Detroit Rallies to Down Falcons, 3-2, in Overtime Heartbreaker

Wednesday, November 4

Bowling Green, Ohio

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Detroit

Cameron Hepple BGSU vs. Ohio Wesleyan Aug. 22, 2009

November 04, 2009 | Men's Soccer

BG hits the crossbar twice in final five minutes of regulation

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Ken Simon scored 7:45 into overtime, giving the University of Detroit Mercy a 3-2 win over the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 4). The non-conference match was held at Cochrane Field.

* DETROIT 3, BGSU 2 - Final Stats | * DETROIT 3, BGSU 2 - PDF Boxscore

With the win, the Titans are now 4-12-1 on the season, while the Falcons drop to 2-12-3.

Simon's goal capped UDM's comeback from a two-nil deficit. The Falcons had taken the lead in the first half, as seniors Cameron Hepple and Jacob Lawrence scored just 21 seconds apart.

But, the Titans' Nick Dreshaj had a brace in a span of just 1:38 to tie the match in the 74th minute, setting the stage for Simon's heroics.

The Falcons fired a total of 26 shots, but UDM goalkeeper Martin Robertson made a total of nine saves to pick up the win. For the Falcons, Dylan Schoettley had five stops.

The match was delayed just prior to 2:00 p.m., the scheduled start time. The teams changed into their jerseys and prepared for the World Cup-style entrance for the starting lineups and National Anthem. However, with the Falcons sporting orange shirts and the Titans wearing red, it was decided that the colors were too similar, and several individuals were dispatched to Perry Stadium to get BGSU's white jerseys. BGSU changed into the alternate unis, and the match kicked off at 2:13 p.m. Eastern Time.

Early on, the Falcons controlled the bulk of the play, with six of the game's first seven shots. With just under five minutes gone, Lawrence played a centering ball toward fellow senior co-captain Hunter Van Houten. Van Houten was able to get a toe on the ball, but could not control it as Robertson scooped it up.

Seconds later, however, Zach Lemke worked a give-and-go play with Hepple in the offensive third of the Cochrane Field pitch. Lemke took the return pass and hit a shot that sailed just wide of the far post. A few minutes later, Hepple fired a low shot of his own, but it went just wide of the other goalpost.

Detroit's first shot came with over 18 minutes gone, but was a grade-A opportunity. After a Falcon turnover, Simon picked up the ball and played a forward pass to Sam Seppo. Seppo drilled a half volley, but the shot was wide.

Nearly 21 minutes remained in the first half when a foul was called on the Titans just outside the penalty area. From approximately 20 yards out, Hepple drilled a free kick on target, but Robertson tipped the shot over the bar and out of play. Two minutes later, however, Hepple would get the Falcons on the scoreboard.

Junior Dusko Topolic played a pass ahead to Hepple, on the right side of the field. Hepple eluded one defender, then cut to his left and eluded the onrushing Robertson. The Falcon senior rolled the ball into the vacated net. Topolic picked up the lone assist on the play, which came at the 26:48 mark.

Seconds after the goal, Lawrence and BGSU had the ball back. Lawrence dribbled through a host of UDM players and hit a shot from approximately five yards out. The ball nestled into the right corner of the goal with 27:09 gone in the match.

The Titans threatened with 13 minutes remaining before halftime, but back-to-back shots by Ali Youssef and Seppo were blocked.

At the other end, the Falcons looked to increase the lead, but redshirt sophomore Max Weston's shot went just high, and a long Topolic effort was slightly off target.

The final chance of the half came after a Falcon giveaway, but Otieno Victor's shot from the top of the box was blocked by a BG defender.

Early in the second half, Victor picked a BGSU player's pocket deep in the Falcons' defensive end. Victor slid a centering ball to Pat Lepera, but Lepera's shot was saved by Schoettley at the near post.

The Falcons were able to string together several passes, but Lawrence's shot was saved by Robertson. Seconds later, the home team had the ball back, and Hepple's pass led to a blast by Topolic. But, Robertson again was equal to the task.

