Falcons, Huskies Battle to 1-1 Draw in MAC Opener

Friday, September 25

DeKalb, Ill.

4:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Northern Illinois

September 25, 2009 | Women's Soccer

By: DeKALB, Ill. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team battled host Northern Illinois University to a 1-1 draw Friday afternoon (Sept. 25), in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams. The match was held at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex.

* BGSU 1, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 1 - Final Stats
* BGSU 1, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 1 - PDF Boxscore

With the result, the Falcons are now 4-5-1 on the season, while the Huskies are 4-4-1.

Annie Wyer scored to give the home team the lead in the 27th minute, but sophomore Alyssa Zuccaro equalized just over two minutes later, with classmate Megan Amann assisting.

The Huskies' goal came after a corner kick by Lisa Maier. A BGSU defender blocked the ball in the penalty area, but it deflected to Maier, who scored at 27:35 to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage.

However, it took the Falcons only 2:04 to respond. Amann played the ball ahead to Zuccaro, who was able to put some space between herself and the Huskie defenders and beat NIU goalkeeper Lindsey Curnock. That goal came at the 29:39 mark.

For the next 80:21, neither Curnock nor Falcon redshirt junior Alexa Arsenault would allow another shot to get past them. Arsenault made five saves on the day, while Curnock had four stops.

"It was actually a terrific performance today, especially after going a goal down," said BGSU head coach Andy Richards. "We managed to fight our way back into the game with a goal soon after the Northern Illinois goal. It was an excellent goal, very well-worked. We got a beautiful release pass from Megan Amann and a very clinical, composed finish from 'Zed' (Zuccaro).

"We are happy to get a point on the road. We are happy that we scored a great goal, but we also feel that we kind of gave away a goal from a set piece. But, it was a very hard-fought game, and we are pleased to come out of it with something. A win would have been nice, and we had a good chance in overtime, but I am proud of the performance today. We got solid defending, and if we continue to play with the commitment and passion that we showed today, the wins will come."

Northern held a 10-6 advantage in total shot attempts, and the Huskies had six shots on goal to the Falcons' five.

The Falcons remain on the road to take on Western Michigan University Sunday afternoon (Sept. 27). That contest will begin at 2:30 p.m. in Kalamazoo.

FALCON NOTES
* Sophomore Alyssa Zuccaro's goal was her second of the season and the seventh of her career ... she is second among active Falcons in career goals, trailing only senior Stacey Lucas (eight).

* Zuccaro is now second on the team in scoring this year, with six points ... she is tied for the team lead with two goals, and is deadlocked for second in assists, with two this year to date.

* Sophomore Megan Amann's assist was her third of the year, tying her for the team lead ... she now has 11 career assists, the most among active Falcons.

* This season, Amann has a total of seven points, most on the Falcons ... in addition to assists, she is also tied for the team lead in goals, with two.

* Friday's game marked the Falcons' first overtime contest of the season ... BG's last OT game came last Oct. 30, and also ended in a 1-1 tie ... that result came against Toledo at Cochrane Field.