The week came, and then it went, bringing forth 13 Buffalo State Bengal games for the Buffalo State Sports Round-up to cover. And we wouldn’t want it any other way. So, which team ascended to be this edition’s Team of the Week? Let’s volley over to it.

Men’s Volleyball:
Packed was an understatement for the men’s volleyball team’s schedule this week, competing in five total matches, including two out-of-state tri-matches. It all kicked off Wednesday night at the Sports Arena when the Bengals welcomed Penn State Behrend to campus.

The sheer talent on the court was evident in the opening set, not allowing either team to gain ground on the other once the action ramped up. A late rally put the Lions at game point, but the Bengals soon knotted things up at 24 apiece. The Lions quickly shifted the momentum back to their side, scoring three of the final points to steal the first set.

The second set was all Penn State Behrend. After taking a quick 3-0 lead, the Lions never relinquished the lead for the rest of the set, fending off multiple Buffalo State comeback attempts. The 25-18 set victory put the Lions in the driver’s seat, while leaving the Bengals with no more room for error for the rest of the match.

That message was sent loud and clear to the Bengals, as they turned up the heat to storm out to an early advantage. Penn State Behrend wasn’t going to go away that easily, fighting back to take a 15-14 lead. The third set turned into a game of two-point trades, with neither team able to pull away. Luckily for the Bengals, when the game was deadlocked at 23, it was their turn for a two-point swing. Kills by Kellen Palmer and Gavin Wilczewski, respectively, sealed the deal for the home squad, forcing a fourth set.

The fourth set mimicked the sets before it, seeing Penn State Behrend find themselves in front at the midway point. Trailing 16-13, desperately trying to stay alive, the Bengals turned the tide with a five-point rally. A three-point rally soon after was enough to keep the tide on their side from there on out, winning the set 25-22.

The fifth set was up next – a chance for the Bengals to complete an unbelievable comeback from two sets down.

In the deciding sprint to 15, the Bengals strung together a big-time four-point rally to create some distance between themselves and the Lions. When a kill by Buffalo State’s Kaden Strong put the Bengals two points away from a win, the Lions gave it one last try with a three-point rally that ultimately fell short. To a chorus of hometown support, the Bengals willed their way to a win in a five-set doozy – just what the team needed before hitting the road for a long weekend.

On Friday night, the Bengals made the trip to Greenville, Pennsylvania, to compete in the Thiel Tri-Match. The one-night round-robin tournament was hosted by Thiel College, the team responsible for one of Buffalo State’s two losses on the season.

To open the night, the Bengals roped themselves into another five-set war. Taking them to their limits was Geneva College (Pa.), which walked into the tri-match with nearly as many losses as the Bengals had wins. Regardless of record, the Golden Tornados came to play, even if it didn’t seem that way from the onset.

The Bengals took no prisoners in the opening sets of the match, steamrolling the Golden Tornados 25-16 and 25-18 en route to a 2-0 set lead. However, taking a page out of Buffalo State’s book from Wednesday, Geneva College twisted their way back by winning the following two sets, even turning away two match points in the fourth set to stay in the fight.

With the match on the line, the Bengals turned up the heat. Clinging to a two-point lead, the squad connected on a pair of rallies, ending things off with a Brady Bowman kill to stop the Golden Tornados ‘ eerily similar comeback attempt dead in its tracks.

In the tri-match final, it was a date with destiny – the Buffalo State Bengals versus the Thiel College Tomcats.

The opening set was almost a carbon copy of the teams’ first meeting at the Sports Arena – intense and emotion-filled volleyball being played. The Bengals held a firm grip on the lead through most of the set until Thiel found their rhythm with a 7-2 stretch, making it a one-point game. They’d trade the final three points, benefiting the Bengals and helping them secure the 1-0 set lead.

The second set began close, though quickly tilted in the Tomcats’ direction, scorching the Bengals 19-7 after a 6-6 start to tie the match at one set apiece.

