.png&width=22&height=22&type=webp)
Women's Soccer Set To Open Up 2014 Slate Against St. Bonaventure At UB Stadium
8/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo women's soccer team will open up their 2014 campaign at UB Stadium on Friday night at 7:00 pm against Big Four foe St. Bonaventure. Tonight's game will be the Bulls first game on the newly installed turf inside UB Stadium.
The Bulls enter tonight's non-conference match with a whole new look and identity under first year head coach Shawn Burke. Following a season that saw the Bulls only score 14 goals, UB has proved so far this preseason to be more aggressive offensively as they scored five goals in their final exhibition match.
Roster Breakdown:
GOALKEEPER
With four-year starter and arguably the best goalkeeper in program history, Ainsley Wheldon, graduating, the Bulls will lean on a trio of keepers to guide them to a MAC title. Likely to start from day one, freshman Laura Dougall comes to Buffalo after a successful high school and club career in Canada. Dougall was a part of the Canadian National team's training camp last season.
Backing her up will be a pair of very strong goalkeepers who will push each and every day for a chance to start for the Bulls. Junior Sarah Moore (Orchard Park, NY) is the clear cut back up keeper who will have a chance to man the goal for the Bulls. The three-year member brings much needed experience and leadership to the UB roster. NYIT transfer Cassandra Betancourt will also provide depth to a unit that is without their leader and team captain of the past four seasons.
DEFENSE
Despite losing three of their leaders in the back four defensively from a season ago, the UB Bulls return one of the best defenders in the Mid-American Conference, Sophie Therien, for the 2014 campaign. Therien started all 18 games for the Bulls a season ago as the strong-footed senior netted a goal and a assist on the offensive end of the field.
Making the transition to defense this season will be three returning players from last year's squad. Junior Jackie Hall moves to the back end after a strong season at midfield while Angel Hart and Dana Lytle will also move to the back after spending their freshman seasons as midfielders.
Providing the Bulls with some much needed depth in the defensive third will be a pair of sophomores in Rachel Cook and Ashley Evans. The pair will look to provide depth and help the Bulls defense rank inside the top-5 in the MAC in defense again this season.
MIDFIELD
On the flip side of the defense, the midfield will return all of its starters from a year ago. The midfield position is the Bulls deepest and most experienced of all positions on the team. Leading the way is senior captain Megan Giesen who started all 18 games for UB as a junior. Giesen brings loads of experience and leadership to the position for the young squad.
Junior Kristin Markiewicz makes the transition to the midfield following back-to-back impressive seasons in the defensive third of the field. A pair of sophomores in Courtney Mann and Andrea Niper will also be relied on heavily to put pressure on the opposing defense and help in transition.
Kassidy Kidd will provide the Bulls with great depth along with loads of experience as the junior started 15 of 18 games as a sophomore for UB. Shifty newcomer Julia Benati has impressed early on for Buffalo and she will be leaned on to give a spark offensively for a Bulls team that returns 64 percent of its scoring from a season ago (nine of 14 goals). Megan Abman also will provide the Bulls with an experienced leader off the bench as she appeared in all 18 games a season ago and scored one goal.
FORWARD
The forward position will return three players for the upcoming season including leading scorer from two seasons ago, Katie Roberts. Roberts led the team in shots and shots on goal last season but was only able to find the back of the net on one occasion. With the hard work Roberts has put in this season, the common belief around the program is that she will have her best season yet for the Bulls as a senior.
Helping to take some of the pressure off Roberts in her sophomore campaign is Celina Carrero. Carrero came on late in 2013 and proved to be a very dangerous and consistent contributor off the bench for UB. Carrero appeared in 14 games and made four starts as a freshman. For the season, Carrero recorded 13 shots and her quickness led to many other scoring opportunities for her teammates.
Returning to the Bulls attack after a season away from the team, N'Dea Johnson, will look to add some needed scoring punch off the bench for UB. As a redshirt freshman, the explosive athlete recorded 14 shots on goal and recorded one assist. Her quickness should prove to be a problem for opposing defenses this upcoming season.
