Falcons Drop a Heartbreaker to Akron, 2-1

Sunday, October 11

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Akron

October 11, 2009 | Women's Soccer

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The visiting University of Akron scored late in each half to hand the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team a 2-1 defeat Sunday afternoon (Oct. 11). The Mid-American Conference match was held at Cochrane Field.

AKRON 2, BGSU 1 - Final Stats

With the win, the ZIps improve to 4-6-2 overall and 2-3-1 in MAC action, while the Falcons fall to 4-9-2 and 0-4-2, respectively.

Liz Cloutier knocked home what proved to be the winning goal with just 1:09 left in the second half, off of a scramble in the penalty box. BGSU senior Colleen Kordan had tied the score at 1-1 with only 4:34 remaining in regulation, converting a penalty kick.

Rachel Phillip had scored the first goal of the match, giving the Zips the lead with just 46 seconds remaining in the first half. Phillip's unassisted goal came after a defensive lapse deep in the Falcons' end of the field.

The Falcons held a 17-14 advantage in overall shot attempts, and BG had six shots on goal to the Zips' four on the afternoon.

BG's first shot of the game came 7:40 into the match, as junior Jackie Tamerlano fired a long shot that UA goalkeeper Jeny Wolbert was able to gather in.

Just over 10 minutes into the match, however, Wolbert mishandled a crossing ball by Falcon freshman Keely Chandler, allowing the ball to slip through her hands. An Akron defender, however, was first to the ball, and was able to clear it out of danger.

Only 30 seconds later, BG junior Katie Stephenson played a ball from approximately 20 yards out. Chandler, stationed in the center of the penalty box, approximately eight yards out, was able to redirect it on goal. Luckily for Wolbert, though, the shot was directly at her, and she was able to bat it in the air and catch the rebound.

Sixteen-and-a-half minutes into the contest, sophomore Megan Amann took a corner kick, with the ball finding the head of classmate Alyssa Zuccaro. 'Z' hit the ball squarely, and the shot had Wolbert beaten. But, it hit off the far post and went out of play.

The chances continued to come for the Brown and Orange. Kordan took a long free kick from in front of the Akron bench, and sailed the ball into the penalty area. It came to Stephenson, who hit a hard shot. But, the ball was deflected by a lunging UA defender, taking much of the steam off of the shot, and Wolbert gathered it in.

The Falcons had controlled possession for the bulk of the half, but the Zips got a grade-A scoring chance against the run of play. With 18 minutes on the clock, UA's Ashley Hughes had the ball near the top of the penalty area, but had three defenders between her and the goal. One of those Falcons deflected the ball away from Hughes, but it went right to Leigh Cullen. Cullen hit a long shot that went just wide of the right post.

A few minutes later, the Falcons had the ball back in the offensive end, as junior Alicia Almond's diagonal ball found sophomore Katelyn Turner in the box. Turner, marked closely by a defender, was able to settle the ball and slide it left to an onrushing Zuccaro. Zuccaro, however, was unable to get a shot, as she was knocked to the pitch, and UA was able to clear the ball away from goal.

Stephenson had another chance with just over 10 minutes left, getting a head on an Amann cross, but the ball went just high. A moment later, a potentially-dangerous giveaway by a BG defender on the touch line resulted in Hughes taking possession. She played a low centering ball, but a Falcon defender was able to knock it out of the box.

With six minutes left in the half, Turner's cross sailed into the area at the BG offensive end. A Zip player got a boot on it, but it popped up in the air toward the right side of the goal. Falcon senior Carolyn Nesline put a header on target, but Wolbert grabbed the shot to keep the match scoreless for the time being.

Less than four minutes remained when an Akron cross sailed past two Zip strikers in the box. Almond played the ball out of danger.

Just when it seemed the teams might head into halftime locked in a scoreless tie, the Zips got on the board out of nowhere. Kordan, tracking down the ball in her own end with a UA player in hot pursuit, played the ball back toward 'keeper Alexa Arsenault. Kordan attempted to head the ball to Arsenault, to enable the redshirt junior to use her hands on the play. But, the diving header attempt did not go as far as Kordan had hoped, and UA's Phillip got to the ball first.

Phillip poked the ball with her toe to keep it away from the diving Arsenault. Then, in the area near the scoreboard at the north end of the field, she was able to settle the ball, take a few dribbles and fire it into the far corner of the net. It was Akron's first shot on goal of the day, and it gave the visitors a one-nil lead at the intermission.

After BG had had the better of the play for much of the first half, it was Akron that seemed to have the upper hand at the start of the second period. Less than two minutes after halftime, Britni Back's shot was blocked, but Cullen followed up by rifling a shot from about 10 yards out that hit the crossbar. The ball bounded back into the field of play, where Arsenault grabbed it on a bounce.

Just that quickly, the Falcon 'keeper threw an outlet pass that began a BG rush. That play resulted in Nesline getting past a charging Wolbert to the touch line, but the Falcon senior's cross went through the box without a teammate getting to it.

Soon after, Amann fired high from close range after taking a teammate's cross.

With seven minutes gone, Akron's Kyra Petrole hit a cross that looked like trouble for the home team, but Arsenault was able to leap high and pull it in. Then, three minutes later, Back's corner kick -- the Zips' only CK of the day -- found the head of Hughes, but the shot sailed just high.

Midway through the period, Turner's right-side cross was on target, reaching sophomore Kelsey Kovacs near the 18-yard line. Kovacs took one dribble to her left to gain some space for herself, and uncorked a hard shot that went just over the bar.

Only 20 minutes remained when Back made a nifty run through several BG players and into the box. But, senior Kaitlin Kobe blocked Back's shot attempt near the 12-yard stripe, then cleared the ball out of the BG defensive end.

Back and the Zips threatened again only three minutes later. Back played a diagonal ball for Phillip, who whirled and fired a long turnaround shot. The half volley was struck with force, but was wide of the target.

With under seven minutes left in the game, Korden's shot off of a BG corner kick was blocked out of play for another corner. The ensuing CK sailed just over a maze of players from both sides.

With just under five minutes on the clock, Arsenaul came up with a save on a shot by Phillip, again beginning a BG counterattack. Only 20 seconds later, Amann was taken down as she attempted to beat her defender on the left side of the 18-yard box. A penalty kick was awarded.

And, Kordan stepped up and converted that PK, for her second goal of the season. With just 4:34 on the clock, the Falcons had tied the score.

With two-and-a-half minutes left, after an Akron foul approximately 30 yards out, Stephenson took the free kick and fired a shot that seemed to fool Wolbert for a moment. But, the UA 'keeper was able to leap and make the save just below the crossbar.

Then, with just over a minute left in the match, the Zips got what would prove to be the winning goal. UA played a ball into the box, where several players from both teams were stationed. Numerous players had a shot at the ball. In the scramble, the ball eventually came to Cloutier, who deposited it into the right side of the net.

The Falcons had one final shot, but could not get the equalizer in the remaining 69 seconds, and the Zips had the victory.

Wolbert made five saves to earn the win for the visitors, while Arsenault had two saves at the other end of the field. On the afternoon, the Falcons had eight corner kicks to the Zips' one.

BGSU's four-match homestand continues with a pair of contests next weekend. The Falcons will face Kent State in Friday (Oct. 16) action, before welcoming Buffalo to town next Sunday (Oct. 18). The UB match is the final regular-season home match for the Falcons.