The first full week of November came and went, bringing plenty of action for this week’s Buffalo State Sports Round-up to cover. As the fall season winds down and the winter season heats up, the two continue to overlap – with State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament play entering its final rounds and the men’s basketball team tipping off the 2025–26 season. Were wins, and more importantly, championships brought home over the past week? Here’s where we find out.

Women’s Soccer:
Last week’s Buffalo State Sports Round-up concluded with the women’s soccer team’s monumental SUNYAC Tournament win – their first in nearly a decade. This week, we start where we left off, as the Bengals took a Wednesday night trip to Cortland to play the one-seeded Red Dragons in the semi-finals. An upset was on the mind of every single Bengal and Bengal supporter, and with less-than-ideal weather in Cortland that night, it felt all the more possible.

Through the frigid rain, Cortland looked to gain the early advantage, but the Buffalo State defensive unit refused to budge. Opportunities were few and far between for the Bengals’ offense, allowing the Red Dragons to continue to heighten the pressure on the defense. In the 35th minute, Cortland’s Piper Klammer broke through to give the Red Dragons a 1-0 lead – a lead they would take into halftime.

Playing from behind, the Bengals came out of the gate racing to find a goal of their own, which would ultimately backfire. Just 10 minutes into the second half, the Cortland lead had grown to three, putting Buffalo State’s season in serious jeopardy. They continued to grind the rest of the way, but two more goals by the Red Dragons put the game, and the Bengals’ 2025 season, on ice. Cortland advanced to the SUNYAC Tournament finals by a score of 5-0.

A loss in the semifinals wasn’t the ending the Buffalo State women’s soccer team had hoped for, but earning their first postseason victory in nine years is an achievement worth celebrating. With that momentum, expect the Bengals to return next fall stronger than ever as they continue to chase a SUNYAC championship.

Women’s Volleyball:
Already locked into the fifth seed in the SUNYAC Tournament, the women’s volleyball team aimed to bring some momentum with them to Fredonia by finishing the regular season strong at the Rochester Tri-Match on Saturday.

The Bengals’ two-game afternoon started with a match against the hosts, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets. While trying to establish a rhythm, both teams traded early points. The Bengals quickly snagged the lead, but the Yellow Jackets responded with a three-point run to keep the opening set close. A three-point surge by the Bengals created some breathing room, allowing them to fend off a late push to take the 1-0 match lead.

The Yellow Jackets jumped ahead of the Bengals in a hurry, connecting on a multi-point run to open the second set. Buffalo State stayed within striking distance before turning the set on its head with a dominant six-point rally to get the edge. Desperately trying to avoid a two-set deficit, the Yellow Jackets continued to push forward – looking for any spark to turn the set back in their favor. However, the Bengals’ high-powered attack was too much to handle, as a few more rallies led to a 2-0 match lead.

The Yellow Jackets fought their hardest, but the third set continued the trend of Buffalo State excellence – cruising to an opening match sweep to earn head coach Maria Roberts her 200th win as a Bengal. The Buffalo State Sports Round-up, alongside The Record, congratulates coach Roberts on her milestone victory.

In the regular season finale, the Bengals finished off the tri-match against Union College. Throughout the opening set, the Garnet Chargers held a firm grip on the lead, despite the Bengals’ efforts to climb back. A three-point run down the stretch gave Union College enough separation to seal the set win.

The second set saw the Bengals able to take control of the lead after an early exchange of points. The fun didn’t last too long, as the Garnet Chargers stormed back into the driver’s seat with a seven-point rally that would put the Bengals on the brink of getting swept. And for as much as the Bengals continued to fight in the third set, the Garnet Chargers proved to be too much to handle on Saturday – completing the sweep over Buffalo State to end the tri-match.

The Buffalo State women’s volleyball team now begins its preparation for the SUNYAC Tournament, where they will head to Fredonia for a “Battle By The Lake” rematch against the Blue Devils in the opening round on Tuesday night.

Football:
Saturday marked Senior Day at Coyer Field, as the Buffalo State football team celebrated its seniors suiting up at home one last time. Coming into town were the St. Lawrence Saints, who looked to play spoiler against the Bengals.

The Saints received the opening kickoff and got right to work – driving 73 yards in just two minutes and 17 seconds to take an early 7-0 lead. Buffalo State failed to respond, turning the ball over on their first two drives, though the defense found its edge – keeping the Saints scoreless on their next possession.

Late in the first half, St. Lawrence put together another 70-plus yard drive to give the visitors a two-touchdown advantage at the break.

