University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: November 13, 2003

Football

Northern Illinois 40, UB 9

UB found out how tight the margin for error is against a Top 25 team. A few crucial turnovers and too many big plays by No. 23 Northern Illinois spelled the difference in a closer-than-the-final score appears, 40-9, win by the Huskies on Saturday in UB Stadium.

The two teams played a spirited first two quarters, with the Bulls seemingly ready to cut into a 17-9 NIU lead when freshman tailback Jared Patterson fumbled inside the Huskies' five-yard line with 6:26 to go in the first half. The Huskies, having regained the momentum, went on to score the final 14 points of the half.

Although the Bulls had reeled off 12 first downs in the first half, they were shut down by NIU in the second half, managing just five first downs as the physical Huskies wore down the Bills and took the victory

With the loss, the Bulls fell to 1-10 and 1-6 in conference play.

The Bulls have a bye week this Saturday. The season will conclude on Nov. 22 when they travel to Kent State.

Volleyball

Ohio 3, UB 0
Kent State 3, UB 1

UB didn't fare any better than any other MAC team this season against the visiting Ohio Bobcats. The Bobcats earned a 30-27, 30-17, 30-24 win over the Bulls on Friday to remain undefeated in league play and stretch their overall winning streak to 21 matches. With the win, Ohio clinched the MAC's regular season championship title.

The Bulls were led by freshman Nikki Morzenti with 14 kills and eight digs and senior Lindsay Matikosh with 10 kills and 11 digs.

The Bulls chipped away at an early six-point deficit, 9-3, in game one to tie the score at 20-20 on a kill by Morzenti and take a 21-20 lead on a kill by junior Molly Schrantz. The teams then went back and forth until Ohio broke a 27-27 tie with two straight kills and a block that ended the game at 30-27. The Bobcats easily won game two, 30-17, but the Bulls rebounded in game three and played Ohio to ties at 10-10, 13-13 and 18-18. The Bobcats broke things open late and got out to a four-point lead, 26-22, en route to the 30-24 win to end the match.

On Sunday, the Bulls dropped a four-game match at Kent State to fall to 10-18 overall and 4-10 in the MAC. Game scores were 16-30, 32-30, 30-25 and 30-16. The Bulls were led by Matikosh with 14 kills and 11 digs. Schrantz added 13 kills and 12 digs, and Katie Weekley posted double digits in kills with 11, while also recording four blocks. Freshman Lauren Burd tied her career highs with seven kills and three digs and also added three blocks. Sophomore setter Amy Brown finished with 47 assists, seven digs and three blocks.

The Bulls have two regular season matches remaining before the start of the MAC Tournament. UB will travel to Marshall tomorrow and Ohio on Saturday.

Soccer

MEN'S

Akron 2, UB 0 (MAC Tournament)

UB's season came to an end on Friday with a 2-0 loss to the Akron Zips in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals

Alex Odwell put Akron ahead in the game's ninth minute, scoring from 10 yards out. UB's Dave Pidgeon, who led the Bulls with four shots on the afternoon, nearly tied the game midway through the first half, but his shot hit the goalpost.

Akron sealed its victory when Amico DiFranco scored with nine minutes remaining in the contest.

UB recorded eight shots—none of which were shots on goal—while Akron finished with 10. Goalkeeper Chris Vavrina made four saves for the Bulls.

UB finished the season with an overall mark of 1-12-3, with the lone win coming against Central Connecticut State in early September.

WOMEN'S

Western Michigan 3, UB 0 (MAC Tournament)

The sixth-seeded Bulls dropped a 3-0 decision to third-seeded Western Michigan in the quarterfinals of the MAC playoffs on Nov. 4 in Kalamazoo, Mich.

UB faced one of the hottest teams in the conference as the Broncos had won their final six games of the regular season heading into the playoffs. The Bulls, however, were on a bit of a roll themselves, having won six of the final eight games of the regular season.

Jessica Pattison scored Western Michigan's first goal in the fifth minute to set an early tone. Chelsea McNally scored the game's second goal in the 57th minute to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead. Pattison scored again in the 77th minute for the game's final goal.

