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Sports Recap
Football
The UB football team opens the 2003 season with a pair of road contests as play opens Saturday against Big East member Rutgers, who UB defeated 34-11 last season. Game time is 7:00 pm and can be heard on WGR-550 and on the Web at UB's athletic site http://www.buffalobulls.com with Kevin Sylvester calling the action.
The Bulls also will play a six-game home schedule starting on Sept. 13 when they host cross-state rival Colgate.
Volleyball
WOMEN'S
UB, along with Niagara University and Canisius College, will host the Western New York Tournament on Friday and Saturday. Twelve teams will converge on the three campuses to open the volleyball season. The action at Alumni Arena will include four matches on both days. Head coach Sally Kus' squad will begin the season with a 3 p.m. match against Atlantic Coast Conference member North Carolina State. The Bulls also will play the nightcapper against Siena. On Saturday, the Bulls will take on Boston College at 1 p.m. and in-state rival Syracuse at 7 p.m.
Soccer
MEN'S
Head coach John Astudillo's Bulls travel to Pittsburgh to open the 2003
season with a pair of matches at the Duquesne Tournament. UB will face the host Dukes in the opening match on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Bulls take to the turf again on Saturday to face Temple at noon. UB's home opener is Sept. 5, when they host the UB Fall Classic. The Bulls will meet Central Connecticut State in the opening round at 7 p.m.
WOMEN'S
The UB women's soccer team will travel to Minneapolis to participate in the Theadora Cup Tournament, hosted by the University of Minnesota. Coach Jean Tassy's Bulls will play the host Golden Gophers at 7 p.m. in Friday's opener. On Sunday, the Bulls meet the Creighton Bluejays at 11 a.m. in the second round. The home opener for the Bulls will be Sept. 3 against Niagara starting at 7 p.m.
Crew
Wieler elevated to head coach
UB Interim Athletics Director Bill Maher has announced the hiring of Rudy Wieler as head coach of the Bulls' crew program. Wieler has an extensive wealth of coaching experience at both the scholastic and national levels during his 35-year coaching career, including the past two seasons spent at Buffalo coaching the Bulls' varsity rowers.
"Rudy's professional background in women's crew is outstanding, and he has been instrumental in the competitive improvement that our student-athletes have enjoyed," said Maher. "I am confident that his coaching experience and understanding of our program will allow him to assume this important leadership role and continue to positively effect the growth of our women's crew program."
At Buffalo, Wieler has coached the varsity squads to impressive finishes in both regional and national events. During the 2002-03 season, Buffalo's varsity eight boats took first place at the Head of the Ohio, second place at the New York State Championships, third place at the Frostbite Regatta, fourth place at the Metro Cup and first and second place in the petite finals of the Knecht Cup, while the varsity four boats placed third at the Metro Cup and fourth at the Stonehurst Regatta. In his first season in 2001-02, Wieler guided UB's varsity eight to a bronze medal and the varsity four to a fourth-place finish at the New York State Championships. Buffalo's varsity eight entry also took first place at the SUNY Championships, while the varsity four placed third overall.
A native of St. Catharines, Ontario, Wieler has world-class coaching experience highlighted by guiding 14 crews to international competition finals. He served as head coach of the Canadian National Women's team from 1980 to 1984. Wieler's Canadian women's four squad captured a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Internationally, his rowers also won a gold and three bronze medals at the World Championships and a gold in the Commonwealth Games. He has also been a two-time coach of the Ontario squad at the Canada Games, in 1997 and 2001. At the 2001 games, his 12 crews won seven gold and five silver medals. In 1979, Wieler was honored with the Air Canada Award as Canadian Coach of the Year among all sports.
Prior to coming to UB, Wieler also coached at several Canadian high schools for 31 years. Under his command, his teams medalled in each year of his tenure, and 15 of his squads captured the overall points championships. More than 60 of his high school rowers received athletic scholarships in the United States. Wieler also has collegiate coaching experience in the United States, serving as freshman coach at Pennsylvania from 1975 to 1976.
A 1967 graduate of Western Ontario and 1991 master's degree recipient from Brock, Wieler is a fully-certified Level III coach in Canada. He replaces Meg Barnes, UB's head coach for the past four seasons, who decided to leave the coaching ranks at the conclusion of the 2002-03 school year to pursue other interests.
"After an extensive coaching career, I feel honored to accept this position, which in a sense completes the portfolio of so many opportunities I have had as a head coach in the sport of rowing," said Wieler. "UB is on the threshold of greatness, and I relish the challenge of fulfilling the aspirations and dreams of the scholar-athletes who are attending UB and who will chose to attend UB as we move into the future."