Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
CINCINNATI
Coppes Goal, Shingler Shutout Adds Up To Falcon Win
September 14, 2003 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 14, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - A goal by Kristy Coppes early in the second half proved to be the match winner as the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team recorded a 1-0 win over the University of Cincinnati. The non-conference match was held at BGSU's Cochrane Field Sunday afternoon (Sept. 14).
Redshirt sophomore Ali Shingler recorded the first shutout of her collegiate career as the Falcons improved to 1-4-1 on the season. The Bearcats dropped to 2-3-1.
The visitors dominated the play for most of the first half. UC tested Shingler early in the match, as the Bearcats had the first six shot attempts of the day. BGSU's first shot, off the boot of freshman Lindsay Carter, did not come until almost 38 minutes were gone in the match. That would prove to be the Falcons' lone shot of the half, to UC's six, but the teams were tied at the intermission.
In the second half, the Brown and Orange had a good scoring chance with just two minutes gone. BGSU sophomore Samantha Meister made a run into the box, but her pass toward the right side of the net was just out of the reach of a lunging Coppes.
With ten-and-a-half minutes gone in the second half, however, a BGSU chance materialized seemingly out of nowhere, and the Falcons took advantage. Junior Nikki Pucillo challenged a UC play approximately 40 yards away from the Bearcat goal. Pucillo won the ball and quickly put it through the Bearcat defense into open space, where Coppes was able to beat UC goalkeeper Sherry Slye to the ball. Coppes quickly poked the ball past Slye, who had left her goalmouth, and the ball rolled into the open net.
The Falcons still had to maintain the lead for the final 33:18, and the visitors had several chances in the latter portion of the game as a sunny sky gave way to rain. After playing 60-plus minutes in sunny weather, the Falcons and Bearcats played through rainy weather for most of the final 25 minutes of the match.
The Bearcats, however, were unable to get the ball past Shingler, who picked up her first collegiate victory and, as mentioned eariler, her first shutout.
Cincinnati had 12 total shot attempts to the Falcons' three in the match, but both UC and BGSU had two shots on goal. Shingler made two saves en route to the win, while Slye made one save in her complete-match effort.
The Falcons play a road match vs. Detroit Wednesday (Sept. 17), before returning home to face Akron Friday afternoon (Sept. 19).
NOTES
QUOTING BGSU COACH ANDY RICHARDS
"That was a big victory for us. I know UC has struggled a bit this year, but they are a very respectable program. (UC head coach) Meridy Glenn has built a very good team, and they are always strong. This win should give us a lot of confidence, especially on the heels of our performance Friday (vs. Central Michigan)."
"We didn't get off to a very good start again today. We didn't play very well for the first 35 minutes or so of the match. And then, suddenly, we did. That we were still in the game was a great credit to Ali Shingler, because they had that several chances, including that one-on-one early in the game. She made the save on that play, and kept us in the game."
"I'm delighted for Ali, because we did stay in the game, and gave ourselves an opportunity to win, and she helped us earn that. We kept it tight, and stayed in the game. We said at halftime that we had to generate more offense, but we were still in position to win the game."
"As is always the case when we get a good team effort, there were other good individual performances. Keeley (Dayton) did a real nice job in the back to keep some of their better kids quiet. I thought Molly Bremen did a nice job in the back as well. When you look at our performances, we haven't gotten the wins, but we seem to be getting better. Kids like Ali, and Lindsay Carter, seem to be getting better as time goes by. We have five games in the next two weeks, and, hopefully, we will continue to get better."
"We said at halftime that we just hadn't generated enough offense. We told the kids that we had to win the ball and get in behind their defenders and cause some problems. And, that's exactly what Nikki (Pucillo) did, and Kristy (Coppes) did a good job of timing the play and getting in behind the defense."
"We had encouraged our kids to be a lot more proactive, get the ball forward and force the issue. Nikki won the ball and pushed it forward, and that's where Kristy is at her best. Kristy probably didn't hit the ball as hard as she wanted to, and it seemed like it took forever to roll in the net, but it was a good goal, and was a product of our working to get the ball forward and make something happen."
"We were outshot and outcornered and everything else today, but fortunately we got the one stat that matters the most."
"I said to our team before the game that I had a positive feeling about today. I just felt good. We've been playing very strong teams, had some kids injured, and maybe were not quite getting the luck that we've deserved. We were making strides, but we just needed to go out and get a win to prove that yes, indeed we are making strides. Hopefully, this will give us the confidence we need to have some success in our upcoming games."
