After last Thursday’s victory over Northern Illinois, (5-6-3, 3-3-1 MAC), UB women’s soccer (6-3-6, 3-2-3 MAC) hosted the Bowling Green Falcons (7-5-2, 5-1-2 MAC) and finished with a 0-0 draw on Sunday afternoon.
Thursday’s game saw Buffalo defeating the Northern Illinois Huskies 2-0 following a penalty kick conversion from star sophomore midfielder Katie Krohn in the 12th minute and a goal from junior forward Arianna Zumpano in the 60th. Krohn’s goal marked her 12th of the season, keeping her on top of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) table in goals.
The Bulls outshot the Huskies 11-6 and finished the game with eight shots on target to Illinois’ six.
In Sunday’s game, Buffalo was unable to break the deadlock against Bowling Green.
Despite being the underdogs on paper, UB controlled possession in the first half of the match, drawing seven fouls and continuously attempting to create opportunities by crossing the ball from set-piece situations.
But in the second half, the Falcons pushed the pace and took control of the ball, forcing UB to employ more defensive tactics to keep the game even.
The match ended in a scoreless draw. The Falcons ended up having more shots than the Bulls as they had 12 shots (five on target) to Buffalo’s 8 (five on target).
This marks the first time the Bulls have been outshot since last month’s meeting with UConn (6-3-5, 3-1-3 BEC).
Although the game did not go their way, the Bulls had some excellent performers on the field.
Senior goalie Rebecca Winslow was challenged throughout the game with some difficult shots but made several important saves, primarily in the 58th and 60th minutes. She made a quick dive to the lower left side of her line in the 58th and prevented a goal by catching a threatening pass in the 60th.
Sophomore and fifth-year defenders Ellie Simmons and Emily Lazenby also had impressive showings. The two played the full 90 minutes of the game and held off all threatening attacks from the Falcons.
Following this week of matches, UB remains in fifth place in the MAC, just out of range of a championship qualification spot. With three games remaining, they’re looking to clinch a spot before their chances slip away.
The Bulls play again on Thursday against No. 6-ranked Toledo (7-6-2, 4-3-1 MAC). Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
