Bowling Green State University Athletics
BG Women Earn MAC Soccer Title
November 07, 2005 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 7, 2005
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - Ho, hum.
Another Mid-American Conference tournament game, another shootout victory for Bowling Green.
This time, the win gave the Falcons the MAC championship as they prevailed 3-2 over Kent State in the shootout on Sunday at Cochrane Field.
It's the second straight MAC tournament championship and NCAA berth for the Falcons, now 14-6-2 overall. BG learns its NCAA tournament fate this afternoon.
Sunday's match was the second time in less than a week BG needed a shootout to win a tournament game. In Tuesday's quarterfinal, the Falcons downed Toledo in a shootout, also 3-2.
"We have kids who are able to step up and perform under pressure, none more so than Julie Trundle and Ali Shingler. They did it again ... It's incredible in the way it worked out," BG coach Andy Richards said.
The same three Falcons scored in both shootouts, with Britt Anderson, Lindsey Carter and Trundle all finding the back of the net.
"That's why you recruit kids in the first place ... You select kids who you think can perform certain tasks and Julie Trundle has done unbelievably well," Richards said.
Trundle's goal secured the win in the fifth round of the shootout. Trundle is 4-for-4 this season from the penalty spot and she also scored the game-winner on a penalty kick in the 2002 MAC quarterfinals against Buffalo.
"This one was a lot more pressure. Walking up there, I just wanted to hit it in the back of the net so we could get out here. It was a long game," Trundle said.
Goalkeeper Shingler also came up big for the Falcons in the shootout, making saves on Lisa Kurz in round two and Caitlin Hester in round four. Shingler went to her left to deny Kurz and then after stopping Hester's shot, had to stand and watch as the ball almost rolled in at the right post.
"She is amazing. She definitely saved us in the second half and during the penalty-kick shootout," Trundle said.
Shingler had to make five saves in the second half, as the Golden Flashes applied relentless pressure.
"The conditions out there (a 25 miles per hour crosswind) and Kent State was putting it right back down our throats. Both those things together just made it that much more difficult to hold onto the ball and play possession like we normally do," Shingler said.
The Golden Flashes' best chance came with eight minutes remaining when the Falcons were called for a foul and Kent State got the re-start just outside the 18-yard box. However, Catharine Marosszeky could not get the ball over BG's defensive wall.
Then with just over a minute remaining, Shingler was on the left post to stop Hester's effort. Earlier in the second half, Shingler was in the right place to deny Kimberly Dimitroff twice and the Golden Flashes also had a cross skim off the crossbar.
"It was just a barrage," Richards said about the second half.
BG had the better of the play in the first half as Kent State's Alicia Fernandez made three saves. Less than 10 minutes into the match, BG's Corbie Yee had a shot from just inside the 18, go wide. Then off a corner kick, Fernandez kicked away Anderson's left-footed effort with 21 minutes to play in the half.
In the two 10-minute overtimes, neither team mustered a scoring chance, although BG did control play.
"Once we went into the shootout, I was confident we would do well," Richards said.
In the shootout, Cassie Seten's shot went off the post for Kent State and Anderson found the left side of the goal to give BG a 1-0 lead. Shingler stopped Kurz in round two, but Yee's attempt was wide to the left.
In round three, Ashley Bohnic went high past Shingler to score and Carter gave BG a 2-1 edge when her shot hit the crossbar and came down past the goal line.
Shingler stopped Hester in round four, but Leah Eggleton's effort was over the top of the net.
Marosszeky scored to the right side in round five, and Trundle found her usual spot to her left to give BG the win.
"I never change it up. Even in practice I go to the same side," Trundle said. "I felt confident going up there, especially with a MAC championship on the line.
NOTES: BG is 9-0-2 in its last 11 matches ... Shingler is 3-0 in her career in MAC tournament shootouts ... Shingler has not allowed a goal at Cochrane Field in the last 757 minutes of play.
