Sarah Woods thought she would remain a center midfielder as she transitioned to the college game. But at the start of her freshman season at Buffalo two years ago, Woods had to adjust to a new position.
Woods was a threat at both midfield and forward during her four years with the Lewiston-Porter soccer team and recorded 134 career goals and 204 career points. And, as a senior, Woods helped the green-and-white finish as runners-up in the Class B state tournament with a 17-1-1 record in 2021.
She was used to playing with good players with the Lancers, but, as a freshman with the Bulls, she had to learn to expand her role beyond ball control and scoring. As a result, just weeks before the start of her freshman season, Woods became an outside midfielder for Buffalo.
In her new role, the Lewiston native transformed into the player responsible for setting up teammates for goals and applying pressure as a defender in Buffalo’s attacking zone.
Now heading into her third season with the blue-and-white, Woods is appreciative of how Buffalo continued her growth.
“Buffalo has been a great place for me to really grow my love for the game, grow my knowledge for the game and then, it’s made me consider even wanting to play after college,” Woods said. “… Buffalo has just kind of shown me what I’m capable of and I’ve loved it here and I’m just really excited to keep playing.”
Since making the position change, Woods has been an integral part of Buffalo’s lineup. Two years ago, Woods started in 20 of 21 contests and recorded three assists, tied for fourth most on the Bulls.
Named to the MAC all-freshman team, Woods helped Buffalo clinch its second conference championship and NCAA tournament berth in program history. The Bulls then lost to Pittsburgh, 1-0, in the opening round of the tournament for a 15-2-4 finish.
Then, in her sophomore campaign, Woods recorded two assists. Woods was also one of three players to start all 18 contests for the Bulls, which finished 7-5-6 overall.
With 38 starts and two years of training as a Division I athlete in her repertoire, the biggest growth, to Woods, is her ability to evaluate quicker during games. This, combined with having a stronger understanding of the team’s formations, allowed Woods to help Buffalo increase its tempo upfield.
“I think every game just helps me grow a little with my speed of play,” Woods said. “I think I see the game way better than I ever did in high school. With all our resources here breaking down film, I’m able to just see the game better and see where I could have done something differently and then make an adjustment (in) the next game.”
When Buffalo head coach Shawn Burke created his lineup two years ago, he gave Woods a starting role due to her defensive ability. Going into this season, Woods has increased her ability in finding the extra pass to set up her teammates after the Bulls finished sixth in the MAC with 1.3 goals per game last season.
“She’s doing a really good job of, instead of just getting to a dangerous spot and hitting a ball, she’s getting to a dangerous spot and picking teammates out,” Burke said. “And, I think that’s been such a huge evolution of her game and we’ve seen it out, like I said, for over a week, and I think it’s going to have a big impact on the Fall.”
Buffalo starts its season by hosting St. Bonaventure at 7 p.m. Thursday in Amherst.