The third set mirrored the first – anxiety-inducing ties, momentum-shifting rallies, and back-and-forth point-trading all present. The high-level play led to a 22-22 tie, and with the way the game was going, it seemed like this set may never see an ending. That thought died shortly thereafter, as the Bengals rallied for three consecutive points to regain the match lead, two sets to one.

The fourth set followed the same trajectory, setting up a nearly identical finish. As the game grew closer to 25, Thiel leapfrogged the Bengals, forcing them to look down the barrel of multiple game points. They never flinched. Thiel served for game three times, and three times the Bengals denied a fifth set, eventually pulling off another three-point rally to call the match.

After Thiel College took down the Bengals to win the Buffalo State Tri-Match, the Bengals exacted their revenge by coming to the Tomcats’ home turf and winning the Thiel Tri-Match. You know what they say, revenge is a dish best served cold. But the squad’s work wasn’t done just yet.

Celebrating their tri-match all the way there, the Bengals arrived in Alliance, Ohio, on Saturday to take part in the Mount Union Tri-Match. Standing in the way of back-to-back tri-match victories was the No. 10-ranked team in the Division III men’s volleyball, Baldwin Wallace University, and the hosting Mount Union Purple Raiders.

Against the nationally-ranked Yellow Jackets, the Bengals had three players record double-digit kills, which included junior Gavin Wilczewski, who led both teams with four aces. All proved crucial as the Bengals gutted out wins in the first, third, and fourth sets to advance to the tri-match final.

The Purple Raiders brought their best, taking the battle-tested Bengals to the brink of defeat in the first two sets. They would take the third set as errors undercut the Bengals’ sweep opportunity, pushing Buffalo State’s long weekend a set further. Inevitably, the Bengals wore down the Purple Raiders to stake claim to the Mount Union Tri-Match – the team’s fourth tri-match victory of the season to improve to 18-2 overall.

How ‘bout them Bengals? The men’s volleyball team is rolling after an undefeated week that included two-straight tri-match wins, making a certain choice very easy. Congratulations to the men’s volleyball team as they are this week’s Buffalo State Sports Round-up Team of the Week.

The squad’s schedule shrinks to just two games next week, as they stay home to face Hilbert College on Wednesday before heading to Pittsburgh to square off with Carlow University on Friday night.

Women’s Hockey:
In the final week of the regular season, the women’s hockey team made one last push towards clinching a spot in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament. Both of their games took place on the road, travelling from Oswego to Canton to play the Lakers and the Roos.

Starting along Lake Ontario, the Bengals held their ground in the first period against the always-dangerous Oswego State Lakers. That was exemplified when an Oswego goal in the final minute of the period was immediately answered by Buffalo State’s Vanessa Willick, evening the score before intermission.

A costly five-minute penalty early into the second period put the Bengals at a major disadvantage, eventually leading to the Lakers regaining the lead with a power-play goal two minutes later. Just a minute later, Oswego State capitalized again with a second power-play goal – the Bengals had dug themselves a hole. And the hole continued to be dug deeper, as the Georgia Cunliffe added another goal to extend the Lakers’ lead to three.

Still battling, the Bengals cashed in on their own power-play opportunity later in the period to stop the bleeding. In a must-win environment, the Bengals had two goals to make up for in the third and final period.

6:27 into the third period, Oswego State netted a would-be dagger into the hearts of the Buffalo State faithful, controlling the puck the rest of the way to win the game, 5-2. Despite the loss, the women’s hockey team’s postseason aspirations still had a heartbeat, but it was slowly fading. It all came down to the regular season finale against SUNY Canton.

Knowing their backs were against the wall, the Bengals shot at will in the opening minutes of the game. Four missed shots later, Buffalo State freshman Dakota Carlson connected on an even-strength goal to allow her squad to play from in front. As the first period reached its final minutes, penalties began to pile up for the Bengals, which gave way for the Roos to strike with a power-play goal before intermission.

The Roos then wasted no time getting to work in the second period, breaking the 1-1 tie with an Ashten Morris goal at the 3:09 mark. Following their lead, the Bengals found the back of the net just over three minutes later, taking advantage of their own power-play opportunity. The game of one-upmanship continued when SUNY Canton snatched the lead back at even strength – all three goals being scored in the first ten minutes of the period.

