Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Head to Toledo, Looking for MAC Title
October 25, 2005 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 25, 2005
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - After having to scramble to even reach the Mid-American Conference tournament last season, Bowling Green's women's soccer team is in position to win the regular-season championship and host the conference tournament this fall.
The Falcons, 12-6 overall with seven straight victories, are first in the MAC at 8-2 with one regular-season match remaining.
The Falcons play Toledo on Friday at 3 p.m. at Scott Park. Ball State is second in the MAC at 7-2-1 and Western Michigan is third at 7-3. Ball State and Western are the only two teams to beat the Falcons in conference play this season.
"We've had a little bit of luck along the way, but we've worked very hard and we have some great kids in the program," said Andy Richards, in his sixth year as BG's head coach. "We've had some performances that have been just miserable, but we have tried to use them as lessons and learn from them, rather than beat ourselves up over them."
A BG win on Friday would clinch an outright MAC regular-season title while a tie would clinch at least a tie for the crown.
Bowling Green can finish in no worse than a tie for second place no matter the outcome of the match with Toledo, 10-6-1 overall and tied for sixth in the MAC at 5-4-1.
"The rivalry we have with them means they are always tight games," Richards said about Toledo. "We're going to expect quite a battle and we have to make sure that we retain our focus and our composure within those hot moments."
The Falcons have already earned a home game for the tournament quarterfinals next Tuesday. The time and opponent for that match are still to be determined. The top eight teams in the conference advance to the quarterfinals. After the quarterfinal round, the highest remaining seed hosts the semifinal (on Nov. 4) and championship (Nov. 6) matches.
"We're going to Toledo for the second year running with a lot of things on the line," Richards said. "It's kind of interesting that there are some similarities between this year and last year. Yet the rewards are a little bit different."
Last fall, Bowling Green blanked Toledo 3-0 in the final regular season conference game to earn the final playoff spot. The Falcons then won three straight games in the tournament to claim the title and secure the first NCAA bid in the eight-year history of the program.
Richards said the Falcons, nine seniors have played a key role in the success this fall. Bowling Green has tied the school record for wins in a season and set a single-season MAC record for wins. The seven-game winning streak is also a school record.
Seniors Samantha Meister, Britt Anderson and Julie Trundle lead the team in scoring. Meister, who missed the MAC and NCAA tournament games last season with an injury, has 18 points, including six goals to lead the team. Anderson has 16 points, with five goals, and Trundle had 15 points. Two of Trundle's three goals have come on penalty kicks.
Freshman Corbie Yee has provided another scoring option and has four goals and one assist during BG's winning streak.
Senior Ali Shingler has been the mainstay in goal. She's been involved in all 18 decisions this fall and has tied the school record for wins in a season. Shingler has lowered her goals-against average from 2.00 to 1.38 during the winning streak. During those seven matches, Shingler has a 0.44 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .912.
Meanwhile seniors Ashley Wentzel and Molly Bremen have helped lead BG's defensive effort. In the last seven matches, Bowling Green has allowed only three goals.
"The seniors have done a tremendous job, they are a very talented group," Richards said. "We have players in that group who have played 70 or 80 collegiate games ... There is no substitute for experience. We have so many kids who have been through these situations before and have learned, and have learned well."
