisius marked his tenth of the season, giving him the most of any player in a single season in UB's history.
"We played to our strengths, moving the ball on the outsides, moving fast and causing havoc, attacking the flanks and open alleys," Galemore said.
After a Sunday afternoon game at Boston University, the Bulls will face their conference rivals the Akron Zips at home on Friday night. The Zips hold the number one spot in the Mid-American Conference as they also improved their record to 9-0 overall on Friday, with a 3-0 win over Ohio State University.
"This will be our toughest game yet, it will be a great gauge for us to see how we compare on a national level," Astudillo said. "I'm looking forward to it."
The screaming UB soccer hooligans were right in this battle the whole way against the Griffs. Making noise and cheering on their team, they were good support for the Bulls.
"When I hear the fans cheering in the stands it gives me motivation and I find the strength to play even harder," Clarke said.
The Bulls will face the Zips at 7 p.m. on Friday at UB Stadium as part of homecoming weekend.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
