Broncos Strike Twice Early in Second Half to Down Falcons, 2-0

Friday, October 21

Bowling Green, Ohio

6:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

5-13-0, 2-7-0MAC

Western Michigan

10-7-0, 6-3-0MAC

Western Michigan

Bowling Green

Friday's BGSU-WMU match was the first night game in Cochrane Field history (photo by Craig Bell)

October 21, 2011 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

BGSU falls in first-ever night game at Cochrane Field

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Western Michigan University scored a pair of goals three minutes apart early in the second half, and the Broncos went on to down the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team, 2-0, Friday night (Oct. 21). The Mid-American Conference contest was the first night game in Cochrane Field history.

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PHOTO GALLERY - Craig Bell, BGSU Photo Services
PHOTO GALLERY 2 - Danny Sierra, BGSU Athletic Communications

With the win, the Broncos improve to 10-7-0 overall and 6-3-0 in MAC play. The Falcons drop to 5-13-0 and 2-7-0, respectively.

The loss dealt a blow to the Falcons' MAC Tournament hopes, but did not eliminate BGSU from contention. With two games remaining in the regular season, BG is five points out of the eighth and final tournament spot. Teams earn three points for a win and one for a tie.

Western Michigan currently sits in third place in the MAC, both in the West Division and overall.

Rachel Chaney scored the Broncos' first goal just 2:07 into the second half. WMU's Caitlin Henderson played a free kick into the penalty area. The ball was knocked off of the six-yard line by a Falcon defender, but Chaney picked it up near the top of the box on the left side of the pitch. The WMU freshman took several touches as she moved from left to right, then fired an arcing shot that found the upper-right-hand corner of the net.

Only 2:58 later, the Broncos doubled the lead. Brittney Pavlica knocked a short crossing ball from the right side of the pitch, into a crowd of players in the center of the box. The ball deflected off of a BGSU defender and went into the near side of the net for an own goal.

Western, currently in third place in the MAC, held a 22-9 advantage in total shot attempts, and the Broncos put 11 shots on goal to BGSU's four. Michelle Watson made four saves en route to the shutout win.

For the Falcons, redshirt junior Becca Ison made nine stops, her highest total in a MAC match this fall.

In the first night game at Cochrane Field, it took nearly 15 minutes for the first shot attempt in a night game in Cochrane Field history to be recorded. Twelve minutes in, however, the visitors had a scoring chance. After a free kick from the right side of the pitch sailed into the box, a WMU player headed the ball back the other way. But, the ball was out of the reach of any Bronco strikers, and it trickled out of bounds.

Midway through the period, Henderson fired a shot from distance, but the ball was hit directly at Ison, who grabbed it out of the air. Hender's shot was the visitors' third of the match.

With 17 minutes left before halftime, the Falcons made a foray into the offensive end of the pitch. BG possessed the ball deep in Western's defensive third, but could not get any clean looks at the goal. A shot attempt was blocked, and the Broncos were able to clear.

Two minutes later, Stephanie Skowneski, WMU's leading scorer, hit a curving shot from the left side of the penalty area. But, Ison made the play on that shot, and she grabbed Pavlica's effort several minutes later.

A BGSU giveaway led to a chance for Skowneski with six minutes left before the break, but her shot was wide. At the other end, freshman Kaylee Draper worked a give-and-go play to perfection with sophomore Madeline Wideman. With two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the period, Draper lofted a diagonal ball into the box. The serve, however, was just out of the reach of redshirt junior Leah Johnson, and the ball passed through the penalty area untouched.

The Broncos had a 7-2 advantage in first-half shots, but the teams went to the intermission knotted in a scoreless draw.

In the second period, however, Western struck twice early in the second period. Chaney's goal came at the 47:07 mark, while the own goal occurred with 50:05 gone in the match. BGSU had several chances to cut into that lead.

With 35 minutes remaining, senior Megan Amann's corner kick very nearly reached the head of junior Sarah VonderBrink, but a Bronco defender knocked the ball out of the danger area a split-second before 'Vondy' could arrive.

Less than two minutes later, the Broncos looked to increase their lead, as a through ball by Chaney put Skowneski behind the BG defense. Ison came off of her line in an attempt to break up the play, but Skowneski poked the ball past the Falcon 'keeper. Skowneski, to the left of the goal, tracked down the ball and attempted to center it, but a BGSU defender knocked it out of the penalty area.

Twenty minutes remained in the period when Wideman made a nifty pass to freshman Sidney Huth. Huth, fighting off a WMU defender, managed to get into the penalty area and fire a shot from straightaway center. But, Watson came up with a kick save to keep the Falcons off the scoreboard.

Draper had several shots over the next few minutes. First, the freshman hit a turnaround shot off of a scramble in the box, but that shot was stopped by Watson. Then, with 12 minutes left in the match, the Perrysburg native lifted a ball into the box from approximately 35 yards out. Watson badly misjudged the shot, coming off of her line to grab it only to see it sail over her head. As senior captain Alyssa Zuccaro and a Bronco defender converged on the ball, however, the Western 'keeper was able to turn around and grab it with a diving effort just two years away from the goal line.

In between those two plays, Zuccaro found Wideman with a pass on the right side of the field. Wideman blew past her would-be defender, and fired a ball that went just wide of the far post.

BG's final shot of the game sailed wide with six minutes left, and the Broncos were able to salt away the victory. Skowneski and Diana Dedvukaj each had four total shot attempts to lead all players, while Draper and Zuccaro had two apiece for the Brown and Orange.

BGSU returns to the Cochrane Field pitch one more time this fall, hosting Northern Illinois University on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 23). Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Cochrane, with 'Senior Day' festivities to be held prior to the match. The Falcons' senior class consists of Amann, Zuccaro, Courtney Beinlich and Brittney Hopkins.