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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Soccer Begins Conference Schedule With Home Match Versus Kentucky
January 03, 2000 | Men's Soccer
Sept. 27, 1999
UPCOMING GAMES ...
BG has two home matches the following weekend. The Falcons face Bucknell on Friday, Oct. 8 at 4:00 p.m. before playing five consecutive MAC matches beginning with the Sunday, Oct. 10 match against Western Michigan (2:00 p.m.).
THE SERIES ...
After dropping a 1-0 decision in Lexington during the 1998 regular season, the Falcons rebounded for a 2-0 double-overtime triumph over the Wildcats in a Mid-American Conference tournament semifinal match last season, also in Lexington.
In the MAC tournament victory, Fred Degand recorded his second match-winning goal of the campaign, while Chris Kraft tallied his lone goal of the season.
BG is 3-0-0 all-time at home against Kentucky, and has outscored the Wildcats 12-2 in those three matches. The Falcons have blanked UK six times in the previous nine meetings.
PREVIEWING UPCOMING OPPONENT...
The Wildcats dropped their third consecutive match on Sept. 26, a 2-1 double-overtime loss to Cincinnati. Kentucky goalkeeper Brian O'Leary was leading the MAC in shutouts (0.40 shutouts per game) and goals-against average (0.60) heading into this past week. Kentucky will come to BG having wins over UC Santa Barbara (5-1), UNLV (1-0), UNC-Asheville (2-0), and Navy (2-1). The Wildcats lost 1-0 to #9 Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 19, and 1-0 at Western Kentucky on Sept. 22.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK ...
After allowing 15 goals in its previous four matches, the BG defense tightened up and held PSU to only four shots on goal during regulation. Nittany Lion Ryan Miller scored the game's only goal off a corner kick at 18:35 of sudden-death overtime on an assist from Ricardo Villar.
Bowling Green had scored what appeared to be the game's first goal at 32:15 of regulation when Zac Olson fired in a rebound of Ben Vaccaro's shot off the crossbar, but BG was whistled for an offensive foul in the penalty box.
Both BG goalkeeper Ty Fowler and PSU netminder Whit Gibson were credited with five saves.
In Sunday's 2-1 loss to 13th-ranked Southern Methodist, BG tied the match with 8:47 left in regulation only to have SMU's Mohamed Fahim score his team-leading seventh goal of the season 43 seconds later. Fahim, who scored three goals in the Mustangs' 3-0 win over host Florida International Friday night, took a crossing pass from teammate Kevin Friedland and placed a shot inside the near post on the right from 12 yards.
After a scoreless first half, SMU grabbed a 1-0 lead at 78:37 when Matt Whitely scored on a header. But the Falcons came back minutes later when Gene Braxton scored his first of the campaign. Braxton's goal came at 81:13 with Bobby Biggs' earning his team-leading fourth assist of the season.
Bowling Green was unable to take advantage of several serious scoring opportunities that may have ended its school- record six-game losing streak. Midway through the first half Zac Olson was set up for a header in front of the SMU goal that hit off the crossbar and bounced away. Then moments after the Mustangs had taken their 2-1 lead, Chris Dore fired what would have been the equalizer if not for a diving save by Mustang goalkeeper Byron Foss.
NOTES ...
With its two losses this past weekend in Florida, Bowling Green has now lost a school-record six consecutive matches. Three times prior (1967, 1982 and 1990), a Falcon squad lost five straight contests. BG had three six-game winless streaks prior to this season in 1967 (0-5-1), 1985 (0-3-3) and 1998 (0-4-2).
The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team will try to reverse its fortunes this Sunday when the Kentucky Wildcats visit Mickey Cochrane Field for the Mid-American Conference opener for the Falcons. UK entertains Marshall on Friday (Oct. 1) at 7:30 p.m. in the MAC opener for the Wildcats.
Bowling Green leads the all-time series against Kentucky with a 6-2-1 record. The Falcons compiled a 4-0-1 mark in the first five meetings, but the teams have split the last four matches (2-2-0).
Kentucky will come to Cochrane Field led by senior midfield/forward Lee Baker. Baker, the September 14th MAC Player of the Week, was also named to the all-tournament team at the Kentucky Invitational for the third year in a row. He scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Navy at the tournament. Baker was the second leading scorer in the MAC (2.00 points per game), while leading in assists (1.20 assists per game) through games of Sept. 20 (updated MAC stats will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 28).
The Falcons went toe-to-toe with the nation's No. 1-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in the opening match of the 1999 Florida International University Golden Panther Classic Friday night in Miami, Florida.
Bowling Green has recorded a 4-1-1 mark in Mid-American Conference openers and a 4-1-1 ledger in MAC home openers. The Falcons have not allowed a goal in their last three MAC openers (and MAC home openers). This will be the second time BG has faced Kentucky in its MAC opener (and MAC home opener). BG defeated the Wildcats, 3-0, to kick-off its 1996 conference campaign.
