Broncos Get Past Falcons, 2-0

Friday, October 1

Bowling Green, Ohio

4:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Western Michigan *

Freshman Brandon Silva

October 01, 2010 | Men's Soccer

Western scores twice in second half en route to win

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Visiting Western Michigan University scored twice in a four-minute span in the second half Friday afternoon (Oct. 1), en route to a 2-0 victory over the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team. The Mid-American Conference match was held at Cochrane Field.

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With the win, the Broncos improve to 6-2-1 overall and 1-0-0 in the MAC. The Falcons drop to 2-4-2 and 0-2-0, respectively.

Darren Jones and Pat Schiffer scored for the Broncos, with Jones finding the net in the 59th minute and Schiffer scoring in the 63rd minute of play.

The teams each had a total of 12 shot attempts in the match, with the visitors holding a narrow 7-6 edge in the opening half, and BG outshooting the Broncos, 6-5, in the second period.

The Falcons had several shots in the early going, but neither team could put a shot on goal until WMU's Kai Mendes hit a right-side offering that was easily stopped by Falcon junior Miguel Rosales with 17 minutes gone.

The hosts had had a chance just two minutes prior, as sophomore Zach Lemke and freshman Sam Galloway built the attack and headed into the WMU end of the field. Galloway worked a give-and-go play with senior Dusko Topolic, but a Western defender was able to knock the ball away from Galloway just before he could get a shot off in the penalty box.

Midway through the half, senior Thomas McLean's long free kick sailed into the box, where it was deflected to Lemke. The sophomore ripped a shot just high of the target.

Western threatened just over a minute later, as Shane Lyons headed a shot just over the bar off of a Bronco corner-kick play. After a BGSU foul only two minutes after Lyons' shot, some WMU trickery on the ensuing free kick gave Mendes an opening for a 20-yard shot, but Rosales made the stop.

The Broncos' Oliver Mayer had two dangerous chances with 15 minutes left before halftime. Mayer hit a volley off a teammate's pass, but that shot was blocked. The ball came back to Mayer, who fired again, but the follow-up try was high.

Freshman Brandon Silva found classmate Ryan Snashall with a pass with 12 minutes remaining in the opening period, but Snashall's shot from the left side of the 18-yard box went wide of the mark.

With 10 minutes left in the period, the Falcons had one of their best chances of the day. Junior Max Weston received a pass from Snashall and hit a soft arcing shot that was too high for the leaping effort of WMU 'keeper Sean Lewis. Weston's shot hit the crossbar and fell to the ground just shy of the goal line. As several players from each team battled for the rebound, however, the assistant referee's flag signalled the end of the play and gave the ball to the Broncos.

Six-and-a-half minutes remained when Weston's corner kick found the head of Silva. Silva struck his shot well, but the ball whizzed over the crossbar.

The Falcons had the first two shots of the second half, with both going on goal. Lewis saved a shot by sophomore Joey D'Agostino with seven minutes gone in the period. Then, two minutes later, freshman Ryan Comiskey took a Topolic pass and uncorked a shot. Lewis blocked the shot, giving up a long rebound, but was able to scramble after the ball and arrive there first.

At the 58:35 mark, the Broncos got on the scoreboard, as Jones played a long right-to-left diagonal ball into the box. Lyons, WMU's leading scorer, looked to run onto it, but could not get his head on the ball. Rosales, however, was expecting a deflection from the onrushing Lyons, and Jones' effort bounced once, glanced off the far (left) goalpost and went in.

The visitors doubled the lead just four minutes later. After Jones and Mendes worked a short corner kick, Jones played a right-side cross into the box. The ball deflected off of a player in the crowded mass of bodies, and bounced up in the air where Schiffer headed it home. Jones drew the assist on the goal, which came at 62:48.

With just under 15 minutes left, the Falcons nearly scored a goal similar to Western's first. Weston played a diagonal ball into the box. It appeared as if Lewis lost the ball in the sun for an instant, but at any rate, the ball bounced once, hit Lewis and bounced away.

The Falcons had several corner kicks over the final 15 minutes, but could muster just one more shot attempt, and the Broncos held on for the win. Lewis made three saves to earn the shutout for the visitors.

For the Brown and Orange, Rosales played all 90 minutes in net, making three stops at the other end of the pitch.

The Falcons will be back in action on Wednesday (Oct. 6), heading to Fort Wayne to take on IPFW. BGSU's next home action comes next Saturday, Oct. 9, when the Falcons host Buffalo at 1:00 p.m at Cochrane Field.