T
he men’s soccer team opened up its season last year going winless in its first seven games. The Bulls rebounded to finish the season 3-6-1, however, including a win over Hartwick, the top team in the Mid-American Conference at the time, and a double overtime loss to nationally ranked Akron.
The Bulls hope to learn from their experiences last season and carry their momentum from last season into this one.
After an impressive preseason, it seems as if the Bulls might have done just that.
The Bulls went 3-0 in their exhibition schedule without allowing a single goal. Second-year head coach Stu Riddle believes the confidence from the preseason is important for his young team – which includes seven freshmen and 11 sophomores.
“I think [confidence] is extremely important,” Riddle said. “I think that’s a part of the process for a young group. We’re in a good spot right now. The lads have learned an awful lot from those three games and we’re feeling good about the way the team’s playing.”
The Bulls open up their season this weekend with a west coast trip to take on San Diego and San Diego State. The centerpiece of the team is the returning MAC Freshman of the Year, Russell Cicerone.
The now-sophomore midfielder also made the All-MAC First Team and scored six of the team’s 15 goals last season, including all three of the team’s game-winning goals. In addition to leading the team in goals, Cicerone led the team in points (14) and shots (54).
Riddle believes the Bulls are better off this year because they now have players to complement Cicerone, rather than solely relying on him for offensive production.
“I think the most important thing is we understand he’s one of a group of a team,” Riddle said. “I think this year he’s going to flourish even more as he’s got more parts around him that are going to help him be even more productive going forward.”
One of the new players Cicerone has to work with is freshman forward/midfielder Abdulla Al-Kalisy. Al-Kalisy, who is from Riddle’s native New Zealand, has been impressive in the preseason, scoring five goals in three exhibition games.
Al-Kalisy credits his success to the players around him like Cicerone and junior forward Marcus Hanson.
“It makes my job a lot easier when you got two talented players upfront,” Al-Kalisy said. [Cicerone has] taken a lot of the attention which is probably why I had a successful preseason … They just bring things to the table I sometimes can’t. In that sense I can complement them with things I bring to the table that they can’t. I think that makes us effective.”
Al-Kalisy said he did not expect to have the success he’s had so quickly and that he’s “just trying to keep my feet on the ground and remember they are exhibition games.”
Riddle said Al-Kalisy has been “everything we knew we were going to get” since arriving to Buffalo. Riddle also said that Al-Kalisy achieved success scoring at every level he’s played across the world and will continue to do so at the college level. He believes Al-Kalisy is one of “a couple of weapons upfront that can be very formidable upfront this season for us” that will take focus off players like Cicerone, Hanson and sophomore midfielder Nicolai Berry.
Al-Kalisy is not the only freshman from New Zealand impressed Riddle in preseason.
Freshman goalkeeper Cameron Hogg, who was a member of the New Zealand Under-20 national team, did not allow a goal in the preseason and is challenging for the starting goalkeeper spot.
“He’s very commanding in his box,” said goalkeepers coach Cody Camp. “He’s got a big frame. He’s very vocal. He’s got the powerful vocal leading voice in the back.”
Hogg is challenging incumbent starter, senior goalkeeper Waleed Cassis. After transferring from Division II California State University at Los Angeles, Cassis made the transition to Division I well last season. Cassis made 77 saves and posted a 1.42 goals against average and two shutouts.
Camp said Cassis brings a “more mature level” to the game from his experience training at a high level in California. Camp said the competition between the two goalkeepers is close, and choosing a starter is a good problem to have.
“Waleed and Cameron have been going neck and neck,” Camp said. “We sit here as a staff and it’s a great predicament to be in to have two goalkeepers at such a high level challenging themselves in a healthy competition day in and day out. It’s a great spot to be in.”
Riddle said the decision on the starting goalkeeper spot will be made for him by the way the two have played and trained so far.
“Ultimately I think when we get into this weekend, we’ll find someone who’s maybe put themselves above in the pecking order and it’s their spot to try and keep at that point,” Riddle said.
Riddle also said it was a possibility both goalkeepers would see playing time this weekend but he would not say for sure.
The responsibility of making the goalkeeper’s job as easy as possible falls on a young group of defenders that consists of only freshmen and sophomores. The Bulls will be without Shane Satar and Jake Jacobs, who would have been the veterans of the group, and will rely on players like sophomores Austin Place and Daniel Cramarossa and freshmen Fox Slotemaker and David Enstrom to secure the backline.
Despite the defender’s inexperience with the Bulls, Riddle believes the group will be aided by its experience in international play.
“Despite the fact they’re young right now … a lot of them are international guys that have played at a decent level over seas amongst men for the majority of their lives,” Riddle said. “In that way, they’re not really out and out freshman despite the fact their classification might be freshmen.”
Riddle believes the depth at defense will be enough to keep Hanson at forward. Hanson began last season on defense, but later switched to a striking position. The move worked out well for Hanson and the Bulls, as he scored two goals and recorded five points in the final six games after making the position switch.
Berry will also make a major impact on the offense. The New Zealander led the team in assists (four) and ranked second behind Cicerone in every other offensive category, including goals (three), points (10) and shots on goal (15) last season.
Riddle said “time will tell” if the Bulls are ready to compete this season. His biggest focus is on the young team making improvements from last season.
"I think this weekend will be a good test for us,” Riddle said. “Ultimately what we’re looking for is improvement from the season last year. We have these games coming up this weekend to prepare us for conference time.”
Buffalo takes on San Diego Friday at 8 p.m. and San Diego State on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Bulls return to UB Stadium to host Bryant Friday Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.
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