Another week came and went in the fall sports season, which calls for another Buffalo State Sports Round-up to hit The Record. It was a bye week for the Bengals football team, but the men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball teams remained busy with a pair of games alongside the men’s and women’s cross-country (XC) teams wrapping up the regular season at the Canisius Alumni Classic Invite. Last week didn’t go as smoothly as initially hoped, so how did each team fare in this week’s slate of games? Here’s where we find out.

Men’s and Women’s XC:
After two weeks away, the men’s and women’s XC clubs were back on the trails Saturday afternoon to take part in the Canisius Alumni Classic, just down the road at the Delaware Park Golf Course in Buffalo. This race marked the end of the regular season for both teams, with each looking to end on a strong note before the postseason portion of the schedule begins.

The Bengals faced stiff competition, as they not only raced against fellow student-athletes but alumni students as well. Despite the circumstances, freshman Ricky Curiel held his own on the men’s team, finishing 21st overall with a time of 26:22 in the 8K race. Not too far behind were sophomores Noah Holden and Josh Mayer, who finished 32nd and 36th, respectively. Out of a 14-team field, Buffalo State’s men’s squad netted a solid 7th-place finish.

Carrying things over to the women’s team, the competition was just as stiff for their 5K race. Once again, freshman Jorja Smith was the first to cross the finish line for the Bengals, finishing 67th overall, with two more Bengals finishing right behind her at 68th and 69th overall. The Canisius Alumni Classic was a grind for the team, finishing 13th place overall in the 14-team race.

Saturday’s race was the Bengals’ last in the month of October, as the team will now prepare for the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships on Nov. 1 in Plattsburgh.

Women’s Volleyball:
Nine days after a crushing loss in the “Battle By The Lake” to Fredonia, a now well-rested women’s volleyball squad was given the opportunity to bounce back on Friday night when they hosted the Oswego State Lakers. The Lakers were scorching hot coming into Friday’s match, posting an undefeated SUNYAC record and a 16-4 overall record. The success of their visitors came with the potential for a season-altering win for the Bengals.

Early on, both sides attempted to grab control of the set, with neither being able to. A three-point rally by the Bengals looked to give them control until Oswego followed up with a four-point rally of their own to take the lead, and eventually the set. The Bengals would have to play from behind to pull off the upset.

The opening set appeared to set something off in the Bengals, as they erupted in the second set with little resistance. They stormed out to an 18-8 lead before scoring seven unanswered points to close out the win in dominant fashion. They looked to recreate the same eruption in the third set, but the Lakers were not going to let that happen a second time. Oswego grabbed the lead, but Buffalo State was right on their tail. Until they weren’t. A five-point rally by the Lakers closed out the third set, putting their backs against the wall in a pivotal fourth set.

The fourth set would end up becoming the most competitive set of an already highly-competitive match. The two teams battled, and battled, and battled some more, with the Bengals gaining the late advantage. Just when it seemed there would be a fifth set, the Lakers ended the night early with four unanswered points to win the set and the match. Another devastating loss for the Bengals, but they were forced to get right back on the horse the following day.

Saturday was a day of celebration for the team, as they hosted the SUNY Canton Roos for Senior Day. The opening set saw the Bengals move in front, though Canton kept things tight with a three-point rally. A late run by Buffalo State allowed them to create enough distance to withstand a Canton push and take the set, 25-18. From that set on, the Bengals never looked back.

With stellar offensive production and a strong defensive performance, the Bengals took home wins in the second and third sets to complete the sweep over the Roos. Buffalo State now sits at 9-13 with seven games remaining in the regular season.

It was a much-needed win for the Bengals on Senior Day, which could very well create the spark they need down the stretch of the season. They will be back in action this coming Friday when they return to the road to battle Plattsburgh State.

Women’s Soccer:
A draw with Fredonia and a loss to Cortland kept the Buffalo State women’s soccer team out of the win column last week, and that was something they were looking to change this week with the SUNYAC tournament right around the corner. They got their first chance to make that change on home soil against SUNY Oneonta.

The Red Dragons came in winless through four conference games, and they were itching to get their first when they made the trip to Coyer Field. A determined Bengals team was not going to make it easy, and it showed early with their persistent attack. Although being forced to play on their heels, Oneonta’s defense stood strong and kept the Bengals off the board for much of the first half. Finally, Buffalo State broke through in the final five minutes of the half, as freshman midfielder Reagan Michel scored her second goal of the season to make it 1-0 Bengals at the break.

The Bengals continued their attack in the second half, maintaining control over the game. The Red Dragons’ exceptional defense kept it a one-goal game and allowed openings for the offense as well. Unfortunately for them, junior goalie Addy Williams was on her A-game, racking up seven saves and pitching a complete game shutout to give Buffalo State the much-needed win to start the week.

On Saturday, the team travelled to New Paltz to play the Hawks, looking to capitalize on their newfound momentum. Just seven minutes in, senior forward Emily Maczka put the Bengals out in front with her fourth goal of the season. A hot start for the visitors on their opponent’s senior day. SUNY New Paltz didn’t take playing from behind lightly, applying immediate pressure on the Buffalo State defense, which hung tough throughout.

The Bengals went into the break with their lead intact, but it didn’t last much longer, as the Hawks knotted the game up with a 54th-minute goal. It would remain tied at one until an injury in the 70th minute caused the game to end prematurely, resulting in a draw. The consecutive week a game ends in a draw for the Bengals.

This week’s results put the Bengals at 7-5-4 and 4-1-2 in the SUNYAC conference, heading into their final week of the regular season. Catch the first of two home games for the women’s soccer squad on Wednesday afternoon when they square off with Oswego State in the Mental Health Awareness Game.

Men’s Soccer:
While the women’s soccer team stayed at home to battle SUNY Oneonta on Wednesday, the men’s soccer team took the bus down to Red Dragon Field to face the Red Dragons for a tightly-contested SUNYAC match-up.

The Bengals showed off their road warrior mentality early with a 15th-minute goal by freshman forward Lesedi Sekhobo, his fourth of the season. Buffalo State held onto the lead until a 35th-minute goal by the Red Dragons tied the game, making the score even at the break.

The Bengals went on the attack in the second half, finding openings for the go-ahead goal late in the game. However, a mix of solid defense and superb goaltending paved the way for Oneonta to keep the Bengals off the board the rest of the way. A lack of offensive production by the Red Dragons caused the game to end in a draw, a second consecutive one for Buffalo State.

After a few unexpected turns on the road, the squad returned to Coyer Field on Saturday for a date with the SUNY New Paltz Hawks, without their star Diego Rivera in the lineup. Getting back in the win column seemed easy enough, as the Bengals had been doing it all season long. This would not be the case on Saturday afternoon, as they became entrenched in a defensive standoff with the Hawks.

Each team put up 10 shots, with neither finding the back of the net until the final five minutes of the game. In the 87th minute, SUNY New Paltz broke the scoreless tie with a go-ahead goal that would shut the lights out on Buffalo State. Except it didn’t. Less than two minutes later, Sam Gregson, a senior forward from Wales, knocked in the game-tying goal to stun the Hawks and force a third-consecutive draw for the Bengals. An unbelievable finish to put Buffalo State at 11-1-3 with three games left to go before the SUNYAC tournament.

A 12th win has continued to elude the men’s soccer team over the last two weeks, but they get another crack at eclipsing the feat on Wednesday afternoon when they travel to Oswego to play the Lakers.

The regular season is winding down for fall sports, which means postseason play is just around the corner. Keep track of all Buffalo State sports teams and their quest toward a SUNYAC championship with the Buffalo State Sports Round-up. See you next week!