???Heading into Friday night's game, the Buffalo men's soccer team had faced the Northern Illinois Huskies 14 times. The series was split dead even.
The latest battle mirrored this statistic as the Bulls (10-2-2, 2-0-1 Mid-American Conference) and Huskies (6-2-3, 1-1-1 MAC) tied 1-1.
The Bulls honored seniors Lee Catchpole, Dan Gwyther, Martin John, Eric Johnson, Dezi Lara, Jon Martin, Dominic Oppong and Marc Stencel prior to their last home game.
???The Bulls ran onto the field eager to play, but Northern Illinois was ready to match their intensity. The game started as a back and forth battle with both sides applying pressure on the opposing defenses.
Buffalo was composed with the ball during the half. They ended up with three shots, including two shots on goal.
At the same time, the Bulls had a hard time stopping Huskies freshman midfielder Brad Horton from causing havoc with the ball. The Bulls had to fight off his quick and relentless tactics the entire game.
???Buffalo head coach John Astudillo noted that Northern Illinois is most successful when they create set-play opportunities.
"They try to earn the set-play, and because they have so much height, they capitalize on those kind of plays." he said.
???In the 40th minute, the Huskies were awarded a throw-in deep in Bulls' territory. The strong throw from junior defender Danny Lopez bounced off the ground and was barely touched on by junior forward Ben Thomas. The slight graze was enough to catch Bulls senior goalie Robert Shuttleworth flat-footed as the ball soared over his hands.
It was a demoralizing goal that hushed the crowd and sent Buffalo into the locker room trailing Northern Illinois 1-0.
???The second half was evenly matched. Both teams had surges of energy but the bursts were met by answers from two hard-nosed defensive units.
???Buffalo attempted too many long passes on the congested Northern Illinois defense. The Huskies played with five defenders back, making it nearly impossible for the Bulls to break through.
???Northern Illinois relied on their midfield speed to create counter attacks in order to apply pressure on the Bulls. This flustered the Bulls, who rushed their attacks and forced ill-advised passes.
???Even though they were struggling, the Bulls' efforts paid off. In the 79th minute, the Bulls were awarded a free kick from 26 yards out. Junior midfielder Alex Marrello lofted the ball into the box, where junior forward Dan Bulley was blatantly dragged down.
"It was a clear foul," said Astudillo. "In our last match we gave up a [penalty kick] and this time we were awarded one. It's part of the game."
???The opportunity came late in the game and Buffalo knew this was there chance to equalize. Bulley stepped up for the Bulls and calmly drilled the ball into the back right of the net.
???Following the game-tying goal, both teams created some scoring chances. The Huskies had a promising opportunity off another throw-in, while the Bulls nearly netted a winner on a shot that developed from a corner kick. The horn signaled, however, and at the end of regulation the score remained 1-1.
???Neither team had a clear edge during the overtime periods. Senior forward Jon Martin had a chance to win the game for the Bulls in the second period of overtime, but his shot was saved by the Huskies' senior goalie Joe Zimka. Zimka finished with five saves, including key stops throughout the match.
???The statistics clearly depicted how competitive even the game was. Northern Illinois took 11 total shots and Buffalo took 10 with each team having five shots on goal. The Huskies took eight corner kicks and committed 14 fouls and the Bulls took six corner kicks and were charged with 13 fouls.
??? With the tie, Buffalo drops to second place in the MAC behind only Akron. They face off against the Zips next Saturday and will have to worry about stopping sophomore star Steve Zakuani. He has 11 goals in 11 games and was just named the national player of the week.
??? "[Akron's] a team that's for real. They undress the other team's weaknesses time in and time out," Astudillo said. "It's going to be a great game as we look to put ourselves in a position to win the conference."
???Saturday's game against the Zips takes place in Akron at 7:30 p.m.
