Bowling Green State University Athletics
Three Former Falcons Part Of Title Game
October 19, 2001 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 13, 2001
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Three former Bowling Green State University men's soccer standouts were a part of the 2001 A-League Championship game Saturday night (Oct. 13). Scott Vallow posted a shutout in goal to help the host Rochester Rhinos to a 2-0 victory over the Hershey Wildcats (and team members Steve Klein and Fred Degand).
An emotional crowd of 13,692 fans, the sixth-largest crowd in Rochester history, saw the Rhinos win their third A-League title in the past four seasons -- as well as their 16th straight playoff game -- at their home ground, Frontier Field.
Stoian Mladenov, a 26-year-old midfielder from Bulgaria, scored both goals to lead the Rhinos to the victory.
Hershey appeared to slam the door on Rochester through the latter part of the first half, but some halftime adjustments by Rochester Coach Pat Ercoli opened things up in the final 45 minutes.
"We felt we needed to get wide and make their midfield do more work," said Ercoli, who has led the Rhinos to their three A-League titles in addition to the 1999 U.S. Open Cup. "We had to get Carlos Zavala in there so we could get something going down the left side."
The result in this one might have been different, were it not for a goal-saving stop by Vallow in the 52nd minute.
Brazilian Ze Roberto cut across the penalty area past four Rhino defenders and seemed to have Vallow dead in the water as he fired a left-footed shot from about seven yards out. But Vallow made a valiant deflection for the save, which, in retrospect, was a major factor in the game.
"That was a huge save," said Ercoli. "It's the difference between winning and losing for a goalkeeper -- when there isn't much going on and then your team calls upon you to make a great save, and you can do it."
Hershey coach Bob Lilley could only wonder what might have been.
"If Ze Roberto's shot goes in, it might have been a different story," said Lilley. For 63 minutes we played extremely well, but all credit to Rochester. They keep coming at you. They are resilient."
(NOTE: Information from an article by John Polis contributed to this report.)
