Women’s soccer (5-4-1, 1-1 Mid-American Conference)
The Bulls opened MAC play on opposite ends of two shutouts.
On Friday, the Bulls lost to Ohio (3-6, 1-1 MAC) 1-0 in a frigid UB Stadium.
It was mainly a defensive battle, but the Bobcats sent a ball past sophomore goalkeeper Laura Dougall 31 minutes in to take the early lead.
The Bulls had two opportunities to tie up the game in the final minute of play - a corner kick and an open shot - but were unsuccessful both tries.
On Sunday, Buffalo produced a shut out of its own. The Bulls defeated Kent State (5-3-2, 1-1 MAC) 1-0 in the final game of a two-game homestand. The lone goal came off the foot of sophomore midfielder Julia Benati in the 27th minute. The Buffalo ‘D’ had to bail out the offense as the Golden Flashes outshot Buffalo 13-7. Dougall also made five saves on the day for Buffalo’s first conference victory.
The Bulls continue MAC play this weekend when they take on Eastern Michigan (3-6-1, 0-2 MAC) Friday and Bowling Green (4-5-1, 0-2 MAC) Sunday. Both games are on the road, with Friday's set for 4 p.m. and Sunday's set for 1 p.m.
Men’s soccer (4-4-3)
Buffalo pulled out a 1-0-1 weekend, with it's victory ending a seven-game winless streak.
The Bulls tied 1-1 on Thursday against Stony Brook (3-4-2) on the road. Freshman forward Hunter Walsh scored in the 84th minute to knot the game up at one apiece. Stony Brook scored its goal in the 65th minute on a free kick. The Bulls defense allowed 13 shots, including six on goal, but still was able to cause a draw.
On Sunday at UB Stadium, Buffalo took advantage of a weak Cornell squad (1-7-1) and grabbed its first victory since Sept. 1, 2-0. The Bulls scored in the 14th minute off the foot of junior defender Braden Scales and then in the 78th minute from junior midfielder Russell Cicerone. The midfielder now has a team-leading six goals on the season.
The Bulls go back to work on Saturday against St. Bonaventure (1-8) in what will be their last match before conference play. The match is set for 7 p.m.
Volleyball (2-12, 1-1 MAC)
Buffalo may not have had the prettiest of records entering conference play, but after a weekend of competition, it’s right in the thick of MAC competition.
The Bulls went .500 during their first weekend of conference play as they were on the opposite ends of two 3-1 sets. On Thursday, Buffalo dropped a 3-1 match to Akron (7-8, 1-1 MAC) to begin the conference schedule. The Bulls were tied up at one apiece entering the third set, but Akron went on to defeat the Bulls 25-15, then 25-16 to take the conference opener.
Buffalo defeated Toledo (3-12, 0-2 MAC) for their second win of the season and first in MAC play on Saturday. After dropping the first set 25-20, Buffalo rattled off three straight sets to claim the victory. Freshman middle blocker Megan Wernette accumulated a career-high 12 kills while sophomore defensive specialist Tessa Ooyama recorded a career-high 23 digs.
The Bulls continue MAC play on the road this weekend when they take on Miami Ohio (9-6, 1-1 MAC) on Friday and Bowling Green (4-11, 0-2) on Saturday.
Women’s tennis
Although its season may not begin until the winter, Buffalo is already getting some extra good practice in. The Bulls had two singles winners on Sunday while in Morgantown, West Virginia at the WVU Pink Invitational.
Freshman Chantal Martinez Blanco took home the first title in the “A” Flight while sophomore Christine Haraldson took home the same prize in the “E’ Flight. Buffalo was guaranteed a victory as Martinez Blanco defeated her Buffalo teammate Tanja Stojanovska in straight sets. Later in the day, Haraldson defeated Toledo’s Megan Miller in straight sets for Buffalo’s second crown of the day.
Juniors Laura Holterbosch and Margarita Kotok also competed, but were defeated in the finals and semi-finals, respectively.
Jordan Grossman is the co-senior sports editor and can be reached at jordan.grossman@ubspectrum.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jordanmgrossman.
Photo: Courtesy of UB Athletics
