BY JONNY WALKER, SPORTS ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
The St. Bonaventure University men’s soccer team tied, 1-1, with University of Massachusetts Saturday at Rudd Field, earning its second point of the season.
For Bonaventure head coach Kwame Oduro, the game was a tale of two halves.
“In the first half, we were excellent — we were unbelievable,” Oduro said. “We’ve changed the formation we’re playing with right now, and our kids have adapted well.”
In the 22nd minute, Bonaventure’s Umechi Akuazaoku, a sophomore forward, corralled a cross from Rafael Pereira, a junior forward. Akuazaoku pushed the ball past UMass’ goalkeeper, senior Matt Zambetti.
“On our goal [we had] very good movement,” Oduro said. “We played around the back … and through the midfield from right to left. Rafa [Pereira] crosses [the ball] into the box. The keeper gets a piece of it; it falls down. And then he [Akuazaoku] taps it in.”
Despite the Bonnies’ updated tactics, the Minutemen scored first.
In the 15th minute, UMass’ Nick Zielonka, a junior forward, found the ball at his feet in front of Bonaventure’s goal after a long throw-in. He pushed it past Bonaventure’s goalkeeper, junior Jules Dechert. UMass’ Andrew Ortiz, a sophomore midfielder, was credited with an assist on the play.
“They [UMass] get goals from broken plays,” Oduro said. “So it was a long throw, maybe 30 yards out — [the ball] gets in the box. Kid flicks it. We try to clear it. It doesn’t go out.”
The Minutemen played most of the second half in Bonaventure’s defensive third, outshooting Bonaventure, 13-4, in the half.
Oduro said a variety of factors played into his team’s second-half decline.
“I think five kids cramped during the game.” Oduro said. “And it was a noon kickoff — you got to eat proper food to get ready for the game. It ended up being like 65 degrees and sunny, which we’re not used to coming from the Southern Tier.”
Oduro credited Dechert, who recorded five saves on the game, with shutting out UMass in the second half. However, the Bonnies got lucky, Oduro said, as three of UMass’s shots hit the crossbar.
“I think we stole something there,” Oduro said. “We stole the point. It wasn’t deserved, like always … but this time we wound up on the good side of it.”
With the tie, the Bonnies (3-8-3, 0-4-2 A-10) remain last (14th) in the Atlantic 10 standings with two games remaining. The Minutemen (6-1-7, 1-0-5 A-10) sit fifth with 8 points.
Oduro said his team remains firmly in playoff contention despite sitting 6 spots and 5 points back of the final playoff spot.
“Playoffs is not out of the picture,” Oduro said. “The most we can get is eight points. There’s like six teams with eight points.”
The Bonnies visit Saint Joseph’s Saturday. The game kicks off at 5 p.m. and will stream live on ESPN+.
“But we have to win the next game, obviously, to have a chance,” Oduro said. “If you don’t, then we’re completely out, mathematically.”
walkercj20@bonaventure.edu
