Recapping events from Monday, October 6 - Sunday, October 12

MEN’S SOCCER (4-7-2/3-3) – Bengals Split Conference Weekend

Buffalo State split a pair of conference games last weekend to stay in the middle of the SUNYAC playoff hunt.

Plattsburgh's men's soccer team defeated Buffalo State 6-1 Friday on Coyer Field. The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead just 9:48 into the game and scored three more goals in a span of 4:30 early in the second half. Rich Namulala (Kenmore/Kenmore West) scored Buffalo State's only goal for the Bengals on a penalty kick in the 54th minute. Plattsburgh outshot the Bengals 18-6.

Buffalo State matched its highest offensive output of the season Saturday as it defeated visiting Potsdam, 6-2, to keep itself in the middle of the SUNYAC playoff race. The Bengals Brian Miller (Tonawanda/Kenmore East) opened the scoring at 28:17 with his first of three goals on the day. Buffalo State would take a 2-0 lead into the intermission and extend the margin to 4-0 early in the second stanza on goals by Brian Benson (Buffalo/Kenmore West), Matthew Romano (Eden/Eden) and Casey Cushing (Fabius/Fabius Pompey). Potsdam scored twice to cut into the deficit, by Miller iced the game adding a pair of late goals. Erick Hansen (Irving/Lakeshore) recorded a pair of assists and Kevin Brenner (Plattsburgh/Plattsburgh) and Rich Namulala (Kenmore/Kenmore West) each tallied single assists. Buffalo State outshot the Bears 18-11.

The Bengals improved to 4-7-2 overall and 3-3 in SUNYAC play.

FOOTBALL (1-5) – Rowan Too Much For Bengals

Buffalo State played hard Saturday, but fell short against the No. 14 team in the country Rowan, losing 31-10.

After a scoreless first quarter, Rowan opened the scoring on the first play of the second stanza on a three-yard touchdown run. The Profs added a 22-yard field goal on the finals play of the half to take a 10-0 lead into the intermission.

Rowan found the end zone again on its first possession of the second half with a 16-play, 73-yard drive capped off by a one-yard run. The Bengals got their first points of the day late in the third quarter on a 43-yard field goal by Ken Ciolek (Limestone/Bradford Area) to make the score 17-3.

Rowan extended its lead to 31-3 with a pair of fourth quarter scores, before Buffalo State crossed the goal line for the only time of the day with just 15 seconds to play when Mike Mikolaichik (Hilton/Hilton) found HT Williams (Syracuse/Christian Brothers) for a 34-yard touchdown strike.

Mikolaichik was 20-for-39 for 185 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Curtis Hathcock (Buffalo/Bennett) carried the ball 27 times for 97 yards and Williams had five catches for 60 yards. Nick Columbo (Sanborn/Starpoint) led the defense with nine tackles, Michael Holbok (Buffalo/St. Joe's) recorded two sacks, and Brendan Thompson (Buffalo/Seneca) had an interception.

Buffalo State fell to 1-5 on the season and will have a week off before traveling to Montclair State on October 25.

CROSS COUNTRY – Cross Country Runs at Hamilton Invitational

Buffalo State's cross country teams competed at the Hamilton Invitational Saturday, with the men placing 8th of 15 teams with 233 points and the women finishing 7th of 15 with 207.

AJ Walsh (Hamburg/Frontier) paced the Bengals on the men's side, finishing fourth of 143 runners with a time of 27:06. Jennifer Vacanti (Niagara Falls/Niagara Wheatfield) led the women's team with a 25th place finish in the 141-runner field.

VOLLEYBALL (11-17/0-4) – Bengals Need Five Games to Win Twice

Buffalo State had not played a five-game match all season, but needed two of them Saturday to defeat Medaille and Pitt-Bradford.

Buffalo State opened the day with a win over Medaille by scores of 25-30, 23-30, 30-26, 30-24 and 15-8. Krista Wierzbicki (Cheektowaga/Maryvale) led the Bengals with 62 assists. Vicky Manos (Cheektowaga/Cheektowaga) recorded 22 kills and 12 digs, and Sam Damstetter (W. Seneca/W. Seneca East) had 20 kills and 13 digs.

In the days second match, Buffalo State edged Pitt-Bradford 30-22, 15-30, 27-30, 30-26 and 17-15. Damstetter was solid again, recording 13 kills and 12 digs, and Keri Bumgardner (Babylon/West Babylon) had 12 kills, five blocks and four aces.

Buffalo State is now 11-17 on the season.

WOMEN’S SOCCER (6-6-1/3-4) – Bengals Split SUNYAC Twin Bill

Buffalo State split a pair of SUNYAC games this week.

Plattsburgh defeated Buffalo State 8-0 today at North Country. The Cardinals scored five goals in the first half on 15 shots, and added three more tallies in the second stanza on 10 shots. Buffalo State managed just one shot on the opposing goal.

Sophomore Gina Monaco (Niagara Falls/Niagara Falls) became Buffalo State's all-time leading goal scorer as the Bengals earned a 7-2 victory today at Potsdam. The Bengals opened the scoring at 11:22 when Gina Monaco (Niagara Falls/Niagara Falls) scored the first of four goals on the day. After Potsdam knotted the score at 1-1, Buffalo State reclaimed the lead with a pair of goals just over two minutes apart late in the first half by Christina Semertzides (Wappinger Falls/Roy C. Ketchum) and Claire Movalli (Lancaster/Lancaster). Potsdam scored first in the second frame to close the deficit to 3-2, but the Bengals poured it on from there with goals by Semertzides, Lucy Bauda (W. Seneca/Orchard Park) and two more off the foot of Monaco.

Monaco now has 35 career goals in just her second season at Buffalo State, surpassing the previous record of 34 by Valerie Krell (1983-87) and Lori Galipeau (1994-97).

Buffalo State leveled its record at 6-6-1 overall and improved to 3-4 in SUNYAC play.