Bulls kick away Canisius' chances

Imagine you're the last line of defense, standing deep into your own territory and a player from the opposing team is about to take a shot that could be momentum-shifting goal. Ten seconds left in the game. If you make the save, your team wins but if you miss it you're a goat.

This was the situation that sophomore Amanda Corteau was facing in the closing seconds of Friday night's game against cross-town rival Canisius. The Bulls were holding on to a 2-1 lead late in the second half but Canisius was determined to walk away with a tie.

Canisius sophomore Lindsay Benson was able to sneak a shot off from inside the goal box that appeared to be destined to give Canisius the tie, but Corteau showed poise and was able to kick-save the ball to preserve the win. Most defenders relish the opportunity; a chance to put the game away for your team doesn't come often when playing in the backfield.

Going into last night's game, the Bulls were 1-2-1, despite having the athletic potential to be an elite team. Senior Natalia Crofut, who leads the Bulls in points this season with 2 goals and an assist, scored the decisive goal from 15 yards out, a rebound of a deflected shot by sophomore Ashley Turner. The goal came just 61 seconds after Canisius was able to tie the game.

The game got off to a hot start. In the seventh minute, freshman Andrea Vescio scored from 20 yards out assisted by a deft pass from sophomore Kelley Vander Mallie. It was Vescio's second goal of the season. It was Vander Mallie's first career point with the Bulls. She was forced to sit out the previous four games with an injury.

Although the Bulls came away with the victory, their solid defensive play seemed to collapse towards the end of the game as senior goaltender Anna-Lesa Calvert had to divert three shots in the final 15 minutes.

Head Coach Jean A. Tassy has said before that his team has to be problem solvers, and they seemed to have heeded his advice, regaining their defensive composure when they needed to most.

This was the kind of win that the Bulls needed to set their season in motion, a win that showed their perseverance. They will need to capitalize again in the Mid-American Conference games on the horizon.