Falcons Do Everything But Score in Ohio State Match

Friday, September 13

Bowling Green, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Ohio State

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

September 13, 2013 | Men's Soccer

BGSU holds 35-12 shots advantage before largest Cochrane crowd in recent memory

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team did everything except put the ball in the back of the net on Friday night (Sept. 13). Despite dominating the match with the Ohio State University, the Falcons settled for a scoreless, double-overtime draw with the Buckeyes before the largest home crowd in recent memory.

FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
PHOTO GALLERY: Courtesy Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for postgame interviews with Danny Baraldi, Anthony Grant and Eric Nichols

The result leaves BGSU with a record of 1-2-2 on the young season. OSU is now 2-2-1 on the year.

The Falcons held a 35-12 advantage in total shots, and BGSU put nine shots on goal to the Buckeyes' two. But, no one could put a shot past BGSU senior goalkeeper Michael Wiest or his OSU counterpart, Alex Ivanov.

The attendance at Friday's match was 3,126. Attendance records are not available prior to the 1997 season, but the crowd was by far the largest for a BGSU home game in that time. The second-highest attendance in that 16-year span came in BG's last home match, which also was a tie against a Big Ten Conference foe. BG and Michigan played before a crowd of 2,273 just under two weeks ago (Sept. 2, 2013).

Wiest made two saves in earning the shutout on Friday night. At the other end of the pitch, Ivanov made eight stops for the Buckeyes. Ohio State was also credited with a 'team save' in the first half, as a defender blocked a BGSU shot on the goal line.

Senior Anthony Grant fired a whopping nine shots on the night, while junior Danny Baraldi took seven shots. Both players put three shots on frame.

For the Falcons, the shot parade began early. Just over a minute into the match, redshirt freshman Max Auden played a ball to Grant, stationed in the penalty area facing away from goal. Grant turned and fired, but his shot was wide with just 75 seconds gone.

Senior Zach Schewee's cross at the four-minute mark went through the box with no teammate able to meet it. Three minutes later, Schewee connected on a short pass with Baraldi, who hit a shot just over the bar.

With fifteen minutes gone, senior Ryan Snashall took a pass from sophomore Ryan James and played a left-side cross that was just out of the reach of several teammates. The Falcons earned back-to-back corner kicks over the next few minutes, and the second kick resulted in a close-range header by Grant. That shot was blocked, and a follow try by senior Brandon Silva was off line. Soon after, the Falcons got the ball back, and senior Joey D'Agostino hit a turnaround shot that went just wide.

The Falcons were able to string together several passes as the match neared the half-hour mark. A Baraldi corner kick found the head of sophomore Jake Genrich on the far side of the goal. Genrich headed the ball back across the six-yard box, where Grant poked at the ball, redirecting it to Snashall. Snashall hit a shot that popped over the goal.

Snashall again was involved in a scoring chance as the match neared its 40th minute. The senior worked a give-and-go with freshman Joe Sullivan, taking the return pass and hitting a cross from the left side of the pitch. Grant settled the ball at the six-yard line, turned and fired a shot toward the far upper corner. But, his shot went just wide of the frame.

Vlad Lekarev stole the ball from the Buckeyes just a minute later, finding Baraldi with a pass. But, the junior's shot from distance was wide right.

BGSU got the ball back right away, however, and Lekarev crossed the ball into the box from the right side. Baraldi got a boot on the ball, directing it to Sullivan at the top of the 18-yard area. Sullivan, with several defenders hounding him, could not get a shot off before one of the Buckeyes knocked it away.

Schewee was fouled with just 90 seconds left in the period, but Baraldi's ensuing free kick was off the mark.

With mere seconds remaining before halftime, Auden and Sullivan teamed up to get the ball to Schewee. The senior fired a blast that forced Ivanov to dive to his right to make the stop just inside the post. The Falcons had a 16-1 advantage in first-half shots, but the match was scoreless at the break (and would remain scoreless all night).

While being credited with just two saves on the night, Wiest broke up numerous other OSU scoring chances in the match. Early in the second half, the senior leaped to grab a diagonal ball off the boot of OSU's Yianni Sarris, as another Buckeye collided with the BG 'keeper.

Moments later, Wiest grabbed a header off of an OSU corner kick. For the most part, however, the ball was at the other end of the pitch all night.

As the match neared the hour mark, Grant slid a cross through the box from the right side. Baraldi lunged at the ball but just missed it. James tracked it down, however, and put the ball back into the center of the area, but D'Agostino's shot sailed over the crossbar.

Twenty minutes remained in regulation when Schewee crossed the ball from the left side. The ball found the boot of Lekarev, who saw his shot blocked. Grant looked to pounce on the rebound, but Ivanov was able to cover up and prevent a second shot.

With 12 minutes to go, D'Agostino put James into the box. James slid a diagonal ball toward the far post, but it rolled out of bounds just inches out of the reach of senior Ryan Comiskey.

Arguably the Buckeyes' best stretch of play came in the final minute of regulation, as a shot by Alec Lowell was blocked out of bounds for a corner kick. Ohio State had two corner kicks in the final furious seconds, but could not get a shot off before time expired.

BGSU took a total of 11 shots over the two overtime periods. In the first extra session, the Buckeyes had the first and last shots, but the Falcons had six-straight shots in between.

After OSU's Lowell hit a shot that was well wide of the mark just a minute into the period, Grant had the next two shots. The senior took a long punt from Wiest, settling the ball but firing over the goal in the 93rd minute.

Midway through the period, Lekarev played a dangerous-looking ball into the center of the box. Grant's point-blank shot was stopped by Ivanov, and the ball sat in the penalty area for what seemed like forever before a Buckeye defender was finally able to clear it.

Just seconds later, however, Schewee gained possession. His diagonal ball was on target, forcing Ivanov to punch it into the air. The OSU 'keeper was able to grab the ball before a BG attacker could reach it.

When the second overtime began, it took only seven seconds for Baraldi to reach the top of the box and hit a shot. Ivanov, however, was able to make the stop.

Midway through the period, Snashall and Grant took shot within just 40 seconds of one another, but both were off the mark. Snashall's shot was just wide after a long cross-field run by Lekarev.

With only a minute left, Schewee's cross was punched away by Ivanov, but the ball went to Lekarev. He fired a hard shot, but the assistant referee's flag was up, indicating offside against the Falcons. That was the last scoring chance for either team.

The Falcons return to action on Wednesday (Sept. 18), beginning a five-match road swing with a trip to Michigan State. That contest will begin at 5:00 p.m. at MSU's DeMartin Stadium.

BGSU NOTES
* Redshirt freshman Max Auden made his first collegiate start on Friday night. The game marked his second career appearance. After playing a career total of 13 minutes, all in the Malone game, Auden played all 110 minutes vs. the Buckeyes.

* Senior goalkeeper Michael Wiest recorded his second shutout of the season, and the 15th of his BGSU career. Four of those clean sheets have come against Big Ten Conference schools, as he has blanked Michigan twice and Michigan State and OSU once each.