Despite losing the game, the Bulls managed to outshoot Western Michigan, 10-8. However, they were unable to get the ball past Bronco goalkeeper Kate Perz, who made six saves to earn the shutout. Natalia Crofut, Jenny Dannecker, Emily Russell and Lauren West each tallied two shots for UB. Anna-Lesa Calvert made three saves for UB.

UB finished the season with an 11-8-1 record, marking the fourth time in its six seasons in the MAC that the Bulls have reached double figures in the victory column. The Bulls have qualified for the MAC playoffs every year that they have been a member of the MAC. It is the third-straight year that the Bulls have lost in the quarterfinals of the MAC playoffs.

Later in the week, seniors Devon and Emily Russell, and junior Brenna McJury were named to the All-MAC First Team. UB was the only school in the conference to have more than one player selected to the All-MAC First Team.

This marks the third-straight year that Devon Russell has earned All-MAC honors. The senior defender was named to the first team in 2001 and to the second team in 2002. This season, Russell started all 20 games and registered two goals and two assists. She was named the MAC Player of the Week and Scholar Athlete of the Week on Sept. 3.

Emily Russell had a stellar offensive campaign for the Bulls. The senior forward led UB in goals (15) and points (34). Her 15 goals in 2003 were the second most tallied in a season in UB history. Twice this season, she scored three or more goals in a game. She was named the MAC Player of the Week on Sept. 8. This is her first conference postseason honor.

McJury is a speedy defender who solidified a UB defense that allowed one or fewer goals in 12 games in 2003. She started 19 games and recorded one assist on the season. She is also a first-time honoree by the MAC.

Swimming

MEN'S

UB 124, Ohio 119

UB evened its 2003-04 record to 1-1 on Saturday afternoon with a 124-119 victory over host Ohio University. The Bulls are also 1-1 in Mid-American Conference meets this season.

Junior Mark Sy led the Bulls to the victory by winning three events as UB took eight of the 13 contested events. Sy opened the meet by easily winning the 1,000 freestyle in 9:36.28, cutting six seconds off last week's winning time against Miami. He finished 14 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Jonathan Palmer of Ohio. Sy then took the 200 butterfly in 1:55.38 and finished the day with a victory in the 500 freestyle in 4:42.11, the fastest mark by a Bull in the event this season.

Sophomore Jeff Hurst won two individual events and added a relay victory for the Bulls. Hurst won the 200 individual medley in 1:56.54 and then led UB to the top four spots in the 200 backstroke, finishing in 1:55.97. Luke Adams, Kurt Bessel and James Wood finished the sweep for the Bulls in the race. Hurst also teamed with Aviv Oren, Kevin Gatley and Jon Yarger to win the opening event of the meet, the 400 medley relay in 3:32.09.

Oren won the sprint race, the 50 freestyle, in a season-best 21.94, just touching out Ohio's Donald Jupp (21.96) and Jan Wuttig (21.98) to claim the victory for the Bulls. Diver Patrick Lee took the one-meter competition with 263.93 points, a season-high, to hold off Ohio's Adam Thome who placed second at 262.58 points.

The Bulls next will be in action at the Purdue Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind. The three-day meet starts on Nov. 21.

WOMEN'S

UB 188, Marshall 110
Ohio 122, UB 121

A roller coaster weekend the Bulls establish five pool records in a 188-110 victory at Marshall on Friday and then drop a heartbreaking, 122-121, decision to Ohio the following afternoon after rallying to win the final four events.

Against Marshall, UB (3-2 overall, 2-2 MAC) picked up three victories from senior Abby Delia as the Bulls took nine of the 16 events, including five of the final six. Delia won both backstroke events, taking the 100-yard event in 59.83, while winning the 200-yarder in 2:13.79. She also captured the 200 individual medley in 2:13.79. Each of her times established new pool records for the Marshall facility. The Bulls took the top three spots in the backstroke races with freshman Catherine Rowan and senior Heather Rochette placing behind Delia.

Junior Jennefer Brankovsky, the 2003 MAC Swimmer of the Year, won the 500 freestyle in 5:07.02, breaking the pool record. She also placed second in the 200 freestyle in 1:53.52 behind First-team All-MAC swimmer Milla Kuurto (1:52.05) of Marshall.

