Late Goal Lifts Marshall to 1-1 Draw with Falcons

Friday, September 27

Huntington, WV

5:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Marshall

September 27, 2013 | Men's Soccer

Baraldi scores for BGSU at the hour mark

By: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

BGSU v U-M - Swegan 1st half pics, Dorow 2nd half

A late Marshall University goal lifted the Thundering Herd to a 1-1 tie with the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team Friday evening (Sept. 27). The non-conference match was held at Hoops Family Field at Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex.

FINAL MATCH STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
BGSU SEASON STATS: HTML | PDF

The result leaves the Falcons with a 1-4-3 mark on the season, while MU is now 2-4-3.

Junior Danny Baraldi gave the Brown and Orange the lead with almost exactly an hour gone. After Falcon senior Ryan Comiskey was taken down in the penalty area, Baraldi stepped up and hammered home a penalty kick at the 59:59 mark, putting BG on top by a 1-0 score.

For a while, it looked as if that goal would hold up as the winner. But, the Herd tied the score with exactly two minutes left in regulation. A long diagonal ball from Ben Holt sailed toward the penalty box from the left side of the pitch. Jack Hopkins, stationed just inside the 18-yard line, headed a high, arcing shot that flew just over the outstretched hands of BGSU senior goalkeeper Michael Wiest and nestled just under the crossbar.

"This is a tough one for us to swallow," said BGSU head coach Eric Nichols. "Obviously, being up by a goal with two minutes to play, and then conceding a goal, is disappointing for our guys, especially considering we had several good chances to go up by two goals and we didn't."

Both teams were credited with 12 shots on Friday, with the Falcons holding an 8-5 edge in shots on goal. MU 'keeper Danny Sellitti made seven saves, while Wiest had three stops at the other end of the field. BGSU also had a 'team save,' as a shot by the Herd was blocked on the goal line by a Falcon defender.

BGSU had several chances to score in the early going. With 11 minutes gone, senior Brandon Silva hit a hard shot that forced Sellitti to make a diving stop. Two minutes later, sophomore Ryan James unloaded a shot from distance. James' curving shot glanced off of the crossbar and caromed over the top of the goal and out of play.

In the 20th minute, senior Anthony Grant's shot was saved, but the rebound eventually found its way to Silva outside the box. The tri-captain blasted a long shot that whizzed just wide right.

Midway through the half, Marshall's Matt Freeman got his head on a corner kick, nodding the ball toward the far post. A BG defender, however, was stationed on the goal line, and knocked the shot out of the penalty area.

Several minutes later, Wiest got his hand on another MU header that was heading toward the far post once again.

The 37th minute of the match saw Grant fire back-to-back shots. The first was blocked by a defender, and the follow try got through to Sellitti, but the MU 'keeper made the play.

With seven minutes left in the half, Baraldi was fouled near midfield. The ensuing free kick sailed into the box and resulted in a shot by Grant that was stopped by Sellitti.

Early in the second period, after a BGSU corner kick, a diagonal ball found its way to Baraldi on the left side of the penalty area, near the six-yard line. The junior headed the ball across the box, and Grant deflected it toward goal with a deft header. But, once again, Sellitti was there to block the shot and the Herd cleared the ball out of danger.

With just over 58 minutes elapsed, senior outside back Zach Schewee ventured forward, taking a through ball from a teammate and shooting on goal from the left side of the six-yard box. Schewee's shot was knocked out of bounds by Sellitti for a corner kick.

The Herd successfully dealt with that BG corner, but just over a minute later, Comiskey was hauled down in the box, setting up that Baraldi penalty kick. Baraldi became the seventh different Falcon to score a goal this year, and gave the Brown and Orange a lead for the first time since the season-opening match vs. Malone.

In the 66th minute, Schewee's nifty broken-field run saw him keep possession despite being hounded by numerous Marshall would-be defenders. The senior slid a pass to Comiskey in the box, but his shot was saved.

At the other end, the Falcons were whistled for a handball near the left corner, just outside the penalty area. The Herd had a free kick from a seemingly dangerous position, but that short free kick resulted in only a soft shot that was blocked before it reached the 18-yard line.

In the 75th minute, Holt had a good chance off of a Marshall counterattack, but his shot sailed just over the goal.

With just under 10 minutes left in the half, Baraldi took a pass as he headed down the left side of the field, and hit a half-volley that went just high.

The Herd pressed forward, but the Falcons maintained the lead until that Hopkins header, against the run of play, with just 120 seconds to go. The teams headed to overtime.

The only shot credited to either team in the first OT period was a header by MU's James Campbell that Wiest was able to save.

In the second overtime, MU was again credited with the only shot attempt -- a Hopkins effort that went over the goal -- but there were several other shots taken. James had a good chance midway through the period, but as he entered the penalty area and fired a shot, he put it just outside the right post.

At the other end, Wiest made the save on another Hopkins effort with roughly one minute to go. Then, as the final seconds ticked off the clock, a cross by MU's Zach Hunter found the head of Anthony Virgara at the far post. Virgara's shot was grabbed by Wiest as the final horn sounded.

Grant led all players with five total shots and four shots on goal. No other player on either team had more than two shot attempts or one shot on target.

"All credit to Marshall," said Nichols. "They hung in there, and they got the tying goal. I'm disappointed in the result, and I'm disappointed that we weren't able to take care of those late opportunities to score and extend our lead.

"All in all, though, we had a lot of good performances. This is a lesson along our journey, and we are going to learn from this and get better."

The Falcons remain on the road, heading to Highland Heights, Ky., for a Sunday (Sept. 29) match vs. Northern Kentucky University. That contest will begin at 1:00 p.m.

BGSU NOTES
* BGSU leads Marshall, 7-4-3, in the all-time series between the teams, and the Falcons have a four-match unbeaten streak against the Thundering Herd. The programs have battled to a double-overtime draw in each of the last two seasons, as BG and the Herd tied, 0-0, last year at Cochrane Field (Sept. 1, 2012).

* Junior Danny Baraldi's penalty kick marked the Falcons' first goal in a span of 558:06. BGSU's last goal came off the boot of senior Joey D'Agostino late in regulation of the Michigan match on Sept. 2.

* The goal gave the Falcons the lead in a match for the first time since the season opener vs. Malone on Aug. 30.

* Baraldi became the seventh BGSU player to score a goal this season. No Falcon has scored more than one goal this fall.

* In his career, Baraldi now has 12 goals as a Falcon. He has 39 career points in 43 matches, and leads all active BG players in goals, assists (15) and points.

* Baraldi is now a perfect 2-for-2 on penalty kicks in his BGSU career. His other PK came in overtime of the Falcons' match vs. Milwaukee last season at Cochrane Field (Sept. 25, 2012).

* Friday's match marked the first time in his BG career that Baraldi came off the bench. He started each of the first 42 career matches in which he appeared for the Falcons.