BUFFALO — The University at Buffalo men’s soccer team saw a program record eight student-athletes named to the Academic All-MAC squad, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday morning. The Bulls had the third most representatives while a total of 42 MAC student-athletes earned the recognition this season.
“The expectations from within are for these types of accolades and I am elated for these terrific student-athletes,” stated head coach Stu Riddle. “Program records are there to be broken and we will continue to set the bar high and get out just rewards.”
The Bulls saw four student-athletes, Joseph Kuta, Fox Slotemaker, Steven Stryker and Braden Culver earn the recognition for the second straight season while Ryan Pereira earned the recognition for the second time in his career as he was named to the squad following his sophomore campaign.
Kuta, an economics major with a 3.936 GPA, was named to the squad for the second straight season after a terrific season between the pipes for the Bulls. The junior started all 19 matches while owning a 12-4-3 record to go along with a 0.86 goals-against average, .805 save percentage and a program record 10 clean sheets. The junior finished off the season with 70 saves as he tied Bobby Shuttleworth’s program record for shutouts in a season with 10.
Slotemaker, a business major with a 3.602 GPA, earned the recognition for the second straight campaign after another strong season on the back line for the Bulls. Slotemaker started 17 of 18 games while also racking up a career-best two assists on the year. The gritty defender helped UB allow just 17 goals against in 19 matches while helping the Bulls preserve 10 clean sheets, tying a program record for most in a season.
Stryker, a sociology major with a 3.483 GPA, appears on the squad for the second straight season after being a force off the bench for the Bulls. The Kalamazoo native finished off his senior campaign ranked second on the team with four assists and 13 shots. Appearing in all 19 matches, Stryker earned a career-high six starts this season.
Culver, a business major with a 3.222 GPA, was named academic All-MAC for the second straight season after being a valuable contributor off the UB bench. The senior finished the season appearing in 14 matches while starting six and notching one assist with nine shots.
Pereira, an environmental design major with a 3.839 GPA, appears on the All-MAC squad for the second time in his career after missing all of last season. The redshirt junior had a strong return to the Bulls this season as he appeared in 16 matches while notching a goal and an assist for three points. The goal for Pereira was the first of his UB career and proved to be the game-winner against Big 4 foe St. Bonaventure.
Forrester, a business major with a 3.496 GPA, was named to the team for the first time in his UB career on Tuesday. The hard-nosed defender earned second team All-MAC honors after appearing in all 19 matches and earning 11 starts as a junior. The Auckland, New Zealand native was a key component of the Bulls back line that allowed just 17 goals in 19 games and helped UB preserve a program record 10 clean sheets on the year.
Cramarossa, a communications major with a 3.294 GPA, was named to the squad for the first time in his impressive UB career after being a key component in the Buffalo midfield all season long. The crafty midfielder started all 19 games and racked up a career-high three assists while ripping 16 shots on the year.
Fisher, a business major with a 3.224 GPA, earned academic All-MAC honors for the first time in his four-year UB career. The steady defensive presence started all 18 matches he appeared in and was the most consistent back line member all season long. Fisher finished off his campaign with an assist and two shots while helping UB allow just 17 goals and preserve a program record 10 shutouts.
The Academic All-MAC honor is for those student-athletes who has excelled on the field and in the classroom. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport.
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