Eagles Edge Falcons 2-1 in 2014 Season Opener

Friday, August 22

Bowling Green, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

0-1-0

Morehead State (EYAS Walk Out)

1-0-0

Morehead State

Bowling Green

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

August 22, 2014 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
Video: Postgame Interview with Coach Basalyga
Audio: Postgame Interview with Coach Basalyga
Photo Gallery (courtesy of Mike. Cihon, BGSU Athletic Communications)

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team opened up the 2014 regular season on Friday night with an early first half goal, yet saw the defending Ohio Valley Conference Champions in Morehead State tally the final two scores of the contest to edge the Falcons 2-1 at Cochrane Stadium.

The loss drops BGSU to 0-1-0 on the year, while Morehead State, the 2014 OVC preseason favorites to win the league, start the season out at 1-0-0.

The young Falcons, which started five freshmen and saw a total of 10 newcomers see the pitch in the season opener Friday night, weathered an early offensive surge from the Eagles to answer with a shot from freshman Skylar Fleak in the seventh minute, which was blocked, and a second shot from Madison Schupbach, which sailed wide of the goal in the 15th minute.

However, less than a minute later, the freshmen duo worked together as Fleak chased down a loose ball in the Eagles' defensive third of the field and played the ball back to Schupbach. Schupbach lined up a shot from just inside the top of the box and sent it past the Eagles' goalkeeper to put the home team on top 1-0 just 15 minutes into the contest.

The goal is Schupbach's first career goal as a Falcon, while the assist is the first for Fleak at BGSU.

The two teams traded shots over the next 10 minutes of play with the BGSU defense blocking one, forcing another shot attempt wide and picking up a stop in goal from redshirt-sophomore Lauren Cadel on another attempt to hold on to the slight 1-0 lead midway through the first half.

Yet the Eagles would take advantage of that same BGSU defense minutes later, as a lapse on a ball played into the box by the Falcons allowed Angela Black to settle the ball, turn and get behind a defender and score on a low shot in the 29th minute to knot the match up at 1-1.

Each team accounted for only one more shot each over the final 15 minutes of the opening half with Bowling Green's shot from sophomore Kara Ross forcing MSU goalkeeper Elizabeth Floyd to make a stop in the 33rd minute and send the match into the halftime break tied at 1-1.

The second half saw the BGSU defense work hard and stifle the Eagles offense for most of the frame, as Morehead State controlled the pace of play and the ball for the majority of the final 45 minutes of play.

The Eagles got three shots from Ali Hawksford, a header which flew high over the cross bar in the 49th minute, another shot that sailed high in the 57th minute and a third shot that was offline wide in the 64th minute, while BGSU keeper Cadel made a saving grab on a header from Holly Tilley in the 59th minute to keep the match tied at 1-1.

Following three more scoring chances by the Eagles and a shot from BGSU senior Ashley Garr in the 81st minute, both teams looked to their bench for help with a total of six straight subs on the very humid night in Northwest Ohio.

One of those substitutions would pay off for the Eagles, as Tilley re-entered the contest in the 81st minute and abruptly took advantage of a ball that the BGSU defense failed to clear, scoring on a shot from the top right corner of the box that hit the far front post and just slipped in the net in the 82nd minute to put the Eagles up 2-1.

The Tilley goal proved to be the game-winner, as Morehead State continued to bleed the clock and kept the Falcons from getting another shot off over the final eight minutes of the match.

Morehead State outshot the Falcons 16-6 for the match, including holding an 8-1 advantage in the second half of play.

BGSU's Cadel recorded two saves on 16 Eagle shot attempts in goal, while MSU's Floyd tallied just one save on six BGSU shot attempts over the 90 minute match.

The Falcons' Schupbach led the way for BGSU with three shot attempts, while Fleak, Garr and Ross all had one shot apiece on the night.

BGSU (0-1-0) will return to the pitch for competition this Sunday afternoon, Aug. 24, as the Falcons will travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan to face off with the No. 7 nationally ranked Michigan Wolverines.

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