CRESSON, PA – The Buffalo State men's soccer team started the 2023 season on the road at Mt. Aloysius, playing to a 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon.
 
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 1, Mt. Aloysius – 1
LOCATION: Kelly Field – Cresson, PA
RECORDS: Buffalo State (0-0-1), Mt. Aloysius (1-0-1)
 
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Diego Rivera (Hudson, NY/Cairo Durham) scored his first goal as a Bengal, and led the team with four shots and three shots on goal.
• Marcos Ortega (Pasto, Columbia/San Francisco Javier) recorded the assist on the goal.
• Shae Wirt (Overland Park, KS/St. Thomas Aquinas) made four saves in goal.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bengals got off to a quick start, scoring first in the fourth minute of the contest.
• Ortega played Rivera in on goal with a perfectly-weighted through ball, which Rivera finished into the bottom left corner of the net.
• Just minutes later, the Mounties were given a penalty kick with a chance to tie after a foul in the 18-yard box.
• Wirt came up huge, sliding down to his right to make the save, and the Bengals cleared the danger.
• Rivera had a pair of strong chances to add to the Buffalo State in the half, but was stopped on an almost identical chance from a sliding save from the keeper, as well as being denied on an attempt to chip the Mounties' keeper.
• Mt. Aloysius equalized late in the first half, as Braden Callahan blasted a shot from the right side, about fifteen yards out, just inside the left post and past the outstretched arms of Wirt.
• Each team had a couple opportunities in the second half as play opened up, but nobody was able to find a winner as the game ended level.

 
FOR THE FOES

• Chase Conway assisted Callahan's goal, and Luke Priestly made three saves in goal.

 
UP NEXT
The Bengals host Hilbert in their home opener on Tuesday evening on Coyer Field at 7 pm.