When both teams create scoring opportunities late in the game, you know that a goal is coming. Unfortunately for UB, that goal came from an Akron (3-6-1, 2-4-0 MAC) player, and the Buffalo Bulls (5-5-1, 1-3-1 MAC) lost a nail biter 1-0 in overtime at RAC field on Sunday.
Going into overtime with the game still scoreless gives the feeling that the Bulls were going to start the sudden death period showing the same fiery competitiveness that they ended with.
Buffalo did come out of the break showing that they wanted to win, but when Akron took control of the ball, they took it down field and found a way to get the ball to a well-covered Mirka Mohs, who nailed the shot into the net for the only goal of the game. The goal came just five minutes into overtime.
Both teams played exceptionally well in regulation. Some crucial saves by Bulls' goalkeeper Anna-Lesa Calvert kept the game scoreless - on one particular play she had to go airborne to catch the ball as it headed toward the top right corner.
The team reacted to the amazing save by stringing together a quick group of passes to set up a scoring chance by Emily Russell, although unsuccessful. She led the Bulls with a game high of nine shots.
"There is a myth in soccer that the team feeds off one player's (big play)," said Buffalo head coach Jean-A Tassy.
On another Calvert save, Akron players had flooded the box area trying to break the tie, but the junior goalkeeper went from one side of the net to the other to make a quick stop, and then another reaction save off of the rebound. Calvert had a season-high of seven saves in the game.
During the latter part of the second half, the Bulls defense, on several occasions, used the "kick and run." This is a tactic that occurs when the defense has control of the ball in their end and they try to send one long pass up to the forwards, instead of a couple shorter passes that involve more than two players.
Tassy says that when the kick and run is used it sometimes indicates fatigue but in this case it was done to try to exploit the Zips' pressing defense.
"The player on the weak side needs to move the ball quicker in order to develop a shot or a scoring chance," Tassy said.
Another weakness of Akron's that Buffalo tried to take advantage of was the short goal kicks taken by goalkeeper Crystal Tabor.
Forwards Nicole Olszewski, Robin Aparo and Natalia Crofut all helped to create scoring chances and control the midfield, but Tassy would like to see more talking between his forwards and midfielders.
"It's hard sometimes (to develop communication skills on the field)," said Tassy. "Communication is important because it is used to utilize all of your teammates on the field."
If the Bulls wish to bounce back they will need to learn how to score again. They have scored just twice in the last four games, and hope that they can get back on track at 7 p.m. on Friday when they face Marshall in Huntington, W.Va.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
