Buffalo State lost conference games to Brockport and Geneseo this weekend to begin conference play 0-2.
The Bengals lost Friday in Brockport by the score of 2-0 and Saturday afternoon at Geneseo by the score of 3-0.
“Individual mistakes and mental errors cost us these games,” head coach Rudy Pompert said. “We didn’t create enough scoring chances to win.”
The game Friday was a well-played game in which Buffalo State held the advantage in ball possession the whole game.
Buffalo State only trailed 1-0 going into the second half when the Golden Eagles scored in the 76th minute to record their second goal and take the lead for good.
Brockport outshot Buffalo State 14-2 in the game, five of which were on net. Bengals goalie Ben Spilman finished with three saves on the day.
Saturday afternoon was a whole different story, Pompert said, as Buffalo State came out flat and lacking energy. An early goal by Geneseo three minutes into the game took the energy out of the Bengals and left them fighting from behind for the rest of the game.
Geneseo scored two first half goals and tacked on another in the second to win convincingly.
The reaction from the team was that they didn’t create enough scoring opportunities for themselves and playing behind the whole game did not help them out.
For the second straight game, the Bengals were outshot badly. Geneseo outshot Buffalo State 19-5 and Spilman finished with seven saves in the loss.
Pompert said that the team needs to start stepping up in the offensive category and getting more aggressive when in the opponents’ end instead of playing behind and chasing the whole game. He also mentioned a lack of effort and the tendency to dig themselves into such big holes during games.
Spilman had a different idea of how to turn the team around.
“It starts with me setting the tone in net,” he said, “and dictating our defense and I will improve on that for our next game”.
Buffalo State continues conference play at 4 p.m. Saturday when they take on Hilbert (0-2) at Coyer Field.
Aubrey Gibert can be reached by email at gibert.record@live.com.