Busy Weekend for the Bengals
Busy weekend for the Bengals!
On a road trip through New York and Ohio for our Men’s Soccer team, and after a delayed start due to heavy rain, UMFK was down to Mercer County College, ranked 4th in the NJCAA, at the half, 1-3. In the 70th minute, UMFK went down a player when Miguel Barnaby got a red card. Playing with 10 men, UMFK was able to equalize and tie the game 3-3 at the end of regulation time but ended up losing in overtime, 3-4. Travar McColloh and Shawn Genus (2) scored for the Bengals.
In a back-and-forth affair in the second game against Suffolk Selden College, neither team scored until the second half when Shawn Genus put the Bengals on the board in the 58th minute. Suffolk responded with a goal of their own two minutes later. Travar McCulloh put the Bengals ahead in the 72nd minute, but once again, Suffolk responded to tie the game only a few minutes later. After two overtimes, the score remained the same and the game ended in a tie.
In the final game of the road trip against the University of Northwestern Ohio, the 25th ranked team in the NAIA, the Bengals got down early 0-1 on a beautiful header by UNOH. However, just before halftime, Rodney Witter found Dwayne Powell on a cross to tie the match at 1. UNOH scored a goal early in the second half to put them ahead, as the Bengals could never respond and eventually lost 2-1. UMFK Men’s Soccer team record now stands at 4 wins, 3 losses, and 2 ties.
In Women’s Soccer action, the lady Bengals showed tremendous toughness and grit on their three-game swing through Georgia and Alabama. In the first game against Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, the Bengals jumped all over them and dominated from start to finish, beating Oakwood 14-0. Tolu Oyeniyi, Hope Shea, and Veronica Paz all had hat tricks, as Mili Alvarez, Maddie Doucette, and Jordan Maxwell also scored for the Bengals.
In the second match of the trip, the Bengals took on Shorter University in Rome, Georgia. Shorter took the lead early, 1-0, but UMFK responded in the 30th minute with a goal from Veronica Paz to go into the half tied at 1. Early in the second half, the Bengals caught an incredible break when Hope Shea was viciously fouled in the penalty box by a Shorter defender. Veronica Paz took the Penalty kick for the Bengals and sent it in, putting the Bengals ahead by 1. The Bengals held on throughout the second half with incredible defense and a number of miraculous saves by goalkeeper Alyse Kline.
In the final match of the trip, the Bengals faced Dalton State University. On the hottest day of the road trip, playing on a turf field, the lady Bengals showed a ton of heart in the face of much adversity. After a shaky first half, the Bengals escaped by only being down 1. In the second half, Hope Shea drove one home for the Bengals in the 60th minute, and twenty minutes later, Tolu Oyeniyi found Veronica Paz streaking down the field who chipped the ball right over the outstretched hands of the Dalton State goalkeeper in an amazing display of skill. However, Dalton responded only a few minutes later to equalize the game and send it to overtime. Battling the heat and running on fumes after the third game in three days, the Bengals stretched the game out to a second over time. With ten seconds remaining, Tolu Oyeniyi found herself open for a breakaway and fired a shot off as time expired; unfortunately for the Bengals, it bounced off the crossbar and out. The Bengals and the Dalton State Roadrunners tied at 2. Their record now sits at 2-0-1.
At home in the Jungle on Saturday the 15th of September, our Women’s Volleyball team defeated visiting Fisher College from Massachusetts in straight sets in both matches. In the first match (25-12, 29-27, 25-18), the Bengals only struggled in the second set as they had to outlast the Falcons to win by two despite two set points for the Falcons. In the second match (25-12, 25-10, 25-14), UMFK smothered their opponent to sweep the day. Rachel Nance and Ashlyn Ferreria lead the way for the Bengals. Ferreria, at the setter position, continuously set up Nance for kills that the Falcon defense just could not handle. The UMFK Women’s Volleyball team now moves to 6-3.
Make sure you take time to take part in our Homecoming Weekend Games on Friday Women’s Soccer vs. Unity College at 2:00 pm, Men’s Soccer at 4:00 pm, both at Alumni Field at the Sports Center and Women’s Volleyball vs. Unity College at 5:00 & 6:30 pm at the Sports Center.