Men's soccer weekly release

Three Matches, Three Different Results

The Bulls hit the pitch three times last week following a nine-day rest. UB opened play on Tuesday, September 28 defeating Hartwick, 1-0, in the Mid-American Conference opener. UB then fell to Niagara, 3-2, on Friday, October 1. UB returned home to host Duquesne on Sunday, October 3 and tied the Dukes, 1-1. The Bulls now stand with a 4-5-1 record and are 1-0-0 in MAC play, tied for second with Western Michigan and a half-game behind league leader Akron.

Bulls Benefit From Own Goal vs. Hartwick

In the MAC opener at Hartwick, UB benefited from an own goal as a Hawk defender inadvertently headed the ball in the Hartwick net midway through the first half. Nick Fetterman recorded his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career as he collected five saves. 

A Tale of Two Halves at Niagara

UB jumped out to a 2-1 halftime lead at Niagara only to see the Purple Eagles rally for a pair of second half goals and a 3-2 decision over the Bulls. The Bulls got goals from Mike Unwin and Juha Kaartoluoma in the loss. Unwin and Kaartoluoma tied Andy Tiedt for the team lead with their second goals of the year.

Rainy Rally Results in Tie With Duquesne

The Bulls returned to UB Stadium for their first home match in nearly three weeks and remained unbeaten on their home turf with a 1-1 double-overtime tie against Duquense. After a scoreless first half, Duquesne scored in the first minute of the second half. Nate Woods then tied the contest in the 68th minute with a header from Ian Storan. Fetterman made five saves to preserve the tie.

Astudillo's Assessment

Head coach John Astudillo commented on his team's play over the week. "We played a strong game vs Hartwick attacking regularly with numbers. The defense earned the shutout as Hartwick's dangerous attacks were frequent. At Niagara, we played a very solid offensive performance in the first 45 minutes. In contrast, the second 45, the defense was inconsistent and the offense was unproductive. Against a very good Duquesne team, we played a very balanced game attacking as often as we could and defending with vigor. Mike Unwin, Andy Tiedt, Sam Craven and Nate Woods had above average performances on the day." 

Facing the Falcons

UB travels to Bowling Green on Saturday to face the Falcons in a Mid-American Conference showdown. "We will have to match the energy and balance that we showed on Sunday when we visit BG," said Astudillo. "We cannot play less than 90 full minutes and will need scoring from our offensive leaders."