Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
HARTWICK
Four Goals, Two OTs, One Falcon Tie
October 14, 2007 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 14, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Senior Abiola Sandy converted a penalty kick while classmate Ryan Perea chipped in the tying goal as the Falcons took the visiting Hartwick Hawks to a suspenseful double-overtime 2-2 tie in the Mid-American Conference home opener at Mickey Cochrane Stadium. The Falcons move to 3-7-3 (0-1-1 MAC) on the season while the Hawks are now 3-4-3 (0-1-1 MAC).
"We were down a goal on two separate occasions and fought back to tie the game twice," said head coach Fred Thompson. "This type of plays shows the heart we are developing as we grow as a team.
"Hartwick is a very industrious team. I have to give them credit for the constant energy they bring to the table because it almost cost us the game today."
The Hawks recorded their first score when John Paul Boyle intercepted Cameron Hepple's pass in Hartwick's territory mid-way through the first half of play . Once possession was ensured, Boyle challenged the Falcons' charging goal keeper, Paul Shoemaker, and helped the Hawks to their first lead of the game at 23:47.
Soon there after, Hartwick appeared as if their lead would be extended via a fast paced attack at Shoemaker, but Thomas McLean quickly ended such hopes as he slid into and blocked a shot on goal sending it out of play and re-setting the pace of play.
Hartwick took the single-goal lead into halftime but the Falcon's needed only three minutes of the second period to execute their first rally of the match. An infraction by the Hartwick defense against Matt Klancic allotted the Falcons their second penalty kick of the season which was once again successfully taken by Sandy.
Bowling Green found themselves once again behind a goal six minutes later as the Hawks used a corner kick to their advantage by finding the smallest line of space to split members of the Falcons defense. Hartwick was up 2-1 with nearly 37-minutes remaining in regulation.
Bowling Green charged back for the second time at 61:05 when Perea received Shoemaker's goal kick near the midfield line and took matters into his own hands (and feet). Perea beat out a pair of Hartwick's defenders who were attempting to sandwich the senior in a smothering defensive effort. Once past that obstacle, Perea chipped a shot over the Hawks' keeper and netted his first goal of the season and the last of the game. With the goal, Shoemaker picked up his first assist with the Falcons.
With the score tied at two-all, Boyle tried to win a two-on-one battle against the Falcons by narrowly out maneuvering Sandy and then set his sights on a game of cat and mouse with Shoemaker. By correctly timing Boyle's dispossession of the ball, Shoemaker won the second-half of the one-on-one and kept the Falcons within striking distance of the win.
"Boyle is a quick player who can give a defense trouble," said Thompson. "As a matter of fact he was doing his job quite well and had our defense on their heels a few times in today's match."
Momentum picked up as each team embraced the urgent need to score but it was the contending keepers playing their best soccer of the match in the final 15 minutes which gave way for the match to move into extra minutes.
Hope flickered for the Falcons with 10-seconds remaining in regulation when Chuko Evwaraye tried to turn a crossing pass from Hepple into his second game winning goal of the season, but the shot had a bit too much power and sailed over the heads of the Hartwick defense only to land out of bounds.
Defense ruled the following 20-minutes of overtime play and the first MAC meeting between the programs resulted in the 2-2 tie.
As the season progresses, the Falcons continue to push their home matches into extra minutes. Of their five home matches, only one (Sept. 20) was decided in regulation.
The Falcons have also required each of their MAC matches to be finalized in overtime.
Looking ahead, the upcoming week could be the toughest in recent BGSU memory as the Falcons face not one, but two nationally ranked opponents on their own grass. First BGSU will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. for a mid-week non-conference dual with the Wolverines of 21 Michigan. The soccer Falcons will then turn around and prepare for an evening showdown with conference rival Akron on Saturday.
#BGSU SOCCER#
