Niagara Gazette

October 16, 2009

COLLEGE ROUNDUP (Oct. 16): UB hoops schedule released

Staff Reports

Hours before the first official practice of the 2009-10 season, the University at Buffalo men’s basketball team finally revealed its non-conference schedule.

The Bulls’ most challenging game is a Dec. 5 trip to Purdue, expected to be one of the top teams in the Big Ten

The delay was due to the fact that the Bulls were having trouble finding home games. Near wins over Pittsburgh and Connecticut in recent years, when both teams were ranked No. 2 in the country, put Alumni Arena in the same category as Niagara’s Gallagher Center — a place good teams avoid.

As recently as last week, the only Vermont and Canisius had committed to play at UB. Both teams were bound to return games from last season at their place.

The Bulls were able to add two more home games, against underwhelming competition. Army will visit Alumni Arena on Dec. 3, and UB’s final non-conference home game will be Dec. 12, against Division III Buffalo State. The Bulls beat the Bengals 113-48 in a 2007 exhibition.

After hosting another D-III team, Daemen, in an exhibition Nov. 7, the Bulls will welcome Vermont to Alumni Arena for the Nov. 15 season opener.

The home game against Canisius will be Nov. 24.

UB will also play at Navy (Nov. 19), Towson (Nov. 21), Niagara (Dec. 9), Wisconsin-Green Bay (Dec. 22), and at the UCF Holiday Classic in Orlando (Dec. 29-30) against Jacksonvile, and either Central Florida or Liberty.

MAC play beings Jan. 9 at home against Miami. UB also hosts Akron (Jan. 17), Ball State (Jan. 28), Western Michigan (Feb. 1), Eastern Michigan (Feb. 10), Kent State (Feb. 13), Bowling Green (Feb. 17), and Ohio (Feb. 27).

The home game against Kent State will be shown on ESPNU.

UB’s conference schedule includes trips to Bowling Green (Jan. 14), Kent State (Jan. 20), Ohio (Jan. 23), Northern Illinois (Jan. 30), Central Michigan (Feb. 4), Toledo (Feb. 6), Akron (Feb. 24), and Miami (March 4).

The Bulls will also play their Feb. 20 BracketBuster game on the road against an opponent to be determined later.

• The Bulls reportedly got a verbal commitment this week from Trevis Simpson, a 6-foot-4 guard from Coffee High School in Douglas, Ga.

Men’s Soccer

Loyola 4, Niagara 0

The Greyhounds (5-6-1, 2-0-0), preseason favorites in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, scored four times in the final 16 minutes of the first half to hand Niagara (4-7-1, 2-1-0) its first conference loss. The Purple Eagles play at Rider on Sunday.

Women’s Soccer

Siena 2, Niagara 0

Ashleigh Barone scored both goals for Siena (11-3-0, 5-2-0 MAAC). Niagara (7-7-1, 3-3-0) plays at Marist Sunday.

“We played very well for the first 60 minutes of the game,” Purple Eagles coach Peter Veltri said. “We just couldn’t sustain our level of play for the last 30 minutes. We need to do a better job of focusing, in order to play a complete game.”

Toledo 3, UB 1

Amy Coron made 13 saves in the loss, giving her 419 in her career, a UB record.

Women’s Volleyball

NU goes for six straight

After tying a school record for MAAC victories with a 3-1 win at Canisius on Thursday, the Purple Eagles (14-6, 7-2 MAAC) get their first chance to avenge a conference loss when Saint Peter’s visits the Gallagher Center at 2 p.m. today.

Niagara lost 3-0 in Jersey City, N.J. on Sept. 6, but has won five straight since.

The Purple Eagles also face Manhattan at 1 p.m. Sunday.