Men's Soccer Weekly Release

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Bulls Reach MAC Semifinals

For the fifth consecutive season, the University at Buffalo men’s soccer team reached the semifinal round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Bulls achieved the feat with a 6-0 quarterfinal rout of Florida Atlantic in Thursday’s opening match. UB, however, was denied a spot in the tourney final with a tough 1-0 loss to Northern Illinois on Friday. The Bulls finish the 2008 season with a 12-4-4 overall record.

Six Bulls Named to All-MAC Squads

Dan Gwyther

Six players were named to the All-Mid-American Conference teams released by the league from its headquarters in Cleveland prior to the tournament. The six selections surpasses the record five honorees the Bulls posted in the 2006 season and marks the third consecutive season that two players earned first team honors. Named to the All-MAC First Team were junior midfielder Alex Marrello and senior defender Dan Gwyther. Named to the All-MAC Second Team were senior midfielder Dominic Oppong, junior forward Dan Bulley, junior defender Steffen Thoresen and junior goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. The Bulls tied with Hartwick for the second-most players on the first team with two each. Regular season league champion Akron placed seven players on the first team. UB posted the most players of any school on the second team with four. Following the conclusion of the MAC Tournament late Sunday afternoon, Gwyther and Bulley were also selected to the All-Tournament team.

Bulley Scores Hat Trick vs. Owls

Dan Bulley

Junior forward Dan Bulley scored a natural hat trick in UB’s quarterfinal win over Florida Atlantic. Bulley scored UB’s first three goals as the Bulls beat the Owls 6-0 to advance into the semifinals. Bulley got the scoring started early in the match as his shot from 25 yards out sailed past FAU goalkeeper Phillip Lamarre for the 1-0 lead just 4:07 into the match. Bulley added a second goal in the first half after he rebounded his own penalty kick and found the right corner of the net to give the Bulls a 2-0 advantage less than 12 minutes into the contest. Bulley later tallied his third at the 58:25 mark with a 35-yard shot. The three goals moved Bulley into the 2008 team lead with six goals and 13 points.

Shuttleworth Ends With Second-Best GAA in UB History

Bobby Shuttleworth

UB goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth stopped five NIU shots and finished the season with 65 saves in 20 contests and a 0.63 goals against average, the second-lowest in a single season for the Bulls. He is third on UB’s career wins list with 20 following three seasons with the program. Shuttleworth stopped three shots in 78 minutes of action against Florida Atlantic in the quarterfinals. Freshman Nick Fettermanfinished the match against the Owls, stopping one shot.