Falcons Fall at Nationally Ranked Michigan on Sunday Afternoon

Sunday, August 24

Ann Arbor, MI

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

0-2-0

#7/21 Michigan

2-0-0

Bowling Green

Michigan

Photo by: Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

August 24, 2014 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)

Ann Arbor, Michigan – The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team displayed heart and pure determination on Sunday afternoon, as the Falcons held the nationally ranked No. 7 Michigan Wolverines to just one goal in each half in a 2-0 road loss at the U-M Soccer Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The loss drops BGSU to 0-2-0 on the year, while Michigan remains unbeaten at 2-0-0 on the season.

"We definitely competed against the number 7 team in the nation. The stats show that they are extremely dangerous in the attack," commented head coach Lindsay Basalyga. "Lauren (Cadel) played extremely well in the goal, making several big saves to keep us in the game and overall we were very disciplined with our defensive shape. After seeing 20 corners and not giving up a goal, I think it's safe to say we were pretty sharp on defensive corners. I'm proud of the effort we put out across the board and I know we gained some confidence in the attack."

Facing one of the best scoring offenses in the country in the Michigan Wolverines, the Falcons' defense refused to breakdown as BGSU goalkeeper Lauren Cadel totaled eight saves in the loss, six of which came in the second half of play.

All three of the Falcons' shot attempts came in the first half and were placed on frame.

The nationally ranked Wolverines set the tone for the match early as U-M controlled possession for most of the first half, tallying eight shots and six corner kicks in the first 24 minutes of play and continued to put pressure on the Falcons' defense.

It would be on the Wolverines' sixth corner kick and eighth shot attempt of the contest when the Falcons' defense would allow a goal, as Michigan's Ani Sarkisian played a corner kick into the box where Corrine Harris got her foot on the ball and Christina Ordonez followed with an easy tap-in past BGSU's Cadel to put the home team in front 1-0 in the 24th minute.

The young Falcons registered two shot attempts of their own over the first 24 minutes of play, putting both on frame and forcing U-M goalkeeper Megan Hinz to make a stop on both scoring chances.

Sophomore Melissa Needham placed the first BGSU shot on frame in the 19th minute, testing Michigan's Hinz between the pipes early, while just under two minutes later fellow sophomore Kara Ross put a shot online in the 22nd minute which was hauled in by the U-M keeper.

After continually fighting off the Wolverines' offensive barrages, as the home team recorded seven more corner kicks and two more shots over the rest of the opening half of play, the Falcons refused to quit and looked for the equalizer late in the half.

With the clock running out in the first half, Bowling Green freshman Rachel Winters played a corner kick into the box in the 44th minute where fellow newcomer Alexa Cheripko fired off a shot towards the goal only to see the Wolverines' Hinz again make the save to spoil the Falcons' scoring effort and keep the score at 1-0 in favor of U-M heading into the halftime intermission.

The second half played out much like the first, as Michigan controlled possession and kept the ball on the Falcons' defensive half of the field for most of the final 45 minutes of play.

However, BGSU's Cadel kept the Falcons in the game, as the redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper halted three Wolverine scoring looks – one in the 47th minute, a second in the 55th minute and a third in the 59th minute – as the Falcons continued to fight.

Following a shot by Michigan's Nicky Waldeck that hit the post in the 66th minute, the Falcons tried to counter minutes later only to be called for offsides in the 70th minute of the contest.

Michigan doubled its lead in the 78th minute, as the Wolverines were awarded a penalty kick on a BGSU foul in the box. U-M's Waldeck knocked the free shot into the lower left corner of the net to push the Wolverines' lead to 2-0.

Cadel would make two more stops in the 80th and 83rd minutes on shots from Michigan's Taylor Timko, yet the Falcons struggled to muster up any offensive attack over the closing minutes in the 2-0 loss.

Michigan outshot BGSU 27-3 for the match, including 17-0 in the second half, and also held a 20-1 lead over the Falcons in corner kicks overall.

Bowling Green (0-2-0) will remain on the road for its next bout, as the Falcons will face off with the Purple Aces of Evansville next Friday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. in Evansville, Indiana.

###