Falcons Battle Jags to 2-2 Standoff in Indy

Saturday, October 10

Indianapolis, Ind.

12:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

6-5-1

IUPUI

0-6-5

Team	1	2	OT 3	OT 4	Final F
Bowling Green	1	1	0	0	2
IUPUI	1	1	0	0	2

Joe Sullivan - Sept 3 2015 v Drexel - Larry Clapper photo

Joe Sullivan had a goal & an assist in Saturday's match at IUPUI (Larry Clapper photo)

Photo by: Larry Clapper

October 10, 2015 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Roth, Sullivan find the net for BG

By: INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Jacob Roth scored early and Joe Sullivan late as the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team battled host IUPUI to a 2-2, double-overtime draw Saturday afternoon (Oct. 10). The non-conference match was held at Carroll Stadium.

The result leaves the Falcons with a record of 6-5-1 on the year. After seeing the first nine matches of the season decided in regulation, BGSU has gone to overtime in each of the last three contests.

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Sullivan had a three-point day, as he assisted on Roth's goal, which opened the scoring just under six minutes into the match.

The Jaguars, however, tied the score on a Clint Hoffar goal in the 39th minute, then took the lead early in the second period. Cristian Soto's goal in the 50th minute gave the hosts a 2-1 advantage.

But, Sullivan took a pass from sophomore Keaton Reynolds and knotted the score with 7:46 left in regulation. The teams battled through a pair of overtime periods which featured a total of 11 shots, but no goals.

Redshirt junior Nick Landsberger made his first start of the season in goal for the Falcons, and had four saves