Twenty-seven minutes remained when senior Tyler Deal was on the other end of a Van Houten corner kick. Deal had a great deal of force behind his shot, but the ball was hit directly at Robertson. Several minutes later, sophomore Colin Armstrong's entry pass was just out of the reach of classmate Byard Ebling, rolling to the UDM 'keeper.

Suddenly, with just under 18 minutes left in the second half, the Titans struck. A long free kick from Youssef sailed into the box, where Dreshaj -- one of several onrushing UDM players -- headed it home. Youssef drew the lone assist on the play.

Only 98 seconds later, Dreshaj scored again. This time, Victor picked up the assist, sliding a right-side cross into the box. Dreshaj hit a shot that glanced off the underside of the crossbar and landed across the goal line. With 16:10 remaining in regulation, the match was tied.

The final 14 minutes of the half, believe it or not, would see the Falcons fire a total of 10 shots. Two of those shots hit the woodwork, while several others were well-struck shots, but were directly at Robertson.

The first of those 10 shots came from Robert Barker. John Barr crossed the ball from right to left, and Barker's header was on target, but was stopped by the 'keeper.

At the other end, Nate Robinson saw his bid for the go-ahead goal denied by Schoettley with 11:30 remaining. Thirty seconds later, Barr's pass to Hepple gave the Falcons' leading scorer an opportunity. Hepple turnstiled two UDM defenders and hit a hard shot in traffic, but Robertson made the stop.

With just under five minutes remaining, Barr nearly put the home team ahead. The sophomore blasted a half-volley that required a Herculean effort by Robertson. The UDM GK, however, was able to get a hand on the shot, and the ball deflected off the crossbar, leaving the match knotted at 2-2.

BGSU maintained control of the ball, though, stringing five or six passes together. Barr, Van Houten, Lawrence, true sophomore Tanner Fink and redshirt soph Chris Jurtovski all were involved in the buildup of the play, which resulted in a shot from Van Houten just outside the 18-yard box. But, the shot was blocked by a lunging UDM backliner.

Lightning nearly struck twice for Lawrence in the final minute of regulation. The Falcons won a corner kick at the northeast corner of the field, and Van Houten's kick sailed past the Cochrane Field scoreboard and toward the six-yard box. Lawrence got his head on the ball, and drilled a shot at Robertson. The UDM 'keeper happened to be in the perfect spot to block the shot on the goal line, almost in self defense, and the ball bounded away.

Again, however, the Falcons maintained possession, and Lawrence got another chance. This time, his hard shot caromed off the bar with just 29 seconds left. The teams headed to overtime.

Just over two minutes into to the OT period, freshman Joey D'Agostino played a right-side cross through the box, a cross that was just barely out of reach of the lunging Lawrence and Lemke.

With nearly seven minutes gone in the period, another corner kick by Van Houten resulted in another well-struck ball off the noggin of Lawrence, but the shot was directly at Robertson.

Less than a minute later, the Titans had the ball at the south end of the Cochrane complex. Robinson's shot was saved by Schoettley near the left post, but the ball deflected off the BG goalie and out of play.

Robinson took the ensuing corner kick, directing it into the penalty area. On the left side of the box, Victor got a boot on the ball, redirecting it to Simon in the center of the box. Simon quickly shot and scored, giving the Titans the victory.

BGSU had a 26-17 margin in shot attempts, setting a season high. And, the Falcons had 11 shots on goal (tying the season best) to the Titans' eight. The Brown and Orange set a 2009 best in corner kicks, holding a 9-5 lead in that category.

The Falcons will close the 2009 season on Saturday (Nov. 7), hosting Mid-American Conference affiliate member Florida Atlantic University. That match is scheduled to begin at noon, with BGSU's six-member senior class recognized in pregame ceremonies. The class includes Deal, Hepple, Lawrence, Van Houten, Gavin Dozier and Chuko Evwaraye.