In Stu Riddle’s first season as men’s soccer head coach in 2013, the Bulls had just five upperclassmen on the roster. The Bulls finished 3-11-4 and missed the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
The team is still relatively inexperienced, with only six upperclassmen now, but Riddle is having better results with a young team this time around.
With two regular season games remaining, the Bulls (5-8-2, 1-0-2 MAC) are in the midst of their best stretch under Riddle, going 3-1-2 in their last six games.
“It’s been a tough transition period, but I’m starting to see they can handle the pressure,” Riddle said. “They’re only going to get stronger moving forward.”
After winning back-to-back games for the first time under Riddle last week, Buffalo is currently in third place in the MAC and in good position to make the conference tournament for the first time since 2011. Buffalo is one point behind second-place Akron (8-5-1, 2-1 MAC) and two points behind first-place Western Michigan (8-4-3, 2-0-1 MAC). Four of the six teams in the conference make the tournament.
Riddle emphasized defense during the team’s nine-day break between games from Oct. 1 to Oct. 10. Buffalo has allowed 22 goals through its first nine games, the most of any team in the MAC this season, and wanted to use the extended break to “fine-tune” a defense that starts four freshmen and two sophomores.
Senior goalkeeper Waleed Cassis has been inconsistent in goal this season, allowing 18 goals on 51 shots. But he’s allowed only three goals on 13 shots in his past four games.
The young squad has found its form as of late, as the team has outscored its opponents 9-5 the past five games.
Sophomore midfielder Russell Cicerone is one of Buffalo’s key underclassmen, and is not only having one of the best seasons in the MAC but in the entire nation. He is second in the conference and tied for eighth in the country with 10 goals.
“He’s a national threat when it comes to goal scoring,” Riddle said. “He’s only going to get better. The biggest difference between freshman and sophomore year is the experience. He has more years under his belt and will only get better.”
Cicerone led the team with six goals on 54 shots and earned MAC Freshman of the Year last season. This season, he is again leading the team in goals and shots. Cicerone has 10 of the team’s 19 goals this season. Despite a successful freshman campaign, Cicerone has focused on improving his game even more this season.
“This year, I’ve been trying to do more work off the ball, so my teammates can find me more easily,” Cicerone said. “I’ve been trying to put more shots on target. A lot can happen if you target shots and some of them have worked out for me.”
Cicerone earned MAC Player of the Week award after scoring four goals and recording two assists during Buffalo’s current two-game winning streak.
Cicerone said he knows he cannot score without his teammates. Cicerone said himself, senior midfielder Hanson and sophomore defender Daniel Cramarossa have created a system to get Cicerone open and give him the ball as often as possible.
Hanson is second on the team with two goals and is tied for the team-lead with four assists. Sophomore midfielder Sean Young, who transferred from University of North Florida, started 10 games on the front line with Cicerone. He scored his only goal of the season Oct. 18 in a 1-1 tie against Bowling Green.
Sophomore midfielder Nicolai Berry is tied for the team lead with four assists. He also has one goal on the season.
The Bulls can mathematically win the conference but can also still be eliminated from tournament contention as well. If the Bulls win or tie one of their final two games, they will automatically clinch a berth in the conference tournament.
If Buffalo loses out, there is a possibility the team will be one of the two MAC teams to not make the tournament. The Bulls have missed the tournament each of their last two seasons. Riddle is confident that things will be different this year.
“I think we’re ready this time around,” Riddle said. “If we get there, anything can happen and all of the players are aware of that. It would be a nice reward for the effort the lads have put in this season if we can squeeze into that top four.”
The team seems to be coming into form at the right time, but Riddle knows his squad still has a lot of work to do before the season concludes.
“We’re going to focus heavily on the [upcoming] opponents in order for the players to understand exactly what we’re going to get into,” Riddle said. “There are obviously parts of our game that we need to improve on and we’ll be working on those little parts that we will need come tournament time.”
Senior defender Vinny DiVirgilio is the only remaining player from Buffalo’s 2011 MAC Tournament appearance.
“It’s what any soccer player dreams of; to play in and win a Division I tournament,” Cicerone said. “I can’t get overconfident. I just have to keep my head down and try as hard as I possibly can to get victories for the team. If I can help my team do it, that will mean the world to me.”
The Bulls travel to West Virginia (8-6-1, 1-1-1 MAC) Saturday. Buffalo then closes out the regular season Saturday, Oct. 8 at Akron (8-5-1, 2-1 MAC). Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
If the Bulls advance to the MAC Tournament, they will play their first game on Friday, Nov. 14.
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Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