UB divers Ashlee Burton and Tracy Hoover swept the one- and three-meter competitions. Burton won the one-meter event with a total score of 227.92 points to edge out Hoover, who placed second with 227.77 points. Hoover won on the three-meter board with a season-best 240.07 points while Burton took second at 218.02 points.

A furious rally against Ohio came up one point short as the Bulls concluded the weekend roadtrip.

Heading into the 10th event of the 13-event meet, the Bulls trailed the Bobcats by a 102-67 score. The Bulls began the comeback with Brankovsky winning her second race of the afternoon, the 500 freestyle, in 5:05.52, touching out Ohio's Heather Rennebohm by a quarter-second. Brankovsky had earlier won the 200 individual medley in 2:07.76.

The Bulls then took the top three spots in the three-meter diving competition to narrow the margin 114-93. Kim LaHaye won the event with a total score of 243.68 points. Hoover took second at 235.65 points and Burton was third at 224.80 points. Hoover had earlier won the one-meter diving with a season-best mark of 254.10 points with Burton taking second at 251.63, also a season-best.

UB then scored a first-, second- and fourth-place showing in the 200 breaststroke to outscore the Bobcats 15-4 in the event and narrow the overall gap to 118-108. Freshman Danielle Gervais touched the wall first in a season-best 2:24.46 with Julie Marcotte finishing second in 2:27.45 and freshman Stefanie Nochisaki taking fourth in 2:31.49, another season-best time.

The Bulls grabbed the top spot in the final event, the 200 freestyle relay, in 1:40.16, just touching out Ohio's foursome in 1:40.44. The winning UB foursome included Olga Wojcik, Jolie Pun, Bethany Miller and Frances Stephenson. Ohio's foursome placed second to score four points and prevent the UB "B" entry, which placed third in 1:44.02, to fully make up the difference.

Basketball

WOMEN'S

NWBL 90, UB 74 (exhibition)

UB had its first taste of game action on Nov. 5, hosting the NWBL's Northeast squad in an exhibition game in Alumni Arena as part of the National Women's Basketball League 2003 Elite College Tour. Senior Jessica Kochendorfer led the Bulls with 18 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore Brooke Meunier turned in a solid performance with 16 points and five rebounds. But the Bulls struggled with turnovers and NWBL shot close to 50 percent from the field to take a 90-74 win.

NWBL jumped out to a nine-point lead, 13-4, to open the game, but the Bulls put together an 18-10 run over the next six minutes to get within one, 23-22, with 8:02 left in the first half. The run began with back-to-back three-pointers by freshman Kelly Calderone, and Meunier accounted for six of the 18 points, all made from the foul line. NWBL extended its lead to as many as eight points following the run before UB was able to cut the lead to three, 45-42, at the half on a buzzer-beating, three-pointer by sophomore Hollie Cook.

UB got within one again, 55-54, six and a half minutes into the second half following a jumper by Meunier, but NWBL went on a 12-1 run to increase its lead to double digits, and the Bulls never got closer than 10 points after that. NWBL led by as many as 20 points, 86-66 and 88-68, before settling for the 16-point victory.

The Bulls' 2003-04 season opener is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 21 in Alumni Arena against local rival Canisius College. The game is a men's and women's doubleheader, with the UB men's team taking on the Golden Griffins following the women's game.

Crew

Two winners at Frostbite Regatta

For once, the Frostbite Regatta on Philadelphia's Schuykill River lived up to its name, as chilly and windy conditions throughout the day made for some exaggerated race times in some events. But several UB teams did pick up victories.

UB had two teams, the novice four and varsity four, win their individual heats and finish first overall among all entries. Each event had at least two—and some as many as five—heats, with four to six entries per heat. All heats were then combined to determine the overall winners.

In the novice four race, UB's "A" entry finished first in 6:38.3, while the "B" boat took ninth among the 21 crews entered with a time of 8:10.2. Both boats won their individual heats.

The varsity four races turned out to be UB cakewalks, as the Bulls won each of the four heats, with the "A" entry taking first overall in 7:12.0. The "C" entry finished fourth overall (7:25.4), while the "B" boat was fifth (7:34.3) and the "D" boat took sixth (7:39.8).