Sidelines

Starting the season early

Anticipation is high for men's basketball team's season opener on Nov. 18, but that Friday won't be the first time this year's Bulls face competition. The athletic department has announced a preseason test for UB versus Gannon University in an exhibition game on Nov. 11.

The game will give the team, especially the five new recruits, a chance to play in front of the Alumni Arena crowd for the first time this season.

Tip-off against Gannon is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11 following the 6 p.m. volleyball match against Northern Illinois. Admission is free.

Special teams recognition

The UB football team as a whole is struggling with its 0-8 record but punter Ben Woods has received individual recognition on a conference level for his play in Saturday's loss to Ohio.

Woods was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday for the second time in his career. The UB sophomore had seven punts against the Bobcats with an average of 41.4 yards per punt. Woods' average ranked first among East Division punters and second in the conference.

On the season, Woods has an average of 36.9 yards per punt with 10 kicks downed within the 20-yard line. Woods has also shared kickoff duties this season, stepping in for 14 of UB's 20 kickoffs.

Athletes of the week

Weekly honors from the UB athletic department were handed out Tuesday, going to Dan McKenna of cross country and Anna-Lesa Calvert of the women's soccer team.

McKenna, a junior from Liverpool, N.Y., has been a consistent strong point for the men's cross country team. McKenna continued his solid running when he finished seventh in a field of 77 runners at the Mid-American Conference Championships last weekend. McKenna finished the 8K-race in 24:51 after leading for the first two miles.

Calvert finished her career as goalkeeper for the women's soccer team on Friday. The Dallas native registered six saves in the shutout to Kent State en route to becoming the first goalkeeper in the history of UB's women's soccer program to have back-to-back seasons with 100 saves. Calvert's career records stand at 14 shutouts and 341 saves.

Clarification

In the article "Crew team turns heads at famous Boston event," (Oct. 26) it was not made clear that while the crew team did not place as well as last year, it was rowing in a higher division of competition.