Flynn's Five(!!!) First-Half Goals Lift Falcons Past Findlay, 8-0

Bowling Green State University men's soccer sophomore Pat Flynn exploded for five goals -- all in the first half -- as the Falcons flew past the University of Findlay, 8-0, Tuesday night (Sept. 2). The non-conference match was held at Cochrane Field on the BGSU campus.

With the win, the Falcons improve to 2-0-0 on the young season.

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HIGHLIGHTS: Courtesy BCSN
FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
POST-MATCH NOTES: BGSU-Findlay
PHOTO GALLERIES: BGSU v Findlay (James Nahikian) | Coaches vs. Kingston PK Challenge
POST-MATCH VIDEOS: Coach Nichols | Baraldi | Flynn

Flynn's total of five goals tied the school single-match record. The soph, a transfer from DePaul University, now has scored six goals in the first two games of his BGSU career.

Flynn matched the BGSU record originally set by Don Popp, who scored five goals in a match against Toledo on Sept. 16, 1981. The Falcons won that contest vs. the Rockets by an 11-0 outcome.

Flynn also tied the school record for points in a match with 11. That mark was also set by Popp in that 1981 blowout win over UT.

"Pat is a player that I would be nervous about if I was coaching against him," said BGSU head coach Eric Nichols. "He's savvy, he puts his body in the right spot, and he always knows where the goal is. Regardless of which way he's facing, he can shoot with both feet, and he can score with his head.

"Pat also sets up plays very well. He got an assist on Joe (Sullivan's) goal, and he created a few other chances. It doesn't surprise me that he blew up tonight, but I think we've got a couple other guys that can do that as well."

Senior Danny Baraldi, sophomore Joe Sullivan and freshman Brad Macomber also scored goals in Tuesday's win. Macomber's goal was the first collegiate marker of his young career.

Flynn had a total of 11 points on the night, with an assist in addition to his five-goal output. Redshirt sophomore Max Auden, true soph Jacob Roth and freshman Prayag Jina each had two assists vs. the Oilers, while junior Ryan James, Sullivan and Flynn had one apiece.

The Falcons exploded for seven goals in the first half, with the last five coming in a span of under 13 minutes, to erase any doubt about the outcome. The lone second-half goal came off the boot of Macomber with just over three minutes left in the match.

Redshirt sophomore goalkeepers Nick Landsberger and Ryan Heuton combined for the shutout, playing 45 minutes each. Landsberger was not called upon to make a save, while Heuton had one save in the second half.

BGSU had commanding advantages of 23-6 in total shot attempts and 15-1 in shots on goal. Findlay goalkeeper Joe McClanahan made five saves in the first half, before Ben Richter came on to work the second period and made two saves.

The match was scoreless for the first 17-plus minutes, and the Oilers actually had the first two shot attempts of the night. Ryan Repas made a long run downfield and fired a shot at the top of the box that was blocked out of play in the eighth minute for a UF corner kick. That corner found the head of Ryan Poyle, who saw his shot deflected over the end line for another corner. The Falcons dealt with that set piece, and from there on out it was all BGSU.

James and Flynn put shots on frame, and Roth fired an effort just wide left in the 16th minute of play. Two minutes later, however, BG was on the road.

After a Findlay foul, Roth played a free kick from the left side. The ball found the head of Flynn, who got just enough on it to see his shot roll inside the right goalpost. Roth picked up the lone assist on the goal, which came at 17:29.

Five-and-a-half minutes later, Flynn struck again. Auden's pass found Sullivan, who lofted a high cross from the left side of the park. Flynn got himself between the ball and a defender, chested the ball down and, while heading across the penalty area from left to right, shot across his body. The shot found the side netting to give the Brown and Orange a 2-0 lead with just under 23 minutes gone.

McClanahan kept his team's deficit at two goals momentarily, making a nice save on senior Vlad Lekarev after a giveaway deep in the UF end. But, it was only a matter of time before the Falcons increased the lead.

Flynn, who had received a pass from Sullivan on BG's second goal, returned the favor. The Naperville, Ill., natives combined on a give-and-go play in the box, with Sullivan taking Flynn's return pass and sliding a low shot past McClanahan and inso the lower-right-hand corner of the goal from five yards out.

Sullivan's goal came at the 32:13 mark, and exactly two minutes later, the Falcons struck again. Baraldi played a ball to Flynn, who was behind the UF defense. McClanahan came out to contest the play, and as Flynn tried to poke the ball past the 'keeper on the left side of the box, he was taken down. A penalty kick was awarded, and Baraldi made no mistake, tucking the ball away for a four-goal Falcon lead.

Just 73 seconds later, James put Flynn through the Oiler defense, and Flynn beat McClanahan to the far side for his third goal of the night. That goal, at the 35:26 mark, gave the sophomore the first hat trick by a Falcon in over five years

Flynn's fourth goal came with 40:18 gone. Roth took a corner kick from the left side of the pitch, and Flynn got his head on it, redirecting it into the right side of the net for a six-goal lead.

Flynn's fifth goal, and the Falcons' seventh, came on another header. While the sophomore had subtly redirected Roth's corner kick on the goal in the 41st minute, his final goal of the match came on a bullet of a header. Sullivan played a ball ahead to Jina, who in turn found Auden on the left side of the field. Auden hit a cross into the six-yard area, and Flynn met the ball with a diving header that left McClanahan with absolutely no chance to make a save. The Falcons took a 7-0 lead into the break.

The Falcons had a 15-3 advantage in shots in the opening half, putting 12 of those 15 shots on frame. With both teams substituting liberally, play was a little less lopsided in the second stanza, but BG still had eight shots to UF's three.

The eighth and final goal of the night was the result of three freshmen teaming up. Chase Betenson played a ball to Jina on the right side. Jina made a move to elude his would-be defender, brought the ball into the box and hit a short cross to a waiting Macomber. Macomber's ensuing one-timer got past Richter and closed the scoring with 3:18 left in the match.

Flynn fired nine of the Falcons' 23 total shots, with all nine winding up on frame. Lekarev, Macomber and Sullivan each had three shot attempts, while Baraldi had two.

The Falcons now prepare for a pair of weekend matches in Pittsburgh, Pa. BGSU will face Niagara University on Friday (Sept. 5) and Duquesne University Sunday (Sept. 7) at the Duquesne Invitational.

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