BUFFALO STATE ATHLETICS
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo State is preparing for the SUNYAC playoffs for the fourth-consecutive season, entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed slated to visit No. 4 Oneonta for a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Bengals have reached double-digit wins for the fourth-straight season, the longest such streak in program history, entering the postseason 11-4-2 overall, including a 5-3-1 mark in SUNYAC play.
Oneonta is 9-4-4 overall and finished one point ahead of Buffalo State in the league standings with a 5-2-2 mark. The Red Dragons slipped past Buffalo State 1-0 in Oneonta during the regular season on Sept. 21.
Buffalo State is led offensively by freshman Theo Pencic (Oslo, Norway/Heltberg) who tallied 11 goals despite missing five games due to injury, including the regular season clash against Oneonta. Ali Shawish(Lackawanna/Lackawanna) is second on the team with five goals and 15 points.
Senior leaders Robert Williamson (Fishkill/John Jay) and August Finn (High Falls, NY/Rondout Valley) have been key contributors at both ends of the field. Williamson has anchored a defense that allowed a league-best seven goals in nine conference games, and also added four goals and nine points. Finn has been dominant in the midfield establishing possession for the Bengals and has also chipped in a goal and four assists.
The goalkeeping tandem of Andreas Queen (Stone Ridge/Rondout Valley) and Dylan Guarino(Tonawanda/Kenmore East) have combined for eight shutouts, with Queen posting five in 13 starts.
Buffalo State is seeking its third SUNYAC Championship and first since 1970. The Bengals were upset in the first round last season as the No. 3 seed against No. 6 Geneseo, 2-0. The Bengals last postseason victory came in the form of a 2-0 win over No. 5 New Paltz in 2016.
The winner will travel to top-seeded Cortland for the semifinals on Wed., Oct. 31 at 3 p.m.
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