"Nobody can reach the top without the unrelenting efforts of all." - Michael Useem.
The UB men's soccer team has seen the reality of this quote over the past two weekends. The beginning of the season found the team struggling to score and defeat opponents that they should have, but all that has changed.
The team has looked to find effort and intensity from everyone. Starters, reserves, and even the freshmen have all played an intricate part in Buffalo's recent MAC conference success. The team now finds itself third in the conference with a 2-1 record.
This weekend will be the men's team's biggest test yet.
Friday night the Bulls will face the Northern Illinois Huskies and Sunday they will square off against the University of Kentucky, who were ranked as high a 17th in the nation early in September. The Wildcats have dropped out of the top 25, receiving only six votes.
The Huskies come to Buffalo looking to earn their first conference win of the season. The Huskies were beaten 2-1 by Bowling Green and were then defeated by the Akron Zips 4-2.
Kentucky enters Sunday's match having yet to play a MAC conference game. They were scheduled to play Bowling Green, but the game was postponed indefinitely due to weather. Kentucky has however, shown well in MAC polls as three of their players have earned MAC Player of the Week accolades.
The Bulls know they will have to be ready for both matches. Northern Illinois is a team that plays a fast, direct style of soccer. The Huskies look to constantly send long balls up the field in hopes the Buffalo defense will make a mistake.
Mistakes, however, are something UB's defense doesn't intend on permitting.
Buffalo's Head Coach Astudillo does not foresee the need to adjust his team's defense for the Northern Illinois game.
"Adjusting for that kind of style, I don't think is going to be necessary," believes Astudillo. "We will be much more organized playing with four fairly flat."
A flat back four defense requires players to use more of a zone defense rather than a marking system.
Senior captain Mike Peplinski trusts that the "back four are starting to come together" and this allows the team to continue to maintain its own style.
Astudillo has used practice to prepare the men for both Northern Illinois' style of play and to train for the Wildcats game.
Playing Kentucky at home will give the men an advantage, but when Buffalo plays a team that is definitely a contender for the NCAA Final Four tournament in November, one advantage will not be enough.
For Kentucky UB will have to make certain adjustments.
"Kentucky's a very fast team, they attack randomly, they go to the flank, they come into the middle, they have great buildup through the middle," says Astudillo. "It's a team for real. It's an NCAA Final Four caliber type team. You have to watch, you can't give up anything, especially through the middle. I think we're going to adjust a little bit that way."
Astudillo is looking to play three men in the central midfield position. He realizes the team will have to constantly pressure Kentucky in order to be successful.
The fact the Kentucky has not played a MAC game isn't important to the team. The Wildcats have played five teams in the top twenty prior to their conference play so a lack of preparedness is not even a consideration.
"We just have to go out ready to play knowing the kind of team that they are," says Peplinski.
The Kentucky match up will also be UB Men's Soccer's Senior game. The team's six seniors will look to make this a game to remember. This weekend will require the men's team to play their best, but more importantly, to play together with intensity.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