From there, each team’s defense found its footing, forcing a combined 15 missed shots over the last ten minutes. The score remained 3-2 in favor of SUNY Canton – the Bengals’ season riding on the final 20 minutes of the game.

The shots flew all over the ice throughout the duration of the third period, though neither team could get past the other’s goaltender. As time ticked down, the Bengals could see their season slipping away. In a last-ditch effort, they emptied the net for the final 38 seconds, using anything at their disposal to score – and to the disbelief of everyone in SUNY Canton Roos apparel, it worked.

As the buzzer sounded, junior defensemen Arissa Vettraino netted the game-tying goal to force overtime. This left the Bengals with five more minutes to clinch a SUNYAC Tournament appearance.

In the five-minute overtime period, the Bengals were only able to muster up one shot on goal, as the Roos dominated puck control. Fortunately, Bengals goaltender Alexa Todd was on top of her game, turning the Roos away at every turn. When time expired, the score stayed even at three apiece, which meant the game would result in a tie. Regardless of the outcome already being decided, they continued with a final shootout – a shootout won by the Bengals, 3-2.

In unfortunate news, that same day, SUNY Potsdam defeated SUNY Cortland, crushingly knocking Buffalo State out of the SUNYAC Tournament.

The women’s hockey team’s season is over.

Give a virtual round of applause to the women’s hockey team for all their hard work over the last five months. The squad’s 12-11-2 record was a six-win improvement from last season, as the program continues to trend in the right direction. Watch out, next year could be the breakthrough.

Men’s Basketball:
From the ice to the court, the men’s basketball team closed out the 2025-26 season by hitting the road to battle a few familiar foes: SUNY Canton and Oswego State.

At the Roos House, the Bengals looked to make it their own early, though they couldn’t contain the Roos’ perimeter attack. In the first half, SUNY Canton swished eight of their 15 three-point attempts – just enough offensive firepower to bring a two-point lead into halftime.

The Roos soon went cold from beyond the arc, connecting on just one of their ten attempts in the second half, opening the door for the Bengals to exploit their shortcomings. Yet, in a twist, the Bengals hit their own iceberg – shooting just 35% from the field and 21% from the three – despite a strong start. Midway through the half, SUNY Canton would go on a 14-0 surge, retaking the lead and never giving it back. By a final score of 78-68, the Roos toppled the Bengals.

Aiming to end the season on a high note, the Bengals traveled to the frigid Oswego State campus to play the Lakers – the No. 3-seed in the SUNYAC standings with a 15-3 record in the conference – and, like the night prior, hung around in the first half. The Bengals’ impressive 57% shooting from downtown and an efficient 56% from the field put them within five heading into the locker room.

The Bengals kept pace with the Lakers through the first five minutes of the second half, but once those five minutes passed, the Lakers switched into another gear. Oswego State’s six-point lead suddenly soared up to 20, and with the Bengals’ three-point shooting ability seemingly gone, this game was all but over. The men’s basketball team finished its season with a 90-75 loss.

Give a virtual round of applause to the Buffalo State men’s basketball team on their season, finishing with a hard-fought 9-16 record – the team’s highest win total in eight years. The future of the program is bright.

Women’s Basketball:
Staying on the hardwood, the women’s basketball team put a bow on its 2025-26 campaign, facing an identical schedule to the men’s team: at SUNY Canton and at Oswego State.

Having quadruple the wins of the Bengals, and with the SUNYAC Tournament right around the corner, the Roos looked to have had their eye off the ball in the first quarter. They matched the Bengals’ shooting struggles – both teams shooting under 20% – and went to the bench holding just a one-point lead.

SUNY Canton came out of their shell in the second quarter, letting it fly from all over the floor, but ran into serious foul trouble. The Bengals took advantage of the Roos’ carelessness on the defensive end, scoring nine of their 15 points in the quarter from the charity stripe. Because of the Roos’ identical 57% shooting from inside and outside the arc, and their woes from the field, the Bengals trailed by ten at the break.