The third quarter was more of the same, as the Bengals turned the ball over on downs to open the half, leading to more Saints scoring opportunities. With three minutes still left to go in the quarter, the Saints’ lead had climbed to 24, with no signs of stopping. That all changed when freshman running back Jeadi Higdon took the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to the house, flipping a switch in the Buffalo State Bengals.

After a stop on the Saints’ next drive, the Bengals struck again with a 64-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 12. The defense continued the sudden momentum shift, forcing a fumble to give the offense a chance to make it a one-score game. Jeadi Higdon would cash in with his third touchdown of the day, making the score 24-19 with just over four minutes left.

In need of one more stop, the defense dug down deep to get off the field, but the Saints never allowed the Bengals to see the ball again – running out the clock and securing the win.

A heart-shattering loss ends the Bengals’ home schedule, leaving just one more game for the team to find a second win. Next Saturday, the Bengals find themselves matched up with Hobart in their season finale.

Men’s Hockey:
To open the season, the Bengals men’s hockey team split a pair of games on home ice, taking home third in the Buffalo State Bengals Classic. This past weekend, the Bengals hit the road for back-to-back games, starting on Friday night in Brockport, facing the Golden Eagles.

On an early power play, the Bengals drew first blood in the non-conference match-up, as Austin Micale netted his first goal of the season. Right before the first twenty minutes were up, Brockport nailed the equalizer. Buffalo State would take the lead back at the ten-minute mark of the second period, giving the Bengals a 2-1 advantage through the first forty minutes.

Within the first minute of the third and final period, the Golden Eagles netted another goal, capitalizing on a missed shot by the Bengals. Not too long after, the Bengals snatched the lead right back – junior Andrew Langlois knocking in his first of the season. Playing from behind, Brockport emptied the net in the final minutes, trying to find a third game-tying shot, but the plan quickly backfired. Buffalo State would score two goals on the empty net to close out a 5-2 win in enemy territory.

Riding the momentum from Friday night’s road win, the Bengals seemed poised for an undefeated weekend when they traveled to Geneseo to play the Knights. In lightning-quick fashion, Buffalo State got the scoring started, cashing in on a power play opportunity in the first three minutes. The Knights followed right behind, scoring less than five minutes later to even things up. A barnburner of a first period ended with the score knotted at two apiece.

In the blink of an eye, the craziness intensified in the beginning stages of the second period, as by the time it hit the seven-minute mark, the score had already jumped to 4-3, with SUNY Geneseo in front. A few more goals by each side, and the Knights held a 5-4 lead heading into the third period – a period in which defense was key.

The third period got off to a much slower start, with both teams now amping up their play on the defensive side. Midway through, SUNY Geneseo remained in control of the lead, but that quickly changed. At the 12:34 mark, Buffalo State sophomore David Tolen netted the game-tying shot, which would end up sending the game to overtime.

In the sudden death period, the Bengals failed to score despite multiple opportunities, which in turn allowed the Knights to sink the game-winner at the 3:21 mark.

The Bengals men’s hockey team moves to 2-2 in the early season, as they now gear up to play the Cortland Red Dragons on Friday night.

Women’s Hockey:
The Buffalo State women’s hockey team opened the season scorching hot last weekend, sweeping King’s College in a pair of dominant victories. Riding that early momentum, the Bengals returned to the Ice Arena this past weekend for a special “Hockey Fights Cancer” series against Chatham University.

The Bengals had a stranglehold over possession in the opening period, keeping the puck in the Cougars’ zone for much of the first 20 minutes. To the Cougars’ credit, they fended off the Bengals’ attack for the first 15 minutes, but they eventually broke, allowing Buffalo State junior Sydney Radecki to net the first goal of the night. A flurry in the final minute of the frame saw both teams connect on goals, making the score 2-1 heading into the first break.

The Bengals came out roaring in the second period, finding the back of the net twice in the first ten minutes – extending their lead to three. Chatham would find a goal of their own at the 14:33 mark, but Buffalo State was able to double them, making it 6-2 with the final twenty minutes upcoming.
The action slowed in the third period, as just one goal was scored. Buffalo State’s Kaydence Kemp was the one to do it, giving the Bengals a 7-2 lead they would carry until the final buzzer sounded. The team looked to pull off a second consecutive sweep the following day.

