Flynn's Golden Goal Sends Falcons Past Detroit, 1-0

Wednesday, October 29

Detroit, Mich.

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

10-5-1

Detroit

8-5-3

OT 3

OT 4

Bowling Green

Detroit

Pat Flynn v EIU - Sept 19 2014 - Larry Clapper photo

Pat Flynn scored his 13th goal -- and his sixth game-winning goal -- of the season at Detroit

Photo by: Larry Clapper

October 29, 2014 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Sophomore scores 13th goal of season as BGSU picks up win number 10

By: DETROIT, Mich. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Sophomore Pat Flynn scored in the 109th minute, lifting the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over the University of Detroit Mercy Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 29). The non-conference match was held at Titan Field.

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POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS: Nichols | Sullivan | Flynn

With the victory, the Falcons of head coach Eric Nichols improve to 10-5-1 on the season. BGSU has won 10 matches in a season for the first time since 1998. The Titans drop to 8-5-3 overall.

The goal was Flynn's 13th of the season, and his sixth game-winning goal of the fall. He leads the Falcons in both goals and points (29).

"This was a fantastic battle from both teams," said Nichols. "Detroit is very good, and this is certainly a game that could have gone either way. Both teams had their chances, and I'm so proud of the guys for making play after play. And, Pat stepped up and did what he does best, which is score goals."

The winning play began when redshirt sophomore Max Auden sent a long ball forward to Flynn. Auden, near midfield, played the ball to his fellow Naperville, Ill., native, and Flynn controlled the ball as he worked his way into the penalty area.

From the right side of the box, Flynn possessed the ball while working one-on-one against his defender, and as other BGSU players arrived in the penalty area, Flynn found some space and fired a shot past UDM goalkeeper Nathan Steinwascher into the far-side netting.

"Coach Nichols told me before the second overtime, 'Get in the box and be calm, but be a little selfish on the strike'," said Flynn. "Max played a great ball, and I knew (the Detroit defender) wouldn't want to foul me and give up a PK late in the game, so I was able to turn him and get one-on-one on the 'keeper from an angle. We had a lot of runners coming into the box, which I think distracted the 'keeper a little bit, so it was a great team goal."

Redshirt sophomore Ryan Heuton made eight saves in earning his fourth complete-match shutout of the season. The clean sheet was BGSU's eighth of the year. Steinwascher made four saves for the Titans.

While Flynn got the winning goal and Heuton earned the shutout, the Falcons received contributions from many players. Sophomore Joe Sullivan nearly scored on several second-half occasions, and blocked two UDM shots in the last two minutes of regulation. Jacob Roth was one of a host of defenders to play all 108-plus minutes in the shutout win, and Roth nearly ended the match with a free kick that Steinwascher turned aside at the last possible second.

Senior Danny Baraldi drilled a volley just wide of the target late in the second half, while classmate Vlad Lekarev's diving header off of a Baraldi cross didn't miss the mark by much in the second overtime period.

On an overcast, windy day at Titan Field, a cold rain began to fall as the teams went through pregame warmups, but the sun came out prior to kickoff. Soon after the kickoff, the home team had the first chance of the game. Just 14 seconds in, a long pass found Tyler Moorman on the right side, and he headed the ball back across the six-yard box. A defender deflected the ball, and Heuton was able to grab it near the post.

Five minutes into the match, Baraldi was fouled as he made an off-the-ball run, but Flynn's free kick was blocked by the UDM wall. Soon after, Roth stole the ball from the Titans, but his shot was blocked as well.

In the 12th minute of play, Spiro Pliakos made a long run downfield, but junior defender Jake Genrich was with him step for step, and knocked the ball out of play for a corner kick. Pliakos, who led all players with seven shots in the match, had one of those shot attempts off of the ensuing corner, but it was blocked and cleared away by the BG back line.

Eighteen minutes into the match, Sullivan and Flynn teamed up to get the ball to Baraldi on the left side of the box. Baraldi fired a shot, but a defender got a boot on it just after it left Baraldi's feet, and the deflection took some steam off of the shot as Steinwascher made the stop.

Pliakos fired two shots in under a minute, with the first one sailing high. The second effort was a much better scoring chance for the Titans, but his low shot went just wide.

Midway through the period, Sullivan put Flynn through the Detroit defense on the right side, and the sophomore attempted to pop the ball past the onrushing Steinwascher, but his one-timer rolled wide of the far post.

The Titans responded with a flurry that began in the 28th minute. First, Heuton grabbed an entry ball from Jacob Prud'homme with a Detroit striker lurking at the far post. Then, with the hosts threatening, the BG defense blocked shots by Adam Clauss and Matt Ybarra.

As the match reached the half-hour mark, a pass by junior Ryan James just missed connecting with Sullivan, as Steinwascher gathered it in just before Sullivan arrived.

Less than 30 seconds later, as it began to rain once again, the Falcons had the ball back, and a shot by James trickled just wide of the post.

Detroit threatened once more before halftime, but Heuton made a point-blank save on Don Nakashima on the right side of the six-yard box, and the teams went to the intermission still locked in a scoreless draw.

