The Falcon men’s soccer team will be in Buffalo today, looking to do something they have been unable to do in six years – beat the Bulls.

Having been 10 days since they last played, coach Eric Nichols and the team are confident that the Falcons can get a positive result.

‘Buffalo is a big team, they have a few players well over six feet tall,’ the first-year coach sad. ‘They have good talent on the field and their work rate is very good, but their discipline and shape is not so good.’

In order to expose that shaky discipline and shape, Nichols will move senior co-captain Jacob Lawrence to the forward position in hopes that he can connect with striker Byard Ebling and get behind the Bulls back line.

‘If we can connect with each other, we can have some success against them,’ Nichols said. ‘Our battle is to not destroy our own attacks, which we have done before.’

The Falcons (1-8-2) will take the field in a 4-4-2 formation, allowing the team to play four midfielders, something junior Thomas McLean believes will help the Falcons maintain possession.

‘By having four in the midfield it allows us to match up and defend other teams better,’ McLean said. ‘Depending on who you are playing and how the game flows, it’s important to have good possession in the middle of the pitch.’

Lawrence will get his first start up front, playing as a second striker. Lawrence has played the position before, usually when the Falcons are trailing and need an offensive boost.

‘We will see how it goes,’ Nichols said. ‘We think Jacob can create something for us there. He brings us another dimension to our attack. If we can hold up the defensive positions without him back there then we should be ok.’

Injured forward Cameron Hepple will make the trip to upstate New York, and may get some time on the field.

‘We will go through walk-through tomorrow, and depending on how that goes, I may be able to play,’ Hepple said.

Hepple – who leads the team in scoring – had not played since injuring his groin nearly a month ago against IPFW. Since the striker has been absent, the Falcons have failed to find any offensive success, scoring only one goal in four games.

With Lawrence moving up front, McLean will get the start at center back, a position he played last season.

‘Thomas has been one of our most versatile players,’ Nichols said. ‘We are always trying to find a position on the field for him.’

The Bulls, who are 5-7 overall 0-2 in the Mid-American Conference this season, are coming off a recent run of poor form, losing four of their last five matches including a five goal loss to Duquesne, a team that the Falcons battled to a scoreless draw.

‘They are unpredictable,’ Nichols said. ‘The have had some bad losses but then gone out and beat some teams by big score lines as well.’