Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jeffrey LaMonde Sophomore defender Akli Delvecchio winds up for a kick Sunday in the soccer team's 1-0 loss to Buffalo. Central won its previous game, 2-1 in double overtime, Friday against Kent State. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jeffrey LaMonde Sophomore forward Amanda Waugh dribbles the ball forward Sunday against Buffalo in CMU's 1-0 loss. [Click to enlarge]

The soccer team's 1-0 loss to Buffalo on Sunday marked the seventh time it failed to score this season.

The lack of offense resulted in a loss coach Tony DiTucci described as a huge disappointment.

"I don't think we worked hard enough to win balls," DiTucci said. "I expected (the team) to have more fight."

Despite leading the Bulls in shots the entire game, CMU found itself a victim of its up-and-down offense again. The team failed to get as many quality chances as it would have wanted and failed to capitalize on the ones it did acquire.

Central finished with 19 shots, but they were not the type the team was looking for.

DiTucci said the team did not play the ball vertically and a lot of its shots were played right at the goalkeeper. Also, the offense was not getting wide and did not have enough players forward to create options and chances.

"We had moments where we had attacks," said sophomore forward Stephanie Martin. "But we had no consistent attack. We didn't play balls through that would have led to two versus one or breakaways. We didn't have any breakaway balls that were successful."

Central did have a few quality scoring chances it failed to capitalize with a goal.

In the 68th minute, already down 1-0, Martin sent a free kick at the Bulls' defense, but straight to the goalkeeper. Later in the 80th minute, junior midfielder Erica Rohren used a flip-throw to send the ball deep into the box where Central booted the ball around, but ultimately sent it over a wide open goal.

Some others on the team thought the Chippewas' lack of offense wasn't the only factor that led to the their unfortunate loss.

Senior defender and captain Erin Douglas said that the team's overall energy played a role.

"We had a lot of energy, but with no purpose," Douglas said. "It was useless energy; not directing it toward something."

With this loss behind them, the Chippewas look to the future and prepare themselves to improve their conference record, which after the loss, is 3-5. They now look toward their goal of making the postseason, which may come down to the season's final game.

DiTucci said after the loss, every remaining game has an impact on the team.

"All we can do now is focus to Northern Illinois (on Oct. 26)," he said. "But we can't look at all three (remaining games) now."


sports@cm-life.com

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