There will be a few new faces wearing the blue and white this season, 14 in all, but make no mistake about it, the goals of the men's soccer team remain the same and that is to bring home a championship.
"We have been so close every year to winning a championship," said head coach John Astudillo. "I think the guys are sick and tired of being so close. We're motivated and I think that translates into good results and good chemistry. The most important thing is to get (the new players) on the same wavelength and find out our strengths."
Last season ended with the team being shutout by top-seeded Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference semifinals. That match included a total of 11 cards distributed, with two red cards called on Buffalo. This forced the Bulls to play two men short for much of the second half.
The Bulls ended the 2006 campaign with the sixth best record in school history, going 10-7-2.
That team seemed to have a knack for hard-nosed play, and it appears that has brushed off on this year's squad as well. Even a scrimmage against Trent University (Peterborough, Ont.) over the weekend contained more than a few hard tackles, but that's what Astudillo believes it takes to win in Division I.
"The college game is fast and there's going to be contact. We like to play a hard-nosed game. They need to go hard on every tackle and every ball. Nothing (we do) is illegal or cheap. (Those types of plays) are frowned on by the coaching staff," he said.
The hard-nosed style has been a negative for the Bulls forcing injuries and already Astudillo considers four players "question marks" for this weekend's action. Training sessions have been the major cause of injuries but Astudillo doesn't plan to change the way his team practices.
"Our training sessions are tough," he said. "But we can't do the opposite."
The most important spot to be filled is that of Andrae Clark, who graduated last year. Astudillo believes there are already players in the program who can step up to fill the void of last season's leading scorer and the player whom he called the team's "inspiration."
Look for senior forwards Dan Stevens and Lee Catchpole to step up when healthy. Both were in the top 5 in Bulls scoring last season and each were among the team leaders in shots on goal, so they know how to generate offense.
"Andrae Clark is a big loss but you have to move on and play with what you have. We have to fill that void," Astudillo said.
Goalkeeper Daniel Bell, the Bulls all-time wins leader, will return, but will not be back right away. After suffering an injury to his wrist during a game last year, he had off season surgery on it. According to Astudillo, learning of the medical redshirt, granting Bell and extra a year of eligibility was a "nice surprise" to everyone. Astudillo says that the most important thing now, however, is to get him 100% healthy.
"I expect our team to improve game by game. We have to get beyond injuries. Hopefully we'll be completely healthy by the end of September," he said. "September is a long month and we've got a lot to gain."
The Bulls have ten games in September and will open the season on Friday at the St. John's Tournament against Fairfield and on Sunday against Fairleigh Dickinson in Queens, NY. The first home game is Wednesday Sept. 5 against local rival Niagara at UB Stadium.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
