With the winter sports season fast approaching, that must mean the fall sports season is all but over, right? Absolutely not. It’s just heating up, and the Buffalo State Sports Round-up is here to cover it. The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships kick off next weekend, and almost every team was in action this past week to continue wrapping up the regular season. Are all the Bengals closing out strong? Here’s where we find out.
Football:
Coming off a bye week and a brutal loss two weeks prior, the Bengals were back at Coyer Field this past Saturday afternoon, in need of a statement win to turn their season around. They were matched up against the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets, who looked to get a win streak started at the Bengals’ expense.
In their opening possessions, each offense came up empty. Buffalo State’s second drive is where the scoring began, just not for the Bengals. With under four minutes to go in the first quarter, sophomore QB Amir Cameron had his pass intercepted and returned for a 70-yard touchdown. The Yellow Jackets would tack on a field goal before the first fifteen minutes were up, giving them an early 10-0 lead. The Bengals followed up with a late second-quarter field goal to make it a one-possession game heading into the break. Still very much alive.
The Yellow Jackets received the ball to open the second half, and they came out like a team on a mission. By the 11:57 mark of the quarter, they found paydirt with a 6-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead. The Buffalo State offense was unable to respond, which allowed the Yellow Jackets to expand their lead to twenty with another touchdown in the fourth quarter. The visitors kept the score at 23-3 until the clock struck triple zeroes, dropping the Bengals to 1-6 on the season with another home loss.
With just three games left to go, the Bengals are still without a second win or a win on their own home turf. The team returns to the road next Saturday when they travel to Ithaca College to challenge the 5-2 Bombers.
Women’s Soccer:
Every result meant so much more for the Bengals women’s soccer team heading into an important pair of games to close out the regular season. The team came into the week 7-5-4, with their postseason seeding still up in the air. Luckily, they had the chance to solidify it on home soil against Oswego State.
This game was just as crucial for the Lakers, who arrived at Coyer Field with their playoff seeding just as uncertain as the Bengals. From the opening whistle, it was an intense battle — not only against their opponents, but against the elements, as ferocious winds and relentless rain turned the matchup into a true test of endurance. Nonetheless, each team pushed forward.
In the 21st minute, the Bengals struck gold when junior defenseman Gwen Jarosz nailed a goal to take the lead – a lead they would maintain for nearly sixty minutes. When it got down to crunch time, Oswego State was desperate to find the back of the net, putting all sorts of pressure on the Bengals’ defensive unit. At last, Lakers senior midfielder Amber McDermott broke through with an 80th-minute goal to even the score at one. Neither side was able to break the tie in the final ten minutes, which resulted in the game ending in a draw.
With their SUNYAC Tournament seeding still unknown, the team’s Senior Day game to close out the season against Plattsburgh State became their most important to date. The first half saw the Bengals and the Cardinals’ defensive units at their best, leaving each offense unable to gain control. It was scoreless at the break, but it wouldn’t stay that way much longer.
A Bengals miscue in the early minutes of the second half allowed the Cardinals to strike, scoring a go-ahead goal. With over 40 minutes still left to be played, that left plenty of time for Buffalo State to find a goal of their own. Except they didn’t. Despite an offensive push, the Plattsburgh State defense remained stout and secured the 1-0 win to spoil the Senior Day celebration.
This loss put the Bengals at 7-6-5 to end the regular season – good enough to lock down the four seed in the SUNYAC Tournament and earn a first-round home game. The postseason begins for the women’s soccer team next Saturday afternoon as they take on the five-seed New Paltz at Coyer Field.
Men’s Soccer:
A draw in each of their last three games meant the men’s soccer team, which sat at 11-1-3, hadn’t been in the win column in two weeks. That was bound to change when they took the long trip over to Oswego to face a struggling Lakers squad to start their last full week of the regular season.
None other than senior forward Diego Rivera got the scoring started with a 20th-minute goal, giving the Bengals a 1-0 lead that they would take into halftime. In the 58th minute, Oswego’s Tajay Ellis provided the equalizer to knot the game up at one apiece. Despite a lopsided record, the Lakers gave the Bengals a fight for most of the night.
Inevitably, the Buffalo State offense exploded. Senior forward Joseph Desmonie knocked in his second goal of the season in the 81st minute to regain the lead, which opened up the floodgates. The Bengals would connect on two more goals – including another from Diego Rivera, who continued to inch closer and closer to history. The Bengals won by a final score of 4-1, returning to the win column after a three-game absence.
The schedule called for one more game on the men’s soccer club’s plate for the week, as they took a Saturday trip to Plattsburgh to face a tough Cardinals team. With the two sides so evenly matched, the first thirty-eight minutes were silent in the scoring department. In the 39th minute, history was made. Diego Rivera put through a header to give the Bengals a 1-0 lead – setting the record for most goals (25) and points (58) in a single season by a Bengal, a record that stood for over 25 years. A season like no other for a Buffalo State men’s soccer player.
In the 61st minute, Plattsburgh State got on the board with a goal to even the game at one. The Bengals put on the pressure in the final minutes, but the Cardinal defense stood tall and denied the offensive surge. This resulted in yet another draw for the Bengals, their fourth in five games.
With one game remaining, the men’s soccer team has earned the two seed in the SUNYAC Tournament, awaiting the winner of Plattsburgh State and Fredonia in the semi-finals at Coyer Field. Before then, the Bengals will close out the regular season on Tuesday, continuing their road trip to play Hobart.
Women’s Volleyball:
Rounding out this week’s edition of the Buffalo State Sports Round-up with the women’s volleyball team, who had themselves one incredible week, which got started Friday night in Plattsburgh.
The Bengals came in riding high off a much-needed Senior Day win over SUNY Canton, looking to carry some momentum over. The opening set saw the Bengals in their element, trading back and forth with the opponent and scoring a late rally. Unfortunately, the late rally wasn’t enough, as the Cardinals responded with a four-point surge to take the set. Falling down wasn’t anything new to these Bengals, and it showed in the ensuing set. Each team caught a groove early, but Buffalo State was able to capitalize on Plattsburgh State’s mishaps to take a lead they would never surrender. 1-1 heading into a pivotal third set.
The third set was a nail-biter – holding several runs and rallies for the Bengals, topped off with a late surge for the win. The only problem was that the late surge came from the Cardinals, using it to propel them to a 2-1 advantage in the match. A slow start to the fourth set looked like the beginning of the end for the Bengals, but they battled back, like they always do. A five-point rally later, and the match was headed to a winner-take-all fifth set. In the set, the Bengals caught fire – going on a four-point streak that would be the dagger. A gritty come-from-behind win by Buffalo State to open a three-game weekend road trip.
The following day, the team traveled over to Potsdam for a pair of SUNYAC games. They got the day started against the hosting SUNY Potsdam Bears. The Bears got the upper hand early, getting ahead on a three-point rally. The Bengals quickly answered – taking the lead with a rally of their own, and closed the set with six straight points. 1-0 Bengals.
Building off the success of the opening set, the Bengals took over in the second set – connecting on another pair of rallies to take a 2-0 match lead into the third set. Again, the Bengals took over, but the Bears still had some fight left in them. Back and forth they went until Buffalo State went on another surge late to close out the sweep. A convincing win heading into the afternoon game against Clarkson University.
The Bengals got off on the wrong foot in the opening set, allowing the Golden Knights to get ahead with an eight-point rally. In typical Bengals fashion, they climbed their way back in it – going on a five-point surge to close the gap, and eventually completing the comeback. Another strong start for the road team.
The second set was another battle, with both sides trading rallies into the late stages. The Bengals would find a way to grab the lead, and didn’t let it fall through their fingers. 2-0 Bengals with another sweep in the works.
The third set continued the trend of competitiveness, but the Golden Knights gained the advantage with consecutive three-point rallies to narrowly avoid a sweep. With the Bengals determined to close out the weekend undefeated, they got off to a hot start in the fourth set. Clarkson would answer, though the Bengals answered right back – closing out an emphatic 3-1 match victory and undefeated weekend.
A late win streak has the women’s volleyball team right back in the mix with two weeks left to go before the SUNYAC Tournament begins. The Bengals can make it five straight when they are back on the court at home on Halloween night to play Oneonta.
It’s an exciting time in the world of Buffalo State sports, with the SUNYAC Championships beginning for the fall season and the winter sports season right around the corner. Keep track of all there is to know about Buffalo State sports through the Buffalo State Sports Round-up, right here at The Record.
