The UB women’s soccer team (3-2-1) beat the Niagara University Purple Eagles (4-2-1) 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.
A solid strike by junior midfielder Marcy Barberic was the only goal in the match, as both teams were solid defensively.
Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Kelly made a huge impact in the game as she had six saves throughout, with an impressive one late in the match.
Niagara had a very good shot on the goal within two minutes, but Kelly leapt up and knocked the ball out of the net, preventing the tying goal. It was a great heads-up play and with a goalkeeper playing that well, it’s hard to lose.
The first half of the game was more defensive and slow-paced as both teams struggled to grab the advantage. The Bulls defenders were excellent at clearing the ball from dangerous areas and preventing the Niagara forwards from getting too close to the goal in the first half.
The Bulls had seven shots in the first half compared to the Purple Eagles’ four, but their chances were not great. This changed in the second half when the Bulls had more opportunities to take the lead.
Minutes before Barberic’s game-winning goal, junior midfielder Riley Bowers kicked a long-ranged shot and hit the crossbar as the ball bounced toward the goal. But it was cleared by the Niagara defense.
Missing by that short of a distance can sometimes disappoint a team but this only motivated the Bulls.
With Sunday’s victory at home, the Bulls have now won their last two games and look to continue their good form. The team will travel across the country to Eugene, Oregon to play the Oregon Ducks (3-1-3) next Sunday at 8 p.m. It will be a tough one as the Ducks have only one loss in the early season.
Sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com.
