If you attended a men's soccer game, you would notice that one of the Bulls' best players is a little small of stature. You might wonder how someone 5 feet 7 inches tall is able to thrive at playing a full-contact, very competitive Division I sport.
Nonetheless, height is not an issue for sophomore midfielder Alex Marrello, who relies on speed, quickness and aggressiveness. Marrello is tied for the team lead with nine points for the Bulls, and is second on the team with three goals.
Marrello's goals have been clutch to say the least, two of them coming as overtime game-winners. One of those was against Bowling Green to give the Bulls their first Mid-American Conference win of the season.
Solid stuff from a player who is playing his first season as a Buffalo Bull, and even more solid considering that Marrello's position as a midfielder does not typically allow him to score as often as a forward.
"As a midfielder, you are responsible for helping the backs and getting forward and contributing in the attack, so you have to be very well rounded and you have to be able to contribute both defensively and offensively," Marrello said.
Marello is a transfer student from a university in a different Queen City. Last year, Marrello was a Cincinnati Bearcat, where he saw limited action in four games off the bench. All he wanted was a shot.
"I basically wanted an opportunity to show what I got," Marrello said. "I thought that UB was in a good conference in the MAC, and thought that the team was in a good position to do some special things this year and go be successful in the MAC and on a national stage as well."
He was right about the Bulls, who have won six of their past eight matches heading into their match with nationally ranked Billikens of Saint Louis University.
Marrello, a communication major, acknowledges that balancing schoolwork and athletic responsibilities is tough. He knows that the stress of classes along with Division I training can make a student different from the mold.
"I think you really have to be disciplined. You have to realize that you're not just a normal student, you have other obligations and other things that are really important too," Marrello said. "You have to make sure you put school as a priority as well as athletics. It is very important to balance them both and manage time properly to be successful."
Marrello is not a very goal-oriented person, though, as he does what is best for the team, and hopes he can bring the team to the next level.
"I think the main goal is to win the MAC," Marrello said. "I want to help the Bulls win the MAC and go to the NCAA tournament and put Buffalo on the map for soccer."
The University at Buffalo will soon enough be recognized as a good soccer school, even as far away as Burnaby, British Columbia, Marrello's home. The Canadian gained his love for soccer from his family's athletic-influence.
"Soccer has always been big in my family. My family always played soccer, my dad, all my uncles and my older brother all played," Marrello said. "Soccer is part of my family and everyone is really involved in it. All my friends were really into soccer as well."
Marrello has been able to represent his friends and family as a player of various Canadian National Teams. He competed for the Under-17 Junior National team, and recently competed for the Under-20 squad. Marrello took many lessons from playing in international competitions and he applies those to his game.
"I really feel that my experience playing with the international team, playing international games around the world really helped shape my game and bring a better perspective to soccer," Marrello said. "I definitely think that playing internationally for Canada was a great part of my soccer career, and hopefully I get a couple more chances with them."
Marrello will be a surefire competitor for the Canadian National Team if he continues his fine play. He might even be able to satisfy his one wish, which is playing professionally in Europe.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
