Best of the Bulls

Football

MVP: Joe Licata, junior quarterback

Licata has taken steps forward in his third season despite losing his top playmakers from the year before. He has thrown for 1,509 yards and 15 touchdowns this season and is on pace to set career highs in both categories. Licata leads an offense that has scored at least 35 points in five of the team’s first six games.

Offensive Player of the Year and Surprise Star: Anthone Taylor, junior running back

Taylor was set to be a part of a three-running back committee before the season, but the junior has emerged as Buffalo’s clear lead back. He has totaled 798 yards (fifth in the nation) and nine touchdowns (tied for third in the nation) through six games. He has run for 441 yards and six touchdowns in the past two games alone and is the first player in program history to run for over 200 yards in two straight games.

Defensive Player of the Year: Adam Redden, senior safety

On a team that has struggled defensively all season, Redden has been one of the few bright spots. He plays a hybrid safety/linebacker position and often blitzes the backfield to make plays. He ranks first on the team in sacks (three) and tackles for losses (7.5) and has forced two fumbles.

Volleyball

MVP and Offensive Player of the Year: Tahleia Bishop, junior outside hitter

Bishop is a First-Team All-MAC selection and ranks first on the team in kills (257) and second in digs (164). She won tournament MVP’s in two straight weekends earlier this season – both tournaments Buffalo placed first in. The team won 12 straight sets with her, but lost all six sets last weekend without her in the lineup. That’s how important she is to the Bulls.

Defensive Player of the Year and Surprise Star: Niki Bozinoski, freshman libero

The freshman has taken over for graduated reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year Kelly Svboda at libero and has played in every set for the Bulls this season. She ranks first on the team in digs (211).

Women’s soccer

MVP: Laura Dougall, freshman goalkeeper

Dougall has been dominant to start her collegiate career. The freshman has seven shutouts in her first 10 career games. She’s saved 91.3 percent of shots faced and has a goals against average of just 0.39. With seven games remaining in the regular season, Dougall is just four shutouts away from breaking her predecessor, graduated goalkeeper Ainsley Wheldon’s record of 10 shutouts in a season.

Offensive Player of the Year: Katie Roberts, senior forward

Roberts not only leads the Bulls in goals (seven), but also leads the entire conference. She ranks first on the team in points (16) and has six goals in her past five games. She scored the game-winning goal in the Bulls’ first three conferences victories.

Defensive player of the year: Jackie Hall, junior defender

This is Hall’s first season playing defense. She missed all of 2013 because of an injury. Her inexperience with the position hasn’t limited her play, however, as the physical defender won MAC Defensive Player of the Week Sept. 8 and has been a leader on Buffalo’s dominant defense this season.

Surprise Star: Celina Carrero, sophomore forward

After not registering a point in 14 games as a freshman last season, Carrero is tied for second on the team in goals (three) and points (nine) this season.

Men’s soccer

MVP and Offensive Player of the Year: Russell Cicerone, sophomore midfielder

After breaking out as a First-Team All-MAC selection as a freshman last year, Cicerone has picked up right where he left off in his sophomore season. Cicerone led the Bulls in goals, points and shots last season, and is doing the same this season with five goals, 11 points and 24 shots through 10 games. Buffalo has won six games in Cicerone’s career thus far. He has scored the game-winning goal in five of them.

Defensive Player of the Year: David Enstrom

Enstrom has started nine games for Buffalo’s backline as a freshman. He is the only Bulls defender to score a goal this season.

Surprise Star: Abdulla Al-Kalisy, freshman midfielder

The freshman from New Zealand ranks second on the team in shots (14) and has two assists on the season. He has yet to score a goal in the regular season, but Al-Kalisy has shown off his playmaking ability this season and scored five goals in three preseason games.

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