Despite a difficult first half, the women's soccer team defeated Cornell 3-0 in their final regular season home game of the season. Going into halftime tied 0-0, the Bulls came back to score three unanswered goals in the second half.
With a lack of communication and problems maintaining possession of the ball, none of Buffalo's seven shots found the net in the first half. Big Red goalkeeper Carlyn Swensen, who was hurt during the second half, made three saves, keeping the game at a stalemate into half time. With the pressure on, the Bulls entered the second half ready to play.
"We made two changes that gave us an opportunity," said Buffalo head coach Jean-A Tassy. "We put a striker on top, that is going to put the defense under pressure, and we balanced the midfield a little bit more. The key aspect though is that we are a ball-possessing team. If we find each others' feet it makes things a lot easier, and that is exactly what we did."
Junior Ashley Turner was the first to score at the 9:22 mark in the second half. Assisting on the play were sophomore Brooke McCalla and junior Courtney MacVie. Turner placed a shot over the head of Cornell's goalkeeper into the top right corner of the net.
Utilizing their momentum, sophomore Andrea Vescio placed her shot into the top left, a mere four minutes after Turner's goal. Turner and junior Heidi Griffiths assisted Vescio, who leads the team with five goals this season.
Finishing off the Big Red was Brooke McCalla, who was named the Mid-American Conference player of the week earlier this month. McCalla drove up the middle for an unassisted third and final goal of the game.
"It feels really good to score," McCalla said. "I feel that in the second half we played much better, the way we should be playing all the time. We were moving the ball in and out and basically we got the end result which was a score."
Although the Bulls were statistically dominant in the first half, with more shots and corner kicks, the team needed to make changes.
"Basically we started playing our game," McCalla said. "Before, the ball was in the air a lot and we like to play at our feet. So we started to keep it on the ground, communicate and move the ball a lot."
At the defensive end of the field was sophomore goalkeeper Amy Coron. Coron saved her way to the third shutout of her career and became one of only 10 players in Bulls' history to have seven wins in one season.
Cornell did not go without a fight though. With a total of 10 shots and four shots on goal, Coron was forced to make crucial saves. Sophomore Megan Joerger and junior Mariye Wick each tested Coron with a shot, and freshman Kathleen Bubrick led the Big Red with two failed attempts.
Being the final home game of the season, the Bulls honored their two seniors before Wednesday's game. In a ceremony on the field with friends and family, midfielder Lindsay Guarino and defender Jessica Roesch were recognized for their contributions to the team.
Guarino, a graduate student at UB, played for Canisius before transferring to Buffalo this year. Roesch, however, played all four years at Buffalo and started in all 18 games last year. Due to an ankle injury, Roesch played about 20 minutes of the game on Wednesday, which only added to the emotional weight of the evening.
"It's just hard because I'm a starter and I play the whole game usually," Roesch said. "It's difficult knowing that it's all coming to an end. You spent so much time and so much energy into something that you know is almost over. It's hard but I'm glad we got the win and I just hope it carries over to the weekend."
Wednesday's match up was the last non-conference game of the season. Games against Akron, Kent State and Ohio are all in the coming week.
"Akron is right under us in MAC standings, so that is going to be a playoff game for them," Tassy said. "Ohio is ahead of us, but Ohio is in the middle of the pack. Right now we are ranked number eight and I think by getting a couple of wins that will ensure us a playoff spot. That is what we are pushing for."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
