Buffalo Edges Akron, 3-2

Thursday, April 8

Buffalo, N.Y.

7:00 PM

University of Akron

2-5-1, 2-5-1

Buffalo

5-1-1, 5-1-1

Akron

Buffalo

April 08 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

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BOXSCORE (PDF)

BUFFALO, N.Y. - A short-handed University of Akron women's soccer team battled one of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference down to the wire before Buffalo (5-1-1, 5-1-1 MAC) escaped with a 3-2 triumph over the Zips (2-5-1, 2-5-1 MAC) on Thursday, April 8 at UB Stadium.

"I'm very proud of the team and the effort they gave today," Akron head coach Noreen Herlihy commented. "Losing how we did was tough, but the players have showed a lot of character, especially when we had so many players out. Now we get ready to play Sunday."

The Bulls edged the Zips on the evening in shots, 19-6, with all six of Akron's attempts falling on frame. Freshman Annabel Thomas (Canonsburg, Pa.) led the Zips with a team-high two shots, while sophomore Lucia Lobato (Taylors Hills, Ireland), junior Carly Pcholinsky (South Park, Pa.), senior Ryley Watt (Irwin, Pa.) and junior Sydney Worthy (Groveport, Ohio) each recorded one shot apiece, all on goal. Marcy Barberic paced the offensive efforts for Buffalo with a game-high eight shots.

For the second consecutive contest, sophomore GK Vanessa Berlin (Gau-Oderheim, Germany) registered a career-best eight saves. Emily Kelly notched four stops for the Bulls.

Barberic gave Buffalo the early lead finding the back of the net with her seventh goal of the season at the 21:10 mark off assists from Hannah Callaghan and Leah Wengender.

The Zips netted the equalizer in the 35th minute (34:12) when Lobato headed home a ball off a corner kick from freshman Sarah Nguyen (Irwin, Pa.).

The two sides entered the intermission all square at one.

The Bulls regained the lead, 2-1, at the 61:49 mark on a goal from Kaitlyn Walsh with assists to Wengender and Callaghan.

Akron was whistled for a foul in the box in the 80th minute (79:45) that resulted in a successful penalty kick by Barberic.

Thomas cut the deficit to 3-2 at the 83:06 connecting on her first career goal. Adding assists on the tally were senior Annamarie Alfery (Cheswick, Pa.) and redshirt junior Charley Kale (Sylvania, Ohio).

Akron returns to action traveling to Oxford, Ohio, to battle Miami in a 1 p.m. tilt on Sunday, April 11 in the Zips' 2021 spring finale.