Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Wright State
Falcons Score Early and Often in 3-0 Win over Wright State
October 22, 2008 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 22, 2008
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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSUFalcons.com) - The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team scored twice in the first 30 minutes of Wednesday's (Oct. 22) game, en route to a 3-0 win over Wright State University. The non-conference game was held at BGSU's Cochrane Field.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 4-9-1 on the season, and BGSU snapped a five-game losing streak as well as a seven-game winless streak. The Raiders drop to 3-11-1 overall.
"It is always good to get a win, and it is especially nice to get the shutout," said BGSU head coach Fred Thompson. "We need to continue to emphasize defending and keeping a clean sheet as we move toward the MAC Tournament and hopefully beyond. The shutout was fantastic, and it was great to put three goals on the board."
Junior Chuko Evwaraye, sophomore Thomas McLean and freshman Byard Ebling scored the Falcons' goals, while senior Brent Petkus made six saves to earn the shutout.
The high-tempo game featured a total of 38 shot attempts, including 11 by each team in the opening half. After the Raiders took the first shot attempt of the game, the home team fired five of the next six shots, including three in a 90-second span.
With less than six minutes elapsed, the Falcons strung together several passes, with sophomores Dusko Topolic and McLean combining for the last connection. But, as McLean fired the ball into the net, the play was whistled dead due to offsides.
Less than a minute later, junior Gavin Dozier's slow roller nearly got past WSU goalkeeper Matt Koewler, but Koewler was able to turn and dive to grab the ball before it crossed the goal line.
Only 45 seconds after Dozier's offering, junior Cameron Hepple played a left-side cross to Ebling, who flicked the ball with the outside of his foot. The shot hit off the crossbar near the far post. Before another minute had passed, Topolic fired a shot on goal that Koewler was able to parry.
Wright State nearly scored with just over 12 minutes gone, as Josh Zimmerlin -- who led all players with four shots on the day -- headed home a free kick by Josh Grossman. But, the shot did not count, as the play had been ruled offside.
Not 30 seconds after the offsides call, the Falcons scored at the other end of the pitch, and this one counted. Hepple again possessed the ball on the left side of the field, and crossed it to a charging Evwaraye, who slotted his shot into the space between the diving Koewler and the right post at the 12:34 mark. The Falcons had a lead they would not relinquish.
BG scored again before 30 minutes had expired in the game. Again, the goal came soon after a play at the other end of the field. Petkus broke up a Raider crossing attempt, and threw an outlet pass to McLean. The soph played a long ball ahead to Ebling, who ran it down just inside the sideline.
Ebling saved the ball for Dozier, who completed the give-and-go play with a return pass as Ebling headed into the penalty area. The freshman poked a shot toward goal, which deflected off a Raider defender and into the right side of the net. The Falcons, after scoring one first-half goal in the first 13 games of the season, had their second first-half goal of the day.
Two minutes after assisting on Ebling's goal, Dozier nearly scored one of his own. The junior picked the pocket of a WSU player at midfield and sailed in on a breakaway. But, Koewler was able to make a kick save of Dozier's shot from approximately 25 yards out.
Wright State threatened to get on the scoreboard late in the half. With just under seven minutes left, a cross found its way through several players in the box to Adam Harp, stationed on the six-yard line. Harp fired high from point-blank range.
Then, in the final 61 seconds of the half, the Raiders had three corner kicks, two shots and several other close calls. Braden Fleak, WSU's leading scorer, redirected one of those CKs on goal with a header, but Petkus was in position to make the save. The Falcons took the two-goal lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Raiders had several chances in the early going, but twice fired shots right at Petkus, and the fifth-year senior made the save on each occasion.
A third of the way through the half, WSU's Jordan Haggit hit the crossbar with a shot from the right side. Then, midway through the period, Petkus stopped back-to-back shots in impressive fashion.
Grossman uncorked a free kick from approximately 20 yards out, and Petkus was equal to the task. The rebound, however, came to Zimmerlin, who was lurking on the doorstep. His follow-up try was arguably the Raiders' best chance of the day, but the Falcon 'keeper made the save to help preserve the shutout.
Minutes later, Evwaraye made several nifty moves to elude a would-be defender, and slid a cross through the box, just out of reach of several teammates. But, the Falcons would get another goal, as McLean picked up a loose ball and blasted a 30-yard shot past the helpless Koewler. McLean's second goal of the year gave BG a three-goal lead that proved to be insurmountable.
The Raiders had a late scoring chance, but a shot by Grossman hit the post, and the Falcons had the shutout win.
BGSU had seven shots on goal to the visitors' six. Koewler made four saves for the Raiders.
Thompson was pleased with the play of his entire squad on Wednesday, but singled out several of the 2008 team's newcomers.
"We had several freshmen that played quite well today," said the head coach. "Byard Ebling has been a warrior, and a good contributor, over the last five or six games. I was glad to see him get his second goal -- his work rate has been very good, and he has created some good things for us.
"Tanner Fink stepped in and played beside Thomas (McLean) at left back today. Tanner has been in several positions for us, and has been very solid. He is fearless, and he will do whatever it takes to keep the ball out of the net.
"Both Byard and Tanner played for Falcon alum Brett Strang, so it's nice to keep that Falcon family atmosphere going."
The Falcons return to Mid-American Conference action Saturday (Oct. 25), heading to the conference's "West Coast" to take on Northern Illinois University. That game will begin at noon local time (1:00 p.m. Eastern Time). BGSU's next home game will be next Wednesday (Oct. 29) against Michigan State University.
"It's nice to be home," said Thompson. "We have a tough schedule this year, with 12 of our 18 games on the road, so it is always nice to play in front of a home crowd. I think that really energized the guys.
"Now, we will prepare for our trip to Northern Illinois and look to get a result on the road, before returning home for our final two games in front of the Cochrane Field crowd this year."
FALCON NOTES
* BGSU's total of three goals tied a season high ... the Falcons also scored three times in the Centenary (Sept. 12) and Marshall (Sept. 27) games.
* The Falcons, as mentioned, had scored one first-half goal in the first 13 games of the season ... BG scored twice before halftime on Wednesday, on the goals by Evwaraye and Ebling.
* Junior Chuko Evwaraye's goal vs. the Raiders was his third of the year ... he is now second on the team behind classmate Jacob Lawrence (four).
* Evwaraye had his second game-winning goal of the season, tying him for the team lead with Lawrence.
* Evwaraye now has six career goals ... five of those six have been game winners ... his only career goal that was not a GWG came vs. Centenary, when he scored the Falcons' first goal of that game to start a comeback from a two-goal deficit ... Evwaraye completed that comeback with the GWG in that 3-2 win.
* Junior Cameron Hepple had an assist on Evwaraye's goal ... Hepple now has eight points, and has moved into a tie with Lawrence for the team lead in that category ... Hepple leads the Falcons with four assists on the year.
* Freshman Byard Ebling and sophomore Thomas McLean each recorded their second goal of the season ... Ebling's first career goal came in the Marshall game, while McLean scored in the Falcons' home opener vs. IPFW (Sept. 19).
* McLean's goal was the fifth of his young career.
* Evwaraye's goal, at the 12:34 mark, was BG's earliest goal in a game this season.
* Ebling had had the Falcons' earliest goal in a 2008 game prior to Wednesday, having scored at the 26:42 mark of the MU game ... Ebling scored at 29:04 vs. WSU, and now has two of BG's three first-half goals this fall.
* Hepple now has eight career assists ... he is BG's active career leader in goals (seven), assists and points (22).
* Senior Brent Petkus picked up his first shutout of the year and the second of his career ... his other shutout came in a scoreless tie vs. IPFW last fall (Oct. 7, 2007) at Cochrane Field.
* BG's win evened the team's home record at 2-2-0 this year ... the Falcons have played just four home games in 14 outings this fall.
* The win also squared the BGSU-Wright State series at 4-4-2 ... BG is now 2-2-2 in home games vs. the Raiders ... the Falcons have won the last two meetings, including a 2-0 road win last year (Sept. 23, 2007) ... all four of the Falcons' series wins have come by shutout.
