Bowling Green State University Athletics
Women's Soccer Blanks Ball State, 3-0
October 08, 2000 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 8, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team returned to winning ways with a 3-0 win over Ball State University Sunday afternoon (Oct. 8). The Mid-American Conference match was held at BGSU's Cochrane Field.
The Falcons (6-6-0 overall, 4-3 MAC) got on the scoreboard early in the first half, thanks to the efforts of junior Leslie Hepfinger. Hepfinger stole a BSU pass on the left side of the field, dribbled the ball toward the center of the pitch and drilled a shot that beat BSU goalkeeper Megan Swafford to the lower-left corner of the net. Hepfinger's unassisted goal, which came at the 12:47 mark, was her second score of the season.
The Falcons outshot BSU by a 12-5 margin in the first half, including a 9-1 advantage in shots on goal, but could not increase the lead before the intermission.
The contest stayed 1-0 until midway through the second half, when senior Janice Mentrup doubled the lead on a pretty play. Sophomore Tracy Gleixner started the play, feeding the ball to senior Ashley Enser. Enser moved along the end line from the right side of the field, and lofted a short cross that Mentrup one-timed into the net for her second goal of the year. The goal came at 65:17.
Just over five minutes later, the Falcons scored a similar goal, this time from the left side. Hepfinger carried the ball along the end line, and her cross found senior Stephanie Heller, who redirected it into the net with a nifty one-timer at 70:38. The goal was Heller's second of the year.
Ball State (5-7-2, 1-5-1 MAC) had several scoring chances, with perhaps the best chance coming with approximately 13 minutes left. BSU's Mary Beth Merrill took a shot that was saved by BGSU goalkeeper as she moved out of the net. The rebound, however, caromed back to Merrill, who reloaded and fired again. This time, the ball got past Flanders, but Hepfinger cleared the ball off of the goal line to keep the shutout intact.
On the afternoon, Flanders made seven saves en route to posting her third shutout of the year and the fifth of her career. Her three shutouts this year, obviously, is a personal single-season best for Flanders, and the Falcons' six wins as a team tops the total for all of last season.
"We had a very good performance today," said BGSU coach Andy Richards. "It was very nice to get back on the winning track.
"Those things (third shutout by Flanders, sixth win of the season) are nice little landmarks, but the big thing is that we got back to winning ways.
"We had a good all-around performance, and showed a lot of control and commitment to the cause. A lot of people played very well, but certainly, Leslie Hepfinger was outstanding. She was a constant thorn in Ball State's side all afternoon.
"Also, Janice Mentrup had a top-quality goal, which is nice to see since she's been battling injuries. Stephanie Heller came forward and earned herself a goal.
"It was nice to get another MAC win, and hopefully this will serve as a springboard for a good finish to the year. We are very proud of our team's effort today, and we need to make sure that we continue the good work."
BGSU outshot the Cardinals by a 24-16 margin, including a 16-8 edge in shots on goal. Swafford made 13 saves in the BSU net.
The victory broke a 10-match home losing streak for the Brown and Orange. BGSU won at home for the first time since Sept. 15, 1999.
The Falcons will remain at home for a pair of matches next weekend. BGSU will entertain Marshall University in a Friday (Oct. 13) contest, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Cochrane Field. Then, the Falcons will take on Ohio University Sunday (Oct. 15) in a 3:00 p.m. start.
