The women's soccer team recorded three shutouts in its first four games of the season going into a Sunday afternoon showdown against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW) over the weekend.
They notched another impressive shutout in the game against the Mastodons, dropping IPFW, 1-0 at UB Stadium.
Emotions ran high as the Bulls celebrated Senior Day. The squad's four seniors – midfielder Danielle Turner, forward Cathryn Hilliard, forward Aubrey Stahl and defender Angela Nicholas – were led out by their families in a touching tribute to their years of hard work for the blue and white.
When play finally got underway, the defense dominated IPFW, swarming on every pass and cross the Mastodons attempted. Junior defender Shannon Algoe was everywhere on the field, playing unrelenting defense and being very vocal with her teammates.
Head coach Michael Thomas was appreciative of her play.
"Shannon has been a rock in the backfield; she covers a lot of ground," Thomas said. "Our defense has been the strength of our team this year. We have had four shutouts, and it turns out that if we don't get scored on, we win."
The Bulls also had many early chances in front of the goal, most notably when a mishap by IPFW goalkeeper Jessica Schein granted Hilliard a shot on goal. The shot didn't wind up in the back of the net, however, as it bounced off the crossbar.
The Bulls kept knocking on the door, and eventually their efforts were rewarded in the 71st minute by sophomore forward Karen McMahon, who raced up the field, shook a defender and placed a shot past Schein on the left side.
"I definitely think that last season I had trouble finishing," McMahon said. "But this season I've matured as a player and I feel like through training, I've really helped myself with figuring out what I need to do to finish, not just creating chances."
The Bulls won't have to travel far for their next couple games as they take on rivals Niagara and Canisius in the Niagara University Fall Classic. The game against Niagara will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, and the game against Canisius is scheduled for Sunday morning at 11.
Email: sports@ubspectrum.com
