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Women's Soccer Opens Regular Season At Penn State Invitational; Plays Hofstra & #6 West Virginia
8/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's soccer team will open up their regular season on Friday evening at 5:00 pm as they will play in the opening match of the Penn State Invitational at Jeffrey Field against the Hofstra Pride. The Bulls will then take on #6 West Virginia in their second match of the weekend on Sunday at noon.
The two-time defending regular season Mid-American Conference East division champions return seven starters from a season ago in which the Bulls advanced to the MAC semifinal match before falling 1-0 to Western Michigan. Buffalo collected an 11-7-3 overall record and a 7-3-1 conference mark while being nearly unbeatable at UB Stadium, owning a 6-1-2 mark on their home turf.
The Bulls return a pair of second team All-MAC players from a season ago in junior Julia Benati and senior Celina Carrero. Benati was magical as a sophomore for Buffalo as she finished the season starting all 21 matches while earning six goals and three assists for 15 points. She also netted a team-best five game-winning tallies. Carrero and her superb playmaking abilities returns up top for the Bulls after collected three goals and a team-high six assists a season ago. UB also returns one of the most decorated goalkeepers in program history, Laura Dougall. Dougall posted an 11-7-3 record and a 0.78 goals-against average as a sophomore and is currently tied for the program lead with 21 cleansheets.
Hofstra is coming off of a very successful campaign in 2015 that saw them earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament and they advanced to the second round. The Pride received some votes in the 2016 NSCAA preseason National Rankings as well.
The Pride will be looking to post its 10th straight double-digit win campaign after finishing last season at 13-6-2 with a 7-1-1 record in conference. Earning a share of the regular season crown in 2015, Hofstra is predicted to finish third in the Colonial Athletic Association this season, according to the preseason coaches' poll. Seniors midfielder Jill Mulholland and defender Emily Agudelo were named to the Preseason All-CAA Team after each earned an all-conference nod at the conclusion of last season.
The Bulls and the Pride have met just once, in 1993, with Buffalo taking a 3-0 win on the road at Hofstra.
#6 West Virginia had a great run a season ago to the fourth round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Penn State. The Mountaineers finished off their impressive campaign with a 19-3-1 overall record and a 6-0-1 conference mark en route to a Big 12 Tournament championship.
Eighteen letterwinners return for 21-year coach Nikki Izzo-Brown, including four seniors: 2016 Olympians and repeat Hermann Trophy hopefuls Kadeisha Buchanan (defender) and Ashley Lawrence (midfielder), defender Carly Black and forward/midfielder Ashley Woolpert.
Buffalo and West Virginia met for the first time ever last season with the nationally-ranked Mountaineers picking up a 1-0 overtime victory on an UB own goal. Buffalo goalkeeper Laura Dougall had a huge game in the loss as she notched 10 saves in 96 minutes of action.
After the Penn State Invitational, the Bulls will return to UB Stadium on Thursday, August 25 for a home match against Big 4 foe St. Bonaventure at 7:00 pm.