The second period saw the Titans' Ybarra take the first shot, but his turnaround effort was saved by Heuton. The BG 'keeper also stopped a cross/shot by Pliakos in the 51st minute, deflecting that ball off the crossbar. That ball was cleared, but the hosts regained possession and Clauss saw a shot stopped by the Heuton in the 52nd minute.

Freshman Chase Betenson played a diagonal ball into the box one minute later, where it deflected off of a UDM defender. Steinwascher was able to grab it just before Sullivan arrived.

Moments later, Sullivan nearly got past a pair of Detroit defenders before one of the Titans poked the ball away just before they reached the 18-yard line.

After a Detroit foul in the 63rd minute, Roth's free kick into the box was redirected by Sullivan toward freshman Brad Macomber, but the Titans' keeper reached the ball first to end that threat.

Just under two minutes later, Lekarev made a long run from midfield into the penalty area, and slid a pass to Sullivan, who chipped a shot that eluded Steinwascher, but went just wide of the frame.

Four minutes after that, in the 68th minute, Sullivan received a long ball from Roth, cut back across the pitch and, moving from left to right, shot back across his body. Again, the shot beat the UDM goalkeeper, but again, the effort went just wide of the left post.

Time was ticking away in the second period when the Falcons nearly went on top. Sullivan found Baraldi with a pass, and Baraldi in turn played the ball to Flynn. Flynn held the ball with a defender at his back, then laid the ball off for a charging Baraldi, who hit a screamer that whizzed just inches wide of the upper-left corner with just over three minutes to go.

Under two minutes remained when the Titans won a corner kick, and the ball found its way to Pliakos. The UDM freshman hit a low shot that went through a maze of bodies in the box and reached the goal line. But, Sullivan, stationed at the post, deflected the ball wide to keep the match scoreless.

After that Sullivan block, the ensuing corner found the head of Cameron Roberts, but Sullivan blocked his shot attempt as well, and the match went to overtime.

The Titans had the only two official shot attempts in the first OT period, but BGSU had several close calls in that 10-minute period. Early in the overtime, Flynn received a pass and headed into the penalty area on the left side. The sophomore sniper held onto the ball for seemingly forever, as the Titans could not knock it away from him. Flynn, with several defenders between him and the goal, attempted a short cross, but the ball sailed just past his teammates on the far side of the box.

The Titans' Ybarra shot a ball over the bar after a teammate chested down a corner kick with four minutes gone in the period, and a goal kick saw BGSU build the attack. Roth, Flynn and Baraldi all touched the ball, and Baraldi got the ball to Sullivan on the right side. The sophomore eluded a defender near the end line and whipped a cross into the box, but Steinwascher was able to grab it out of the air.

The only other shot of the period was a Prud'homme header. Heuton's momentum was taking him forward, and for a split second, it looked as if the ball might get over the BG 'keeper. But, the redshirt sophomore had plenty of time to readjust, leap in the air and grab the soft shot. The teams headed to a second OT.

In that final period, BG knocked on the door several times before finally breaking it down. Sullivan was fouled on the left side of the field in the 104th minute, and Roth drilled a curving free kick toward the lower-right-hand corner of the goal. It was all Steinwascher could do to tip the ball aside with a frantic, last-second dive.

Off of the ensuing corner kick, the ball found the head of James, who put a shot on frame, but Steinwascher was able to catch that shot out of the air.

The Titans won a corner kick in the 107th minute, but BG easily dealt with that corner, and the Falcons headed the other way. Flynn played the ball ahead to Baraldi on the right side, and his cross was met by Lekarev on the left side of the box. Lekarev's nifty diving header sailed just over the frame.

The next shot, however, ended the match, as Flynn scored the Falcons' second 'Golden Goal' of the season. Both of BG's overtime goals have come on the road against Horizon League foes and given the Brown and Orange a 1-0 win.

The Titans had advantages of 19-13 in total shots and 8-5 in shots on goal. Heuton, as mentioned, was credited with eight saves as the Falcons posted their eighth shutout of the season.

"The play Joe Sullivan made (blocking the ball off the line) characterizes exactly what we need from these guys in order to win games," said Nichols. "We know we're not good enough to win just by showing up. We've got to get those kinds of comprehensive performances from every single player.

"Joe's creating chances on one end and making game-winning saves on the other end, and to be honest, it's just kind of the standard. It's what he expects from himself, and it's what we all expect."

As mentioned earlier, this year's edition of the Falcons is the first to post a double-digit win total since the 1998 team went 10-8-2. Flynn's totals of 13 goals and 29 points are the highest by a BGSU player since Steve Klein had 18 goals and 50 points in '96. Flynn's total of six game-winning goals is the highest by a Falcon since Bobby Biggs had six GWG in the 1997 campaign.

The Falcons return home for the next two contests, beginning with a Saturday (Nov. 1) afternoon match vs. Western Michigan University. Kickoff for that Mid-American Conference game is at 3:00 p.m., and it will be 'Senior Day' for the BGSU program, as the Falcons' three seniors will be recognized in ceremonies prior to the match.