Men's Soccer Weekly Release

Soar Past Purple Eagles 3-0

Alex Marrello

In a dominant performance, the Bulls soared past the Niagara Purple Eagles, 3-0 on Friday evening at UB Stadium. The Bulls walked away with a 23-7 shot advantage as junior Kieron Gradwell and sophomore Anthony Johnson scored their first career goals. Junior Mike Unwin closed out the Bulls’ scoring attack with his team-leading fifth goal of the season.

The Bulls’ first tally of the night came in the 33rd minute off a costly Niagara foul. Senior Alex Marrello sent a high-arching kick from 30-yards out towards the net. As the ball ricocheted off bodies, Gradwell located the loose ball and sent his first career goal into the back of net for a 1-0 UB lead.

Mike Unwin

Off a Buffalo counter attack in the 77th minute, senior Dan Bulley crossed over the midline where he fed a 20-yard pass to Johnson, who went in on a breakway. Johnson took a few steps before taking a blast from 25-yards out for his first career goal, giving the Bulls a 2-0 lead.

In the 82nd minute, Unwin and the Bulls capitalized off a Niagara handball infraction just outside the 18-yard box. Facing a wall of Purple Eagles, Unwin stepped hard into the shot, sending a low screamer through the legs of the defenders and into the far left corner of the goal to close out the Bulls’ scoring attack.

In his first career start, Ryan Lewis recorded three saves to collect his first victory in the form of a shutout.

Ryan Lewis

Fall Short to St. Bonaventure 2-1

Concluding its stretch of road games, Buffalo fell in a close contest versus St. Bonaventure, 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon at McGraw Jennings Field. In the 78th minute, Steffen Thoresen buried a shot from 30 yards out to score the Bulls’ tally for his first goal of the season.

Off a continuous strong attack in the second half, the senior connection of Thoresen and Marrello cut the Bonnies’ lead to 2-1 off a corner kick. Marrello served a perfect ball to Thoresen, who buried the 30-yard shot inside the far post away from the Bonnies’ goalkeeper.

Steffen Thoresen

Up Next: Detroit-Mercy and Northern Illinois

Buffalo (5-5, 0-1 MAC) will travel to Detroit-Mercy as they face the Titans in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, October 6 at 4:00 pm.

In five all-time contests between the two teams, the Bulls hold a 1-3-1 record. Last season, the Bulls collected their first victory over the Titans in the UB Classic by overcoming an early 1-0 deficit with three unanswered goals to win 3-1. Thoresen scored the game’s equalizer with 38 seconds remaining in the first half.

The Bulls will continue play on the road as they return to Mid-American Conference action against host Northern Illinois on Sunday, October 11 at 1:00 pm. In 17 previous contests, the all-time series is knotted up at 8-8-1. The last two regular season contests have gone to overtime with the Bulls’ winning one and tying the other, respectively.

When it comes to the postseason, the Huskies are a familiar opponent of the Bulls having played one another in four of the last five MAC tournaments.