Falcons Meet Miami in Final Regular-Season Match

Thursday, October 27

Oxford, Ohio

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Miami

Sophomore Madeline Wideman & the Falcons close the regular season with Thursday's match at Miami (photo by Doug Sampson)

October 26, 2011 | Women's Soccer

BGSU needs a win, and a little help, to qualify for the MAC Tournament

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team, after a win in the final home game of the 2011 season, remains alive in the quest for a Mid-American Conference Tournament berth. The Falcons of head coach Andy Richards will enter the final day of the regular season needing a victory, along with a few positive results from around the league.

BGSU, currently three points out of a tournament spot, will travel to Oxford for a Thursday (Oct. 27) match vs. Miami University. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. at the Miami Soccer Field. The RedHawks currently hold down the eighth and final spot in the race for a MAC Tournament berth.

LINKS
BGSU CUMULATIVE STATISTICS: HTML   |   PDF
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Miami
WAYS TO FOLLOW BGSU-MIAMI: Live Stats   |   Live Streaming (fee required)
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: MAC Release
BGSU 2011 MEDIA GUIDE: PDF   |   Flip Interactive

FALCONS at MIAMI
Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 • 3:00 p.m.
VENUE: Miami Soccer Field; Oxford, Ohio
RECORDS:
• BGSU: 6-13-0, 3-7-0 MAC (4-12-4, 2-6-3 MAC in 2010)
• Miami: 9-8-0, 4-6-0 MAC (13-7-2, 5-4-2 MAC in 2010)
SERIES*: MU leads, 10-7-0   |   STREAK: MU - 2
LAST MEETING: Miami 5, at BGSU 2 (Oct. 28, 2010)
LAST MEETING IN OXFORD: at Miami 4, BGSU 1 (Oct. 4, 2009)
COACHES:
• BGSU: Andy Richards (Sheffield City Polytechnic [England], 1989), 108-121-26 in 12th year at BGSU and overall; 58-62-15 in MAC matches
• Miami: Bobby Kramig (Florida Southern, 1982), 154-124-20 in 15th year at MU; 167-127-20 in 16th year overall; 83-68-12 in MAC matches %
LIVE STREAMING: Available at MURedHawks.com (fee required)
LIVE STATS: Available at MURedHawks.com or right here at BGSUFalcons.com
* Note: Series information can be found on pages 47-49 of the 2011 BGSU online media guide, which is available in both PDF and flip interactive formats here at BGSUFalcons.com
% as a women's coach (Kramig coached the Miami men's team for 16 years)

LIVE STATISTICS
Again in 2011, all BGSU women's soccer matches, home and away, will have live statistics available on the web. If you can't make it to the field, simply log on to BGSUFalcons.com at game time. The live stats links can be found on the front page of the site (in the 'schedule' section) or by clicking on the women's soccer schedule and choosing the corresponding match.

LIVE STREAMING
Thursday's match will have live streaming available via Miami's web site, www.MURedHawks.com. A fee is required to view the live streaming. A link will also be available here at BGSUFalcons.com.

THE FALCONS AND THE MAC TOURNAMENT RACE
With one game remaining in the MAC regular-season schedule, the Falcons currently sit in sixth place in the East Division, and BGSU is 11th overall. The Falcons have a 3-7-0 league record, good for nine points (teams earn three points for a win and one point for a tie).

Despite the 11th-place standing, the Falcons are just three points behind Miami – Thursday's opponent – in the race for the final league tournament spot. To qualify for the tourney, BGSU needs each of the following things to happen:

• A BGSU win over Miami;
• An Eastern Michigan loss to Central Michigan; AND
• An Akron loss to Ohio

According to the MAC's 2011-12 handbook, the eight teams with the highest point accumulation, regardless of division, will qualify for the MAC Tournament. Should the three above outcomes occur, BGSU would have 12 points, and would be tied with Miami for the eighth seed overall. In that scenario, the Falcons would win the tiebreaker due to head-to-head record.

