Balanced Offensive Attack Powers Bulls to 6-2 Win Over Niagara

Sunday, August 22

Buffalo, NY

7:00 PM

1-1-0, 0-0-0

Niagara

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Niagara

Buffalo

Balanced Offensive Attack Powers Bulls to 6-2 Win Over Niagara

8/22/2021 10:27:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

BUFFALO, NY – Fans were back in the stands at UB Stadium and the University at Buffalo women's soccer team put on a show as they dominated from start to finish in a 6-2 win over Niagara in front of a packed house on Sunday night.

The six team goals scored by Buffalo are the most scored in a game in nearly 20 years as UB last matched that total in a 6-1 win over Akron on September 18, 2001, also at UB Stadium.

The Bulls struck first in the 16^th minutes as the Purple Eagles committed a foul in the box and reining MAC Offensive Player of the Year Marcy Barberic converted the penalty kick for UB's first goal of the season to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead.

Buffalo would add to their lead two minutes later as Abbey Callaghan took the free kick and played a perfect ball into the top right corner of the net from 35 yards out to put UB up 2-0.
The Bulls would continue to pile on in the 32^nd minute as Barberic played a ball through to Olivia Bizzoni and she found Arianna Zumpano who knocked it home for her first career goal to give Buffalo a 3-0 lead and UB would add another less than a minute later as Zumpano found Katherine Camper in the middle of the box and she slipped the ball past Clara Bornet to give the Bulls a 4-0 lead at the half.

Buffalo would be on the attack once again to start the second half as MAC Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Callaghan continued to do what she does best, playing a beautiful ball up ahead to a streaking Barberic who pounded a shot into the bottom left corner of the net to give the Bulls a 5-2 lead.

Niagara got on the board with a pair of goals in the 52^nd and 64^th minutes to cut the lead to three but UB found an answer as Leah Wengender took a corner kick and bent one into the top corner past a diving Bornet to give the Bulls a 6-2 lead and that would be all they would need to secure the victory.

Senior Emily Kelly picked up her first win of the season, finishing the day with three saves, while Bornet had four stops. Zumpano, after recording her first career goal and assist, was named Player of the Game by the UB coaches.

"Really pleased with six goals and especially a 4-0 halftime lead," said head coach Shawn Burke. "Once we saw that first goal go in we were assertive and I'm really proud of that effort. Wish we would have had that same assertiveness for the full 45 minutes in the second half but we were able to add two more and win the game and we will take it this early in the season."

Buffalo returns to action on Friday, August 27 as they travel to New Haven, CT to take on Yale at 4pm.