Late Header Gives WVU 2-1 Win in Morgantown

Saturday, October 25

Morgantown, W.Va.

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

9-5-1, 0-2-1MAC

West Virginia

8-6-1, 1-1-1MAC

Bowling Green

West Virginia

Photo by: Larry Clapper

October 25, 2014 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

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

Jack Elliott's header with 12:28 to play lifted host West Virginia University to a 2-1 win over the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team Saturday afternoon (Oct. 25). The Mid-American Conference match was held at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF

With the victory, the Mountaineers improve to 8-6-1 overall and 1-1-1 in MAC play. The Falcons drop to 9-5-1 and 0-2-1, respectively.

BGSU took the lead on an own goal roughly 28 minutes into the match, as a cross by senior Vlad Lekarev was mishandled by WVU goalkeeper Brent Arnold and crossed the goal line. The Mountaineers scored the equalizer in the 40th minute, as Jad Arslan headed home a short cross from Alex Ochoa.

The match remained tied until the 78th minute when, after a foul was called on the Falcons just outside the 18-yard box, Andy Bevin's free kick from the right side found the head of Elliott in the center of the box.

"West Virginia is a good team," said BGSU head coach Eric Nichols. "They are hard to play against, particularly in West Virginia. But, this was a pretty good performance for us. We definitely had them on their heels at times, moving the ball well, creating chances, defending well and keeping them locked down.

"But, with that said, we've got another level, and we've got some gaps in out game that we need to fill in."

Arnold was credited with five saves for the home side. At the other end of the pitch, Nick Landsberger was officially not credited with a save, although he appeared to tip at least one WVU shot over the crossbar during the match.

Arnold's save total included a pair of tough stops on curving free kicks by Jacob Roth. Twice in the second half, the BGSU sophomore stepped up and bent shots toward an upper corner of the net, with Arnold deflecting the shot at the last moment in each case.

The only shot of the first 25-plus minutes came off the boot of sophomore Joe Sullivan with just over five minutes gone. After taking a short pass from senior Danny Baraldi, Sullivan fired from distance, but his shot was grabbed by Arnold.

In approximately the 22nd minute, a long ball forward by Lekarev just missed finding the foot of a lunging Max Auden. The pass was just out of Auden's reach and bounced into the penalty area, where Arnold picked it up.

With roughly 28 minutes gone, though, the Falcons got on the board. Lekarev took a pass on the right side of the pitch, chested it down and controlled it as he moved past a WVU defender. Lekarev headed toward the end line and played a low right-side cross toward the near post. Sophomore Pat Flynn converged upon Arnold as the ball arrived, and the 'keeper misplayed the cross, with the ball crossing the line to give the Falcons the lead.

The home team's first shot of the match came with approximately 30 minutes gone, as Jack Driscoll's header sailed high. In the 39th minute, Arslan shot from distance, and the effort went just wide of the upper right corner of the frame.

Roughly one minute later, however, the Mountaineers tied the match. Arslan got his head on a short cross from Ochoa and sent the ball into the lower-left-hand corner of the goal to knot the score. The teams were tied, 1-1, at the half.

In the second period, the Falcons' first serious threat came in the 55th minute, after Flynn was fouled by Francio Henry about 35 yards from the goal. Roth stepped up to take the free kick, bending his long shot toward the upper half of the frame, with Arnold just able to tip it over the 'bar.

With just under 60 minutes gone, the Mountaineers threatened to break the tie, but Landsberger tipped a shot by Arslan away for a corner kick, and the 'keeper then grabbed a diagonal ball after that corner.

In the 66th minute, redshirt sophomore Danny Shea was taken down just outside the 18-yard box on the left side. Again, Roth hit the ensuing free kick toward a corner of the net, and again, Arnold was able to deflect the shot at the last second.

Two minutes later, Auden dribbled through, around and past several would-be defenders, working his way into the box and firing a low shot that Arnold was able to block out of play for a corner. That corner kick was headed to Arnold by a WVU defender, and the 'keeper grabbed the ball out of the air.

With under 13 minutes to go, after a foul on the Falcons near the penalty area, Bevin played the ensuing free kick into the center of the box, where Elliott headed it into the net for what would prove to be the winning goal.

With under 10 minutes to go, the Falcons had several chances waved off due to offside penalties. First, Roth's diagonal ball from the right side was redirected by Flynn in the direction of Sullivan in the box, but the assistant referee's flag was raised. Then, with five minutes left, Sullivan attempted to play Flynn through, but again, the play was blown dead.

In the final two minutes of play, freshman Chase Betenson made a run down the left side and won a corner kick for the Falcons. Roth's corner was met by Auden, who headed the ball across the six-yard box before a WVU defender knocked it over the line for another corner. The Mountaineers were able to deal with that second corner kick, clearing the ball all the way down the field. One more late BGSU surge forward was rebuffed, and the second half expired.

"Obviously, we've boxed ourselves into a corner here in the MAC," said Nichols. "But, I like our chances to rebound, learn and move forward."

The Falcons conclude the month of October, and a three-match road swing, with a Wednesday (Oct. 29) trip north to face the University of Detroit Mercy. Then, BGSU will play back-to-back home games vs. Western Michigan (Nov. 1) and Wright State (Nov. 4). The regular season concluded with a match at Northern Illinois on Nov. 8.