WOMEN'S SOCCER

Roster  |  Coaches  |  Schedule / Results  |  News

Anna-Lesa Calvert

BUFFALO, NY - It took two wins in the final weekend, including one against co-Mid-American Conference league champion Ohio, but the University at Buffalo women's soccer team did all it could do to become a factor in the 2004 MAC playoff race. Unfortunately, Buffalo fell just short, finishing 7-11-1 overall and 5-6-1 in the MAC to come in ninth place and miss the playoffs for the first time in its seven years in the MAC.

Eleventh-year head coach Jean-A. Tassy has another youthful squad in 2005, but with experienced goalkeeper senior tri-captain Anna-Lesa Calvert (Dallas, TX/Bryan Adams), one of three seniors returning for a fifth year, and MAC All-Freshman Team member Courtney MacVie (Tonawanda, NY/Kenmore East) back to anchor a defense that allowed only 1.49 goals per game, the Bulls are out to prove that their strong finish in 2004, which featured four wins in their last five games, was no fluke. With a recruiting class that was ranked 16th in the Northeast by SoccerBuzz.com, the Bulls are ready to make a run back to the MAC playoffs as they open their season Friday at Army's BAE Systems Classic against Lehigh.

Natalia Crofut

OFFENSE

Buffalo returns five of its top six scorers from 2004, led by senior Natalia Crofut (East Aurora, NY/Iroquois), who finished eighth in the conference in points (18) and goals (7). Crofut, who had at least 10 points in each of her first three seasons, is 12th in school history in both goals (18) and points (45).

Senior tri-captain Arielle Korczykowski (Derby, NY/Lake Shore) also returns to the frontline after adding 10 points to the Bulls' attack last season, including garnering five points in the last three games. A gritty player, Korczykowski missed seven games due to injury in 2004, but is returning for her fifth year in Amherst.

Sophomore forward Katie Fage (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) and senior tri-captain Erica Mincher (Waterford, NY/Shenendehowa), a midfielder, each added seven points for the Bulls in 2004. Senior midfielder Lindsay Szafranski (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) also came on strong towards the end of 2004, contributing two goals and two assists while also playing a valuable role in the Bulls' defensive scheme.

Junior midfielder Jessica Roesch (Centennial, CO/Grandview) returns after adding a goal and two assists in 2004 while appearing in 18 games and starting eight. Sophomore Heidi Griffiths (Clarence, NY/Clarence) will also look to play a defining role in the Buffalo offense this year, after scoring and adding an assist in 15 games during her rookie campaign. Sophomore Ashley Turner (Olean, NY/Olean) will also see time at forward after appearing in six games in 2004 and sophomore Geenamarie Ruggiero (East Aurora, NY/Iroquois) returns to the midfield after seeing time in two games in 2004.

Senior Lindsey Sadonis (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) returns to the Bulls after two years off the team. In 2002, Sadonis played in 17 games and scored a goal.

Newcomers Brooke McCalla (Pickering, Ontario/Dunbarton), Sara Hilliard (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island), Allison Bosch (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) and Kelley Vander Mallie (Penfield, NY/Penfield/Pittsburgh) will also see time for Buffalo up front, while freshmen Jenessa Banwell (Toronto, Ontario/Birchmount Park C.I.) and Melissa Klein (North Bellmore, NY/Mepham) will see time in the midfield.

Pamela Schneck

DEFENSE

With two returning starters in the backfield, including senior Pamela Schneck (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills East) and MAC All-Freshman Team member MacVie, the Bulls' strength will be in their defensive core.

MacVie, who moved to sweeper midway through 2004 after an injury to two-time All-Conference defender Brenna McJury, helped the team to a 2-0 shutout of co-league champion Ohio while also letting opponents score more than two goals just twice in her nine games at sweeper. She also proved a catalyst for the offense, getting three assists on her way to the All-Freshman accolade.

Schneck returns for her fourth season as a starter in the backfield. In three years, Schneck has missed only one game and has been a starter in all but seven contests.

Sophomore Amanda Courteau (St. Catharines, Ontario/Denis Morris) will see significant time in the backfield after she saw action in 14 games as a midfielder or defender in 2004, starting eight.

Sophomore Kara Winch (Strykersville, NY/Holland Central) will fight for time after appearing in two games during her first year in Amherst along with sophomore Samantha Roth (Rochester, NY/Arcadia), who appeared in 10 games.

Newcomers Nikki Wilson (El Paso, TX/Franklin), Julia Teskey (Markham, Ontario/Brother Andre) and Patricia Allen (Scottsville, NY/Wheatland-Chili) will also look to make an impact on the backfield this year.

GOALKEEPERS

Academic All-MAC goalkeeper Calvert returns for her fifth year in Amherst to finish work in her second major while also taking graduate courses. She enters her fourth year as the starter for the Bulls in 2005, after making 121 saves in 2004, the sixth-best mark in school history, to finish third in the MAC in saves, averaging 6.72 per contest.

Along the way, Calvert also reached fourth place in career saves (239) and second in career wins (22) on UB's all-time lists. Her 1.37 goals against average is fifth in school history.

Junior Jennifer Thompson (Chagrin Falls, OH/Chagrin Falls) is in her third year as a backup to Calvert. She played in one contest in 2004, making nine saves in a 3-1 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson.

Freshman Amy Coron (Farmington, NY/Victor) also joins Buffalo's goalkeeping ranks this season.

SCHEDULE

In 2004, Buffalo had to take a three-week conference road trip during the heart of the season that netted the Bulls only a tie in five games and helped aid the team missing the playoffs by two points.

This season, the conference schedule holds no such treacherous road hazards, but the start of the season includes six non-conference matches away from Buffalo's new home on the artificial turf of UB Stadium.

To open the season, Buffalo travels to West Point for the BAE Systems Classic from Aug. 26-28. After opening with Lehigh on Friday, Buffalo plays Army, ranked 12th in the preseason SoccerBuzz.com Northeast poll.

The schedule gets no easier the next weekend, as Buffalo travels to Orlando for the Central Florida Tournament, where it plays Jacksonville on Friday before taking on host Central Florida, ranked 28th nationally in SoccerBuzz.com's preseason poll, on Sunday.

Buffalo returns to town for a Sept. 9 match with crosstown rival Canisius before traveling to Cornell for a Sept. 11 game.

Finally, on Sept. 16, the Bulls will get to showcase their new home with a 7:00 pm game against Big 4 rival Niagara before opening up a very favorable MAC slate. On Sept. 23, Buffalo opens its MAC season with a 7:00 pm game with Miami (OH), one of seven MAC contests that will be at UB this year, while the Bulls will have to travel for only two weekends (to Eastern Michigan (Sept. 30) and Central Michigan (Oct. 2) and to Toledo (Oct. 14) and Bowling Green (Oct. 16)).

Buffalo also plays host to MAC rivals Ball State (Sept. 25), Western Michigan (Oct. 7), Northern Illinois (Oct. 9), Akron (Oct. 21), Ohio (Oct. 23) and Kent State (Oct. 28).