An Akron tie vs. Ohio on Thursday, coupled with a BGSU win, would leave BGSU, Akron and Miami in a three-way tie. UA would win that tiebreaker. All three teams would have a 1-1-0 record in head-to-head competition with the other two schools. The second tiebreaker is record vs. the number-one team in the league, which will be either Toledo or Central Michigan. In either case, the Zips would earn the final seed. UA tied both UT and CMU in the teams' regular-season meetings, while Miami and BGSU each lost to both the Rockets and Chippewas.

The current standings, with each team's remaining match...

MAC STANDINGS
(As of Tuesday, Oct. 25 – teams listed in order from 1-12 since division membership has no bearing on MAC Tournament seeding)
Toledo (10-6-2)        8-1-1  25   vs. Ball St.
Central Mich. (13-2-3)  7-1-2  23   @EMU
Western Mich. (11-7-0)  7-3-0  21   @NIU
Kent State (12-6-0)   6-4-0  18   @Buffalo
Ohio (7-9-2)            4-4-2  14   @Akron
Ball State (9-7-3)      4-4-2  14   @Toledo
Buffalo (10-4-4)       3-3-4  13   vs. KSU
Miami (9-8-0)           4-6-0  12   vs. BGSU
Akron (6-8-2)           3-5-2  11   vs. Ohio
Eastern Mich. (3-12-2)  3-6-1  10   vs. CMU
Bowling Green (6-13-0)  3-7-0   9   @Miami
Northern Ill. (2-14-2)  1-9-0   3   vs. WMU

MAC SCHEDULE
Thursday, Oct. 27
Bowling Green at Miami, 3:00
Ball State at Toledo, 2:00
Western Michigan at Northern Illinois, 2:30
Ohio at Akron, 3:00
Kent State at Buffalo, 3:00
Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan, 3:00

LAST WEEKEND
The Falcons completed cross-divisional play, and ended the home schedule, by splitting a pair of 2-0 decisions. On Friday (Oct. 21), Western Michigan scored two goals three minutes apart early in the second half en route to a victory at Cochrane Field. BGSU redshirt junior Becca Ison made nine saves, her highest total in a MAC game, for the Brown and Orange. It was the first night game in Cochrane Field history.

Sunday afternoon (Oct. 23), it was the Falcons who scored two second-half goals in a win over Northern Illinois. On 'Senior Day' at Cochrane, fourth-year Falcon Megan Amann notched what would prove to be the winning goal early in the second half, while freshman Sidney Huth scored late in the period to provide some insurance. Ison had two saves to earn her third shutout of the season.

LIGHTING IT UP
Friday's WMU game, as mentioned, was the first home night game in BGSU women's soccer history. The Cochrane Field lights project was completed last week, and both the BG men's and women's teams played a match under the lights over the weekend.

The lights are a culmination of a project which saw BGSU soccer alumni raise the majority of the money. Men's soccer alums Gary Kovacs (1967-69) and Nan Chul Shin (1983-86) provided major leadership gifts, while other Falcon men's and women's soccer alums donated as well.

'SENIOR DAY' SUCCESS
Sunday's match against Northern Illinois was 'Senior Day' at Cochrane Field, as the team's four seniors – team captain Alyssa Zuccaro, along with Megan Amann, Courtney Beinlich and Brittany Hopkins – were recognized in pregame ceremonies. BGSU is now undefeated in the last eight 'Senior Day' matches, having gone 6-0-2 in that time. The Falcons' last 'Senior Day' loss came to nationally-ranked Ohio State, 3-2 in overtime, in 2003.

'SENIOR DAY' SHUTOUTS
The win over NIU Sunday continued another impressive streak. BGSU has recorded seven consecutive shutouts in 'Senior Day' matches at Cochrane Field, dating to 2005.

WIDEMAN LENDS AN ASSIST
Both of BGSU's goals on Sunday vs. NIU were created by sophomore Madeline Wideman. In each case, Wideman made a long run downfield, drawing the final Huskie defender to her and making the pass that led to a wide-open shot. The two-assist game was the first of Wideman's career.