The Bengals’ appearances at the free throw remained consistent throughout the second half, but their shooting struggles followed them there. Meanwhile, the Roos began getting to the line, adding another weapon in their offensive arsenal that the Bengals couldn’t find an answer for.
The Roos would outscore the Bengals 52-33 in the second half to win it 84-55. Onto Oswego for the season finale.

Inside Max Ziel Gym, the Bengals were on the prowl, and that mindset gave them a significant boost – at least in the opening quarter. The squad led for the majority of the first 10 minutes, only losing the lead when the Lakers nailed a three-pointer to tie the game in the final 25 seconds.

As hinted earlier, the Bengals floundered through the remainder of the game, failing to replicate their first-quarter success. Buffalo State’s struggles allowed the Lakers to put their stamp on the game, bullying the Bengals around the rim over the last 30 minutes of play to clinch a 74-43 win and the final spot in the SUNYAC Tournament.

This marks the end of the women’s basketball team’s season, finishing 4-21, so give them a virtual round of applause! The Bengals return six players next season, as they look to make another run at earning a spot in the SUNYAC Tournament – something they haven’t accomplished in nearly five years.

Men’s Hockey:
Closing this week’s edition, the men’s hockey team ran the gauntlet to finish the regular season, matching up with the undefeated, defending three-time National Champions, Hobart, and the No. 14-ranked team in Division III men’s hockey, Oswego State.

Knowing they need a miracle to pull this one out, the Bengals let loose on the goal as soon as they held possession of the puck, ripping and missing three shots in a ten-second span. That remained the strategy, the minimal times they’d possess the puck the rest of the period, while the defense refused to yield to Hobart’s constant attack. At the first intermission, the scoreboard had yet to show any goals scored.

Hobart’s Kahlil Fontana ended the scoring drought two minutes into the second period, leading to another Statesmen goal later in the period off a flurry of Buffalo State misses. The Bengals held the Statesmen scoreless from there, halting the deficit at two with one period left to go.

To begin the third period, Buffalo State’s Chris Blango picked up a quick penalty, giving Hobart a power-play try they wouldn’t miss. The Bengals would see more opportunities to score than in previous periods, though Hobart goaltender Mavrick Goyer, with the help of his stout defense, denied everything coming his way. One last power-play goal by Hobart made for a final score of 4-0.

Back at it the following night, the Bengals fought tooth and nail with the Oswego State Lakers, yet ran into the same issues. Like Hobart, the Lakers chewed up the clock, keeping the puck away from the sticks of the Bengals. This continued to put an immense amount of pressure on the defense, which inevitably broke down, picking up a penalty that led to an Oswego State power-play goal in the first period.

Another penalty brought another Laker power-play goal minutes into the second period, expanding Buffalo State’s deficit. Then, Oswego State said, forget power-play goals, knocking in their third goal of the game at even strength. Outside of two short-lived spurts, the Bengals remained helpless in maintaining possession of the puck. As the second intermission came, the Bengals had 20 minutes to make up three goals.

In a flash, three goals rose to five as the Lakers began pouring it on, nailing two goals in a two-minute window – one in power-play and the other at even strength. As a sign of life, Bengals defender Andrew Langlois netted a third-period goal, helping the squad avoid a second-consecutive shutout. By a final score of 6-1, the Bengals fell to 9-15-1, a record that, on paper, signaled the end of their season – not so fast.

The Buffalo State men’s hockey team is IN the 2026 SUNYAC Tournament for the second-straight season, clinching the No. 7-seed after Saturday’s games across the SUNYAC. Tomorrow night, they get another crack at the No. 2-seed Oswego State Lakers – this time, win or go home.

This edition of the Buffalo State Sports Round-Up has been bittersweet, as we say goodbye to several winter seasons and reflect on the hard work each Bengal team showed on the court and on the ice over the last five months. And while it’s never easy to see seasons come to a close, there’s plenty to look forward to as spring sports season begins to take center stage in the weeks to come. Thank you for your time, and continue supporting Buffalo State athletics year-round.