Bowling Green State University Athletics
Wentzel, Falcons host MAC Tournament
November 03, 2005 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 3, 2005
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - Ashley Wentzel has been knocked down this season.
And she keeps getting right back up.
Wentzel, one of the senior co-captains of Bowling Green's women's soccer team, left Cochrane Field after Tuesday's Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinal game, holding an ice bag on her cheek and with grass stains all over her uniform.
She had gotten tangled up with a teammate and a Toledo player going for a head ball in a game in which Bowling Green advanced to the tournament semifinals with a shootout victory.
"Ashley has tremendous strength. She is a very determined individual," BG head coach Andy Richards said. "She's a very difficult person to play against."
 Ashley Wentzel (photo by Brad Phalin, BGSU Photo Services)  |
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She plans on being in the lineup Friday at 2 p.m. when Bowling Green faces Miami in the semifinals at Cochrane Field.
The BG-Miami winner plays the Central Michigan-Kent State winner Sunday at 1, also at Cochrane Field, for the MAC championship and an NCAA berth.
"It's my senior year. I'm just going all-out, just doing everything I can to be out here. I enjoy playing, so I fight through the pain for my team," Wentzel said. Wentzel and her fellow seniors have advanced to the MAC tournament semifinal round in each of the last four seasons.
"I had some problems at the beginning of the year with little (nicks) happening and stuff and did something to the lateral side and maybe the meniscus," she said about her knee. "My heel, I don't really know what it is ... It's caused me a lot of pain. It hurts real badly; sharp pain."
"She's been struggling with a lot of injuries," Richards said. "She's one of those kids who never complains. She has an incredible pain threshold and she just doesn't let it get to her. She's very mentally strong."
In addition to her injuries, Wentzel has been learning a new position this year. She played outside midfield and forward in previous seasons, before moving full-time to defense this fall.
Last season she was named to the MAC's all-tournament team as the Falcons won the title.
"I do like it a lot; I enjoy it," she said about her new role. "It's different, but when you find something that you enjoy it's a lot of fun.
"When you go into college, you have to have an open mind for things," Wentzel added. "They asked me if I was OK to play defense and I said as long as the girls talk to me. Ever since then it's been a really good change for me."
After an early-season injury sidelined Natalie Sampiller, the team's other co-captain and a veteran of 61 starts, Bowling Green's entire back line features basically new faces.
"Losing Natalie so early in the season was a huge loss for us," Richards said.
Julie Trundle, also a senior, has moved from a midfielder/forward role to defense. Janie Babich, a sophomore, who was a center midfielder, and freshman Susan Hunter, who was a forward at Sidney (Ohio) High School in 2004, round out the back four for the Falcons. Wentzel, Trundle and Babich had all seen limited playing time in the back before this season.
"The four of us have worked hard. We're struggled a few times, but now we've come together and we've been solid," Wentzel said. "To watch our back four, I just have so much confidence in us."
The Falcons are playing well at the right time of the season, going unbeaten in their last nine matches. On Sept. 30, BG's offense was held without a shot on goal for the first time in school history, in a 3-0 loss at Ball State. Since then, BG is 8-0-1 overall, outscoring its opponents 19-5.
Senior goalkeeper Ali Shingler has lowered her goals-against average from 2.00 to 1.33 during the streak. In those nine contests, Shingler has a microscopic 0.55 goals-against average and a saves percentage of .886.
"Ali is a big key to our defense," Wentzel said. "Our goal has been not to let anything get through, but we knew Ali had our backs the whole time."
The Falcons gave up eight goals in their first two games of the season, but have allowed only 18 goals in the last 18 games, while recording seven shutouts.
"The four players who are playing back there were not necessarily recruited as defenders. But, they've all taken to it very, very well," Richards said.
