ST. BONAVENTURE , N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure  men's soccer team (0-2) came up short in a physical matchup with the University at Buffalo Bulls (1-0-1), dropping their second game of the season 2-1.

The Bonnies dictated the pace early as junior Emmett O'Connor broke free just five minutes into the match and was one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper when a missed touch sent the ball wide of the net. Later in the half, Brad Vanino received a cross and launched a diving header just wide of the net in the 31st minute.

After three yellow cards were handed out, the score was notched 0-0 at the half. UB would hold a 4-3 shot advantage at the break.

In the second half, the physical style of play continued. In the 55th minute, Vanino made an outstanding kick save in the box preventing a UB head ball from finding the back of the net. The scoring would get underway in the 59th minute when Bulls forward Rich Craven headed a cross from Patrick Ryan off the cross bar and in behind SBU goalkeeper Bobby Diaz for his second goal of the season. The second goal for UB came just seven minutes later when Joey Merlo beat his defender and fed Maksym Kowal in the box for a quick touch past Diaz.

St. Bonaventure pulled defenders forward to mount a more efficient attack in the final twenty minutes of this one. SBU's lone goal came off an effort play by Emmett O'Connor.  The Ajax, Ontario native fought off defenders and worked his way into the box before forcing a cross that went off the hands of UB goalkeeper Jonathan Viscosi and onto the foot of Brad Beaumont who hammered home the score for his first goal of the season. The Bonnies had an opportunity to tie the game with 20 seconds left in regulation when Andrew Derayeh blasted a rebound from just outside the box and was blocked near the net.

"We have got to find a way to finish." Said SBU head coach Mel Mahler. "We can't be a team that can just possess the ball and not finish. By not finishing were keeping teams in the game and then we wind up getting down a goal or two and that's been the story of our short season."

The Bonnies held a 17-14 shot advantage in this one. They also attempted nine corners to UB's four. This marks the second time in as many games that SBU has outshot their opponent and lost.

"We have got to find a way to put teams away early and make sure that we are the ones that are dictating the tempo of the match and unless we do that were going to struggle as a team" commented Mahler.  "Each and every player has got to find a way to get better each and every day. And with that I would like to believe we can be more successful."

St. Bonaventure will be in action again this weekend when it travels to Harrisonburg, Va. for the James Madison Invitational Tournament. SBU will face off with James Madison on Friday (Aug. 31) and Virginia Tech on Sunday (Sept. 2).

GAME NOTES: Five total yellow cards were handed out in the game. The Bonnies are now winless against Buffalo in its last three tries. The team's last win against the Bulls came in 2009 in the form of a 2-1 score at home.