After an emotional loss in its last game, the men's soccer team rebounded on Sunday to earn a 2-0 victory on the road against Siena. This marks the fourth road win for Buffalo this season. The victory put Buffalo's record at 6-3-1, while Siena dropped to 1-5-1.
The win also gave head coach John Astudillo his 150th career victory with the Bulls. Astudillo is currently coaching his 18th season with Buffalo and is the first Bulls' men's soccer coach to reach this milestone. His career record now stands at 150-139-26.
Buffalo was able to fight off the initial pressure by Siena in the beginning of the half. The Saints had an 8-4 advantage in shots in the first half but were unable to find the back of the net. By the end of the game, total shots were in the Bulls favor, 12-11.
Buffalo got on the scoreboard first in the 30th minute.
Senior Andrae Clarke put the ball past the Siena goalkeeper with a loft shot. Junior Dan Stevens got an assist on the goal by crossing the ball into the box. With this tally, Stephens has had an assist in the past three Bulls games.
"As a team, we attacked the ball better and kept the ball on the ground," Stephens said. "On the goal, I was able to cut the ball to the inside and saw Andrae was open. He had a good finish to complete the play."
Early in the second half, Siena made a defensive mistake. The Saints' goalie
"We played with a high amount of energy," Astudillo said. "This helped us win most of the fifty-fifty balls and be able to counter-attack and attack at an efficient rate. We also played with more discipline offensively and defensively, which was not the case on Friday."
The entire team has contributed to help the Bulls win five of their past six games. Astudillo believes the midfield has done a good job of contributing to the attack.
"Our attack begins with the midfield," Astudillo said. "They are taking control of games and the players are running off the ball to be fed. Our midfield is wearing down other teams, particularly today against Siena."
Senior goalkeeper Daniel Bell was able to record another shutout in the win. He finished the game with three saves. This was Bell's fifth shutout of the season.
The defensive unit has been playing strong. Sophomore Dan Gwyther has helped Bell by limiting the number of shots that he faces. The combined efforts have put the Bulls at the top of the Mid-American Conference in save percentage and goals against average. Buffalo leads the MAC in goals against average, with a staggering 0.59 scores per game. The defensive unit has also not allowed an opponent to score in the first half of a game in 10 straight matches.
"We played well today," Gwyther said. "To even get better as a unit, we need to concentrate a little bit more and play a full 90 minute game without any mistakes. Last year's experience on this team has helped me develop as a player and I know this team has what it takes to win our conference this season."
"Earlier in the season, we worked hard and the results were not there," Astudillo said. "Today was a different story and we were able to take control of the game and finish our opportunities. We have a nice mix of older and younger players. Our younger guys are playing strong and we have experience with our older guys."
Buffalo begins MAC play on Friday when they travel to take on Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
