Falcons Drop a Heartbreaker to Huskies, 2-1

Friday, October 5

DeKalb, IL

5:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

1-11-1, 0-4-1MAC

Northern Illinois

6-4-2, 2-1-2MAC

Team	1	2	Final F
Bowling Green	1	0	1
Northern Illinois	1	1	2

October 05, 2012 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Huth scores team-leading third goal for BGSU

By: DeKALB, Ill. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Aug 11 2012 - BGSU v Indiana St - John Enright photo

Courtney Ksiazek scored with just 1:28 remaining in the match, lifting host Northern Illinois University to a 2-1 win over the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team Friday afternoon (Oct. 5). The Mid-American Conference contest was held at the NIU Soccer & Track and Field Complex.

NIU 2, BGSU 1 - PDF Boxscore

With the victory, the Huskies improve to 6-4-2 overall and 2-1-2 in the MAC. The Falcons drop to 1-11-1 and 0-4-1, respectively. All four of BGSU's MAC losses, and eight of the team's 11 setbacks, have been by a single goal.

Sophomore Sidney Huth scored the Falcons' lone goal, giving the visitors the lead in the 28th minute of the match. The Huskies countered with a goal by Lauren Noonan in the 39th minute, before Ksiazek's late-game heroics.

"Northern is a very good team in the air, and unfortunately, we gave up goals on two set pieces," said BGSU coach Kellie Evans. "They beat us to a lot of balls in the air today.

"They had a game plan going in, and they executed it very well. They played for a lot of set pieces, whether it be throw-ins or corner kicks, and they have the ability to put the ball away. That's where they had their success, and that's where we kind of shot ourselves in the foot."

The winning goal came when the Huskies won a corner kick with under two minutes left. Shelbi Johnson and Emily Nulty played a short corner, and a crossing ball found the head of Ksiazek in the center of the box. In a crowd, the NIU junior headed the ball home.

The Falcons had opened the scoring on a goal off of a corner kick as well. Huth took that kick, and the initial ball was cleared out of the box. It came back to Huth, however, who took several touches, moved into the penalty area and fired a shot that deflected off of a Huskie defender and past Northern goalkeeper Amy Carr.

The Huskies answered with just under seven minutes left in the opening half. As was the case with every goal on Friday afternoon, the scoring play began with a corner kick. Johnson, who assisted on both NIU goals, played the ball toward the back post where Noonan headed it home. The match remained tied until only 88 seconds were left in regulation.

The Huskies had a narrow 9-7 edge in shot attempts, and both teams put four shots on goal. Carr made three saves for the home team, while BGSU freshman Jenna Underwood had two stops on the day.

Huth led the Brown and Orange with three shots in the match.

"I think, when we looked to put the ball on the floor and connect some passes, we looked good," said Evans." But, when we got outside of the realm of what we'd like to do, we got ourselves in trouble. Defensively, we need to tighten things up on set pieces; that should be a strength, not a weakness.

"We put one away early on. But, Northern is very organized, very well-coached, and they believe in what they are doing. They really battled today, and that's how every MAC game is going to be. Our team knows that, and we looked very dangerous in the first half.

"In the second half, though, I think we just didn't take care of things like we did in the first. We needed to keep connecting those passes and keep the ball on the floor. We got caught playing the type of game that Northern wanted to play, and that's the long and the short of it.

"We will return home, and we will get ready for another tough road test on Sunday."

That Sunday test will see the Falcons make the short trip up I-75 for a matchup with the University of Toledo. The game will begin at 1:00 p.m., and will be televised in the Toledo area by BCSN.