Saturday’s match-up got underway in the same fashion as the previous game, with the Bengals exhausting the Cougars’ defense with their relentless pressure. The pace remained high, and despite quality shot opportunities, each side remained scoreless after the first two periods.
The game hit another gear in the third, as the Cougars and Bengals fought for the go-ahead goal. Again, Buffalo State found themselves creating opportunities, but were unable to get the puck past Chatham goalie, Morgan Miller, who collected 38 saves in the game. Still without a goal scored, the buzzer sounded for the end of the third period, meaning overtime was on the horizon.

After Buffalo State failed to score on three separate chances, Chatham made them pay with a stunning walk-off goal at the 2:29 mark of the overtime period – handing the Bengals their first loss of the season, while picking up their first in the process.

Sitting at 3-1, the Bengals have no time to dwell on the loss, as they jump right back onto the ice for another set of games next weekend – traveling to Potsdam to play the Bears on Friday night and heading to Plattsburgh to face the Cardinals on Saturday afternoon.

Men’s Basketball:
Buffalo State’s men’s basketball team kicked off its 2025-26 campaign on Saturday night, looking to build off an 8-17 season in head coach Mike Berkun’s first year with the Bengals. They made the trip to Keuka to face the Keuka College Wolves.

The first half saw a tightly-contested game, with both teams trading buckets. While tied, the Wolves would go on a 7-0 run to pull ahead late in the half, bringing an 8-point advantage into the break.
In need of a run of their own, the Bengals found their footing from behind the arc coming out of halftime, connecting on three straight three-pointers to take the lead. Keuka clawed back to tie it up, though the Bengals continued their success on the offense, with the success eventually coming around on the other end.

The synergy between the offense and defense hit its peak for the Bengals late in the fourth quarter, going on an 8-0 run that proved to be the dagger to the Wolves’ chances of victory. Buffalo State’s 52-point second half propelled them to an 80-73 road win to successfully open the 2025-26 season.

The Bengals men’s basketball season heats up next week, as the team travels to Rochester to compete in the Rochester Tournament over the upcoming weekend, looking to recreate the same success they had Saturday night in Keuka.

Men’s Soccer:
The men’s soccer team’s season hung in the balance when they competed in a “Battle By The Lake” rematch against Fredonia in the SUNYAC Tournament semi-finals on Wednesday night. The winner of the game would go on to host the SUNYAC Tournament finals.

With the stakes at hand, both sides looked to find the early goal, but neither succeeded as the first half remained a stalemate. The Bengals found their spark in the 38th minute – senior Tapiwa Mushonga found fellow senior Sam Gregson to score the first goal of the game, giving Buffalo State a lead they would take into halftime.

The second half mirrored the first half, as neither the Bengals nor the Blue Devils could find a rhythm. Fredonia pushed for the equalizer, but as time wound down, superstar Diego Rivera buried a goal to put the Bengals on top by two, dashing the Blue Devils hopes of playing for the SUNYAC Championship. The final buzzer sounded, and Buffalo State was on to the SUNYAC Championship game to face SUNY Oneonta, whom they played to a draw just a month prior.

Once the dust cleared from the football team’s match-up with St. Lawrence, the stage was set for the 2025 SUNYAC Championship game at Coyer Field. The first half started slowly, similar to the start against Fredonia on Wednesday, with neither team getting anything going on the offensive end. When halftime hit, the game was still deadlocked at zero.

The scoreless tie didn’t last longer than three minutes into the second half, as Mushonga scored just his third goal of the season to push the Bengals ahead 1-0. Now playing from ahead, the Bengals did everything in their power to keep it that way, though the Red Dragons had different plans.

Feeling the SUNYAC championship slipping through their fingers, SUNY Oneonta pushed the pace and was rejuvenated by a 74th-minute goal by senior forward Joe Holder. It was now a brand-new ball game. Both sides desperately tried to find the go-ahead goal, and it was the Red Dragons that beat the Bengals to the punch – scoring an 86th-minute goal to take their first lead of the game. In heart-wrenching fashion, the Bengals ran out of time, and the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons’ SUNYAC Championship-winning comeback was complete. This marked the second consecutive year Buffalo State has finished runner-up in the SUNYAC Tournament.

The heartbreak has continued to stack up for the Buffalo State men’s soccer team over the last two years, but if this season was any indicator, there should be no doubt the team will be back better than ever when the season rolls around next fall.

Plenty of ups and plenty of downs in this week’s Buffalo State Sports Round-up – that’s what comes with the world of sports. More SUNYAC Tournament play, NCAA Regionals, and another winter team getting their season started are just a few of the things you can look forward to in next week’s edition. See you then.