Bowling Green State University Athletics
Worlds Collide at Cochrane Field
April 20, 2008 | Women's Soccer
April 20, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Worlds collided at Cochrane Field on Sunday afternoon (April 20), as the Bowling Green State University women's soccer program held its annual Alumnae Game to conclude the spring portion of the schedule.
Head coach Andy Richards and the current Falcon team welcomed the former Falcons back to town, and the latter group included 16 alumnae. Rising BGSU senior Kristin McDonald scored a pair of first-half goals to help the current Falcons to a 2-0 win in the 70-minute game.
The afternoon was not so much about the final score, however, as it was about the chance for current Falcons to meet and mingle with past BGSU greats, as well as the chance for those former BG standouts to play a game on the Cochrane Field pitch one more time.
That alumnae group consisted of the following former Falcons:
CLASS OF 2000*: Stephanie Heller, Michelle Lisy, Janice Mentrup
CLASS OF 2002: Susan Wallace
CLASS OF 2004: Kristy Coppes
CLASS OF 2005: Britt Anderson, Leah Eggleton, Natalie Sampiller, Ali Shingler, Julie Trundle, Ashley Wentzel
CLASS OF 2006: Lindsay Carter
CLASS OF 2007: Danielle Cygan, Tiffany Hansen, Rachael Ross, Tiernay Tilford
 Kristin McDonald scored both goals for the '08 Falcons in their 2-0 win Sunday  |
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McDonald would score again midway through the half, firing a shot from approximately 20 yards out and finding the back of the net.
The alums got their first shot of the match several minutes later, when Leah Eggleton fired a long shot that was corraled by '08s goalkeeper Christy Zabek. Several minutes later, Kristy Coppes took a pass, cut back and fired a shot for the alumnae, but a defender got a boot on it.
Another rising senior for the current Falcons, Corbie Yee, hit the crossbar with a shot late in the first half, for the final quality scoring chance for either team before the intermission.
The teams employed different halftime strategies during the halftime break. The '08 squad used the time for a traditional huddle on the field, with the coaches talking to the team.
Many members of the alumnae squad used the 10-minute break to search the midfield circle for an earring lost by one of the players (who shall remain nameless). Referee Ron Carpenter earned game honors, and the appreciation of the fans, by spotting the earring after several minutes of searching. Fears assuaged, the alums took the pitch for the second half and played the '08s even, as neither team would score in the period.
Each team had several scoring chances in the period. Approximately a third of the way into the half, Rachael Ross played a ball forward to Julie Trundle, but Trundle's shot from near the 18-yard line was wide left.
Five minutes later, the alums got their first shot on goal of the day. Lindsay Carter uncorked a shot from the left side of the box, but Alexa Arsenault was able to dive and knock the ball away.
With 15 minutes left, Britt Anderson sent Michelle Lisy down the left side, but Lisy's left-footed crossing attempt sliced a little too close to the goalmouth, and Arsenault was able to grab the ball before an alum could get to it.
Just over a minute later, rising junior Stacey Lucas hit the crossbar with a right-side shot. The ball bounded to Yee on the left side of the box, and Yee slid a pass to rising sophomore Jackie Tamerlano in the center of the danger area. Tamerlano's one-timer, however, was saved by a diving Susan Wallace. Wallace, a forward during her Falcon playing days, played the entire match in goal for the alumnae squad on Sunday.
The alums played the final 10:30 of the match on the 'power play.' To Tiernay Tilford's credit, she attempted to check into the game for a teammate (the teams substituted on the fly in Sunday's match). However, no teammate came out of the match, and if referees Carpenter and Doug Rohrs noticed, they were not about to divulge the secret, perhaps striking a blow for alumnae everywhere.
Similarly, if Richards or anyone on the '08s squad noticed their sudden numbers disadvantage, they did not raise their voices in dissent. The current squad played the rest of the afternoon on the 'penalty kill.'
The alums' final scoring chance came when Coppes got control of a ball in the penalty area. The top scorer in Falcon history fired a shot that went just high of the mark.
The current squad held advantages in shots and corner kicks on the day, but Wallace was stellar in net for the alums. Unofficially, she made eight saves in her 70 minutes of work, breaking up numerous additional crosses and scoring chances.
As mentioned, Wallace was a forward during her Falcon career. At times on Sunday, her defensive unit included a pair of former BGSU 'keepers, Tiffany Hansen and Ali Shingler, with another former GK up front. Lisy starred both at forward and in the net during her BG tenure.
At the other end of the field, Zabek and Arsenault each played a half in goal, with Arsenault making one save. Zabek got into the match at forward for the final four minutes of the match, and was marked by another GK, Hansen, during that time.
"I want to thank everyone who was able to be here this weekend," said Richards. "In addition to the 16 alumnae who played in the game today, we had several others who made it back to town for part of the weekend, but had coaching commitments today and had to leave prior to the alumnae game.
"We are always happy to see the Falcon greats of the past, and we look forward to doing this again next year. And, we look forward to seeing some of those smiling faces for a game or two during the fall season."
That fall schedule begins on August 22, when the Falcons open the 2008 campaign at Cincinnati. The home portion of the schedule commences on August 31, when the Falcons will meet Michigan State at Cochrane Field.
* NOTE: The year listed denotes the fall season in which each player was a senior, not their year of graduation ... additionally, while several former Falcon players are now married, they are listed by their maiden names
