Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
MIAMI (OH)
Falcons Blank Miami, 2-0, to Advance to MAC Tournament Championship
November 04, 2005 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 4, 2005
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Danielle Cygan certainly picked an opportune time to score her first collegiate goal. The sophomore's goal, midway through the first half, proved to be the winner as the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team downed Miami University, 2-0, Friday afternoon (Nov. 4). The match, a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal contest, was held at BGSU's Cochrane Field.
With the victory, the Falcons, now 14-6-1 on the season, advance to the MAC Tournament's championship match. BGSU, the top seed for the 2005 tourney, will face seventh-seeded Kent State University in the championship match. KSU was a 1-0 overtime winner over sixth-seeded Central Michigan University in Friday's first match.
Miami, the fourth seed, sees the season come to an end with a record of 9-9-0.
 BGSU's Janie Babich (3) and Julie Trundle (10) celebrate the Falcons' win over Miami (photo by Aaron Stevenson, BGSU Photo Services)  |
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Senior goalkeeper Ali Shingler made two saves, both of the spectacular variety, to pick up the shutout win.
BGSU advances to the MAC Tournament final for the fourth time in the program's nine-year history, and for the third consecutive year.
Cygan nearly scored the first goal of the match just three minutes in. Senior Julie Trundle took a corner kick from the right side of the field, and classmate Samantha Meister got her head on the ball, directing it toward Cygan on the left side of the six-yard box. Cygan's header glanced off the crossbar, and the RedHawks were able to clear the ball out of danger for the time being.
The next Falcon scoring chance came just a minute later, off Trundle's second corner kick of the day. Senior Britt Anderson got her head on the kick, sending the ball wide of goal. It hit off a RedHawk defender, however, and caromed to senior Ashley Wentzel. The co-captain struck her shot with authority, but the shot was directly at Miami starting 'keeper Leigh Terry.
Miami's first shot did not come until over 10 minutes had elapsed, but Shingler's first test was a beauty. MU's Abby Whittaker played a right-side crossing ball to Katie Boyd, who absolutely drilled a shot on goal. Somehow, however, Shingler was able to make a diving save on the play.
Five minutes later, MU's next threat was started by a Boyd cross. The ball came to Kathleen Vistica, the RedHawks' leading scorer, who was in front of the BG goal. Shingler, though, was able to dive and deflect Vistica's shot out of play for a corner kick.
Midway through the half, the Falcons scored, seemingly out of nowhere. Yee held the ball on the left side of the field, and played the ball to Cygan, who was just inside the top left corner of the 18-yard box. Cygan took a shot that hit the near post and bounded into the net, giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead that held up until the half.
Cygan began the second half by nearly doubling the BG lead. The Falcons took the kickoff, and Cygan dribbled through nearly the entire RedHawk team before launching a shot that was just wide of the right post with only 11 seconds gone.
Under two minutes into the half, Anderson hit a shot that seemed ticketed for the far corner of the net before MU goalie Shannon Chew made the save. As was the case for the RedHawks in every match in 2005, Terry played the first half in net while Chew played the second.
Freshman Brianne Eisenhard put Yee through the MU defense with a pass just over 15 minutes into the half, but Yee's blooping shot sailed wide of the net. Her next shot attempt, however, found the mark.
With nearly 70 minutes elapsed, a Wentzel throw-in found the feet of Yee on the right side of the field. She made a nifty spin move to elude her defender, creating space while putting herself into the penalty area, and suddenly found herself with only the 'keeper between her and the net. Yee took her time and fired a spinning shot that nestled into the upper right corner of the net.
From there, the Falcons were able to hold the visitors without a shot to preserve the shutout win. For the match, the hosts held a 12-6 advantage in the shots department, including a 7-2 margin in shots on goal.
Shingler, as mentioned, made the two saves to pick up the win. Terry and Chew each allowed one goal for the visitors, with Terry making three saves and Chew credited with two.
Sunday's MAC Tournament championship match will begin at 1:00 p.m. and be televised by Comcast Local.
NOTES
QUOTES
Senior Ali Shingler
(On Miami's early offensive pressure)
"We were just talking, and I said, 'I don't know where that shot came from.' It scared me as much as it probably scared the crowd. ... The girl had a great strike, and I was lucky to be there."
(Is it all instinct on a save like that?)
"Yes, it's one of those things you don't really think about, it just happens. I think I've done it so many times in practice over the years that it just happens. It reminded me a lot of the Miami game earlier this year, where right off the bat, I made a couple of saves. We ended up going on to score three goals, which took the pressure off."
(On BG's defense holding Miami to just one second-half shot)
"In a case like that, it might not be my job to make a lot of saves, but it is still my job to organize the defense, and make sure no one gets in behind. And, it's a credit to our defense. They were doing a great job of stepping in to win balls, and keeping (Miami) from getting any shots off."
Sophomore Danielle Cygan
(If you could score just one goal, is this the match to score it in?)
"Yes, it is. This was such an important game for us. We have worked so hard all season. I wanted it for the team, for myself, for everybody. It got in the back of the net, and we're going to the 'ship."
(On BGSU's offensive pressure during the game)
"Usually, we play with two (players) up top. For this game, with their formation, we started with three, and I think that really helped. We worked together, and got it done."
Head Coach Andy Richards
"I thought Miami played very well today. They put us under a lot of pressure, especially in the first half, and there were two very, very good saves from Ali Shingler that kept us in the game. We talk a lot about players performing their roles, and performing to the best of their abilities, and that is what Ali did today. She really did a super job on both of those saves."
"Ali gave us a base to work off. We had an early chance -- Danielle Cygan hit the crossbar early on -- and we had another shot from Ashley Wentzel, and then the game swung the other way. That's often the way it goes. There are phases to the game, and you have to make sure you take advantage of your phases and try to get goals. And, certainly, don't let any (goals) in when the other team is having their burst."
"There was a bit of back and forth, we scored after 20 minutes, which got us going, and then midway through the second half we sealed it off. Both goals were very good -- it was a business-like performance from the team, which is what we had asked them about."
(Danielle mentioned changing your formation. Can you discuss that?)
"More than anything, we changed our personnel around, moreso than the system. Coach (Bobby) Kramig is a great coach. He's been around a long time, and we knew we had to try something different, try to make some alterations and make them adapt to us, rather than the other way around."
(On Danielle Cygan's goal)
"She has a great shot; we've always known that. She's kind of had the short end of the stick this year, because Julie Trundle has played at such a great level that it has kept Danielle out (of the lineup). But, we just felt we wanted to get Danielle on the field, and we were fortunate in that decision, as she scored a great goal."
(Were you expecting to face such pressure from Miami?)
"Yes, absolutely. It's the semifinal, and anything can happen. Miami has a very good program, and they fought very hard to be here. It was a similar game, in many ways (to the teams' regular-season meeting). They had some early chances, but we managed to come back and score, and hang on. We are delighted to be playing in the final again, and we know we have overcome two big hurdles in Toledo and Miami."
(On Corbie Yee, who scored the Falcons' second goal Friday)
"Corbie has had a terrific freshman year. It was a bit slow starting, but you expect that from a freshman, taking a little time to find their feet. She has done a nice job, particularly in MAC play. She has scored some crucial goals, and we saw another one today."
(On facing Kent State)
"It's the final. Anything can happen in the final. They are a very good team, they have some very special players. It's a one-off game. It is exciting for us to be playing in our third consecutive final, and it's even more exciting to be playing at Cochrane Field."
