The women soccer team's defense has been intimidating this whole season, and this weekend was no exception.
The backfield helped propel Buffalo (7-1) to two more shutout wins and victory in the Big Four Classic at Niagara University. The Bulls took out rivals Niagara (2-6-0), 2-0, and then went on to defeat Canisius (4-3-1) in double overtime.
The Bulls relied heavily on their underclassmen for the scoring in both games. Freshman forward Katie Roberts took command early in the game against Niagara and scored two goals within a span of two minutes.
Roberts netted her first goal in the fifth minute after taking advantage of a perfect corner kick by senior forward Aubrey Stahl. Roberts scored her second goal off of an inside pass from junior forward Taylor Thompson.
Roberts currently leads the team with five goals. She attributed her success against the Purple Eagles to her team.
"On the first goal it was just such a great ball in from [Stahl] and I was able to one-time it in, and on the second one [Thompson] put another great ball into the box," Roberts said. "We're all clicking and playing well together right now."
Niagara upped the pressure in the second half, as it got off five shots. But the Purple Eagles could not overcome their missed opportunities from the first half.
Freshman midfielder Megan Giesen's lone goal came at a far more dramatic moment as the Bulls took on Canisius. Tied at zero in the 104th minute against a tough Golden Griffin defense, the midfielder took a cross from freshman defender Sophie Therien and put it past Canisius goaltender Caroline Robert for the score and the win.
Giesen was happy that her first collegiate goal came at such a crucial moment.
"The goal was great," Giesen said. "My teammates were working hard the whole time, so it just felt good to put it away in overtime."
Canisius was aggressive throughout the match. The Griffs outshot the Bulls, 22-14, but still couldn't find their way into the back of net. The loss ended Canisius' five-game winning streak.
Sophomore goalkeeper Ainsley Wheldon and the experienced Bulls defense denied shot after shot throughout the tournament. Wheldon stopped 10 shots on goal, giving her seven shutouts in eight games this season.
Her performance earned her a spot on the All-Tournament team, along with MVP Roberts, freshman midfielder Jackie Hall, and senior midfielder Danielle Turner. Wheldon also collected her second Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor.
Buffalo's weekend sweep marks the end of its non-conference season. The Bulls were winless against the MAC last season, but they are heading into this year's conference competition on the heels of success. Head coach Michael Thomas believes that his team's elevated performance goes beyond on-field statistics.
"We have been successful because we have been focused," Thomas said. "But it's not coming from me. It's coming from the team."
The Bulls' first MAC game is against Bowling Green on Friday at 8 p.m. The game will be played at UB Stadium.
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