CLEAN SHEET FOR ISON
Redshirt junior Becca Ison made two saves on Sunday vs. Northern Illinois, posting her third shutout of the season. Ison, in her first year as the starter, has a goals-against average of 1.66 this fall. In MAC play, Ison's GAA is just 1.34.

SCHEDULING QUIRK
All five of BGSU's 2011 games vs. MAC East Division foes are on the road. Last year, the Falcons played all five intra-divisional matches within the confines of Cochrane Field. BG hosted five of the six West Division programs in 2011, facing only Central Michigan on the road in cross-divisional play.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
The Falcons enter the Miami match with an overall record of 6-13-0 on the season, and BGSU is 3-7 in MAC play. As noted earlier, BG is three points shy of the eighth and final MAC Tournament spot, and the Falcons need a win over MU and a little help in two other Thursday games around the conference to make the dream of making the league tourney a reality.

Last weekend, the Brown and Orange split a pair of 2-0 matches at home, losing to Western Michigan on Friday (Oct. 21), before bouncing back with a win over Northern Illinois Sunday (Oct. 23).

The Falcons opened the conference portion of the schedule with a 2-1 win at Buffalo, but BG then suffered shutout losses at Kent State and at home to Toledo and Ball State. The Brown and Orange topped Eastern Michigan, 2-1 in overtime, on Oct. 7, but then dropped three-straight road games – to Central Michigan, Akron and Ohio – before returning home to face WMU. The win over NIU broke a season-long four-match losing streak for the Brown and Orange.

BGSU finished the home portion of the schedule with a 3-6-0 record, and the Falcons are 3-7-0 on the road to date. In league play, BG went 2-3-0 at Cochrane Field and are 1-4-0 in hostile venues.

Senior captain Alyssa Zuccaro leads the team in scoring, with 10 points this season. She has five goals this year to date. 'Z' had both of the Falcons' goals at UB, and also scored vs. Niagara (Sept. 4), Youngstown State (Sept. 11) and EMU.

Junior Sarah VonderBrink is second on the Falcons in scoring. Her six points include one goal and a team-leading four assists. Those assists include helpers on the game-winning goals at YSU and UB, and her goal was a match-winner as well, at Cleveland State.

Senior Megan Amann has five points this fall, with one goal and three assists. Amann is tied for second on the Falcons in assists, and had her first goal of the season in Sunday's win over NIU.

Sophomore Sidney Huth is the lone player other than Zuccaro with multiple goals this season. Huth's first collegiate goal was the winning strike against EMU, and she also scored in Sunday's win over NIU.

Sophomores Ashley Miller, Kaitlyn Tobin and Madeline Wideman each have three points. Tobin scored a 90th-minute winner vs. YSU. Wideman has three assists to tie Amann for second on the team.

Redshirt junior Becca Ison has started 18 matches this season to date. Ison has played more than 1622 minutes, and has 92 saves along with three shutouts and a goals-against average of 1.66. She made a career-high 11 stops in the Illinois State game, and she had nine saves against both Michigan State and WMU, and eight on three occasions.

True junior Laura Arnold has seen action in two matches, playing the final seven-plus minutes at Buffalo before starting the Kent State contest. Arnold has a 1-1-0 record, two saves and a GAA of just 0.88.

Sophomore Alyssa Carmack leads the team in minutes played. She has played 1720 of the Falcons' 1724 minutes this fall, while freshman Kaylee Draper has played 1689.Zuccaro has been on the field for 1662 minutes, while Ison has played 1662. Carmack, Draper and Zuccaro each have started every match this fall to date, while Ison has made 18 starts and redshirt freshman Kylie Briem 17.

Head coach Andy Richards and his staff, assistants Kellie Evans and Jimmy Walker, welcomed back a total of 17 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last year's club. BGSU's returning players combined for nearly 67 percent of the team's goals and almost 73% of the assists a year ago. Four of the Falcons' top-five scorers returned from the 2010 campaign, including Zuccaro, who led the team in scoring. Zuccaro had one-third of the team's goals, with eight, and also led the Brown and Orange with six assists. Her total of 22 points was the highest by a BGSU player since the 2005 season.

THE OPPONENT
Miami has an overall record of 9-8-0, and the RedHawks will enter Thursday's match with a MAC mark of 4-6-0. The 'Hawks currently hold down the eighth and final MAC Tournament spot. Miami is 5-3 in home games this year, but only 1-3 in MAC home matches to date. That home conference win came last weekend, as MU downed Northern Illinois, 3-0, on Friday (Oct. 21). The RedHawks lost to Western Michigan, 2-0, Sunday (Oct. 23), snapping a three-game winning streak. Jess Kodiak leads the team with nine goals and 22 points, and she is tied for the MU lead with four assists. Kayla Zakrzewski and Katy Dolesh have 16 and 15 points, respectively, with each player having found the back of the net seven times. In goal, Allison Norenberg has played every second of every match this fall, and has four shutouts, 60 saves and a goals-against average of 1.27. Head coach Bobby Kramig welcomed back 10 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last year's team. The 2010 RedHawks went 13-7-2 overall and 5-4-2 in the MAC. The school's athletics web site is www.MURedHawks.com.

THE SERIES
The Falcons trail Miami, 10-7-0, in the all-time series between the teams, and the RedHawks have won the last two meetings. Last season, MU scored four times in the final15 minutes of the second half for a 5-2 win at Cochrane Field (Oct. 28, 2010). MU scored the go-ahead goal with 12:27 left in the match, and the 'Hawks added two late goals as BGSU, needing a win to make the MAC Tournament, pressed forward in great numbers. Two years ago, in the last meeting in Oxford, MU scored three times in the first 28 minutes on the way to a 4-1 win (Oct. 4, 2009). Miami won the first eight series meetings, and BGSU then won seven-straight games over the RedHawks, prior to Miami's wins in each of the last two years. The Falcons are 4-4-0 in home matches, 3-5-0 in road contests and 0-1-0 in neutral-site matches against Miami.
THE BGSU-MIAMI SERIES
(MU leads, 10-7-0)
Oct. 11, 1997 -- at Miami 3, BGSU 2
Oct. 30, 1998 -- Miami 2, at BGSU 1 (OT)
Oct. 3, 1999 -- at Miami 3, BGSU 1
Oct. 6, 2000 -- Miami 4, at BGSU 1
Nov. 5, 2000 -- Miami 1, BGSU 0 (2-OT) #
Oct. 28, 2001 -- at Miami 3, BGSU 0
Sept. 20, 2002 -- Miami 3, at BGSU 0
Nov. 8, 2002 -- at Miami 3, BGSU 0 %
Oct. 5, 2003 -- BGSU 3, at Miami 2
Oct. 8, 2004 -- at BGSU 2, Miami 0
Oct. 2, 2005 -- BGSU 3, at Miami 1
Nov. 4, 2005 -- at BGSU 2, Miami 0 %
Oct. 1, 2006 -- at BGSU 2, Miami 0
Oct. 21, 2007 -- BGSU 1, at Miami 0 (2-OT)
Oct. 12, 2008 -- at BGSU 4, Miami 0
Oct. 4, 2009 -- at Miami 4, BGSU 1
Oct. 28, 2010 -- Miami 5, at BGSU 2
# MAC Tournament Championship (Buffalo, N.Y.)
% MAC Tournament Semifinal

YOU CAN'T SPELL 'GOALZ' WITHOUT 'Z'
Senior Alyssa Zuccaro's goal in the Falcons' win over Eastern Michigan (Oct. 7) increased her career total to 20. She has moved into a tie for third place on the BGSU career list. 'Z' is now deadlocked with both Jill Conover (1999-2002) and Tracy Gleixner (1998-2002) on that list. That trio trails only Kristy Coppes (52 goals from 2001-04) and Samantha Meister (28 goals from 2002-05).

A FEW MORE NOTES ABOUT ALYSSA ZUCCARO
• Senior Alyssa Zuccaro has a career total of 50 points, ranking sixth on the BGSU list. She passed Britt Anderson (49 points from 2002-05) in the EMU match, and is one point behind Corbie Yee (51 points from 2005-08).

• Three of Zuccaro's five goals on the season have come in MAC play. She scored twice in the win at Buffalo, for her first multi-goal game of the season and the third of her career. Zuccaro leads the Falcons with five goals and 10 points this season.

• Zuccaro led the Falcons in goals (eight), assists (six) and points (22) last season. Her 2010 goal and point totals were the highest by a BGSU player since 2005 (Samantha Meister, eight goals and 22 points).

• In her Falcon career, Zuccaro had 10 goals in home matches, and she has 10 goals away from home. 'Z' scored a total of 26 points (10 goals, six assists) at Cochrane Field, and has 24 (10 goals, four assists) in road or neutral-site matches.
BGSU CAREER GOALS LIST
52 - Kristy Coppes, 2001-04
28 - Samantha Meister, 2002-05
20 - Alyssa Zuccaro, 2008-Present
20 - Jill Conover, 1999-2002
20 - Tracy Gleixner, 1998-2002
19 - Corbie Yee, 2005-08

BGSU CAREER POINTS LIST
111 - Kristy Coppes, 2001-04
73 - Samantha Meister, 2002-05
65 - Jill Conover, 1999-2002
57 - Julie Trundle, 2002-05
51 - Corbie Yee, 2005-08
50 - Alyssa Zuccaro, 2008-Present

ANOTHER ASSIST BY AMANN
Senior Megan Amann had the primary assist on the Falcons' goal at Central Michigan on Oct. 9. For Amann, the assist was the 21st of her career. She ranks fourth on the BGSU career list, just two assists behind third-place Janice Mentrup (1997-2000).

BGSU CAREER ASSISTS LIST
33 - Julie Trundle, 2002-05
25 - Jill Conover, 1999-2002
23 - Janice Mentrup, 1997-2000
21 - Megan Amann, 2008-Present
18 - Leah Eggleton, 2002-05

AMANN AGAIN
Senior Megan Amann scored the first goal in the Falcons' win over Northern Illinois on Sunday. The goal was her fist of the season and the sixth of her career. Amann has moved into 11th place on the BGSU career scoring list, and now has 33 points.

ISON MAKES THE SAVE
Redshirt junior Becca Ison has made 92 saves this season to date, the eighth-highest total in BGSU history. Erika Flanders holds the top-three spots on that list. Ison, in her first year as the Falcons' starting 'keeper, now has 110 career saves. She ranks fourth on the BGSU career list, trailing only multiple-year starters Flanders, Alexa Arsenault and Ali Shingler.
BGSU SINGLE-SEASON SAVES LIST
137 - Erika Flanders, 2002
127 - Erika Flanders, 2001
118 - Erika Flanders, 2000
113 - Alexa Arsenault, 2008
111 - Ali Shingler, 2004
111 - Ali Shingler, 2003
109 - Ali Shingler, 2005
92 - Becca Ison, 2011
91 - Erika Flanders, 1999
88 - Alexa Arsenault, 2010

BGSU CAREER SAVES LIST
473 - Erika Flanders, 1999-2002
338 - Alexa Arsenault, 2007-10
334 - Ali Shingler, 2001-05
110 - Becca Ison, 2009-Present
76 - Kit Gazley, 1997

FALCON COACH ANDY RICHARDS
BGSU head coach Andy Richards, now in his 12th season at the helm, has proven himself to be one of the top mentors in MAC women's soccer history. The fourth-winningest coach in conference annals, he has guided the Falcons to an overall record of 108-121-26, and a record of 58-62-15 in MAC regular-season play. Richards picked up the 100th victory of his collegiate head-coaching career in the Falcons' 3-2 win at Indiana State last fall.

Richards' teams perennially play one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the MAC. In his first decade-plus in BG, he has led the Falcons to the MAC Tournament on eight occasions, with the team advancing to the semifinals seven times. BGSU is 10-5-5 in MAC Tournament matches during his tenure, and no coach has more trips to the league tourney title game than Richards' five. Two of those appearances – in 2004 and 2005 – resulted in MAC Tournament titles and trips to the NCAA Championships. Richards and the Falcons also won the '05 regular-season crown.

A native of Warwick, England, Richards earned his Bachelor of Education degree from Sheffield City Polytechnic in 1989. He received his Master of Education degree from Oregon State in 1997.

RICHARDS IS IN THE TOP-FOUR
Falcon head coach Andy Richards, as mentioned, is one of the winningest mentors in MAC women's soccer history. Currently, Richards ranks fourth on the conference's all-time wins list.
OVERALL WINS BY MAC COACHES
(since the MAC began sponsoring women's soccer in 1997 – totals through games of Tuesday, Oct. 25)
154  Bobby Kramig, Miami (1997-present)
128  Scott Hall, EMU (1999-present)
114  Brad Evans, Toledo (2001-present)
108  Andy Richards, Bowling Green (2000-present)
100  Stacy Strauss, Ohio (2000-present)
91  Jean-A. Tassy, Buffalo (1998-2007) *
91  Rob Marinaro, Kent State (2001-present)
89  Mike Haines, WMU (1998-2008)
70  Ron Rainey, Ball State (1999-2005)
* Tassy had 113 total wins at UB from 1995-2007, but the Bulls did not join the MAC until the 1998 season

FALCONS IN THE MAC STATS
Several Falcon players are ranked in the MAC's individual statistics. Senior Alyssa Zuccaro is tied for first in the conference in shots (61) and ranks second in shots per game (3.21). Junior Sarah VonderBrink is tied for ninth in the league in assists (four).

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Becca Ison is third in the conference in saves, with 92. She is fourth in saves per game (5.11), ninth 10th in save percentage (.754) and 10th in shutouts (three).

In league games only, Zuccaro is third in shots (35) and shots per game (3.50). Ison is sixth in both saves (40) and saves per game (4.44) and eighth in save pct. (.769) in conference contests.

EXTRA TIME (A FEW FINAL BGSU NOTES)
Senior Megan Amann's goal vs. Northern Illinois marked the first time the Falcons had scored the opening goal in a match in over a month ... prior to NIU, the last time BG had scored first was on Sept. 16, in a 1-0 win over IPFW at Cochrane Field • The win over Northern was BGSU's first multiple-goal victory of 2011 ... each of the Falcons' five previous wins this season had come by a single goal, with two 1-0 decisions and three 2-1 verdicts • Both of freshman Sidney Huth's goals have come in BG home wins ... Huth scored the overtime winner against Eastern Michigan (Oct. 7), and also found the net vs. NIU ... she is second on the team in goals, both overall and in MAC matches • Sophomore Madeline Wideman's two assists on Sunday vs. NIU give her a total of 14 career points ... Wideman has three goals and eight assists in her BG tenure • Sophomore Kaitlyn Tobin picked up her first assist of the season on Huth's goal vs. the Huskies ... Tobin now has three points this year and four in her career.

FALCONS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH IN EAST
The Falcons have been picked to finish fifth in the MAC's East Division standings in 2011, according to the preseason coaches poll. The 2011 season marks the second year that a divisional format has been utilized for MAC women's soccer. Last year, the Brown and Orange tied for fourth in the East.

THE 2011 CAPTAIN
Senior Alyssa Zuccaro is the captain of the 2011 women's soccer Falcons.

UP NEXT
Should the Falcons qualify for the MAC Tournament, BGSU would play an opponent to be determined (either Toledo or Central Michigan) on the road in the quarterfinal round. The quarterfinals will be held on Sunday (Oct. 30), with the top-four seeds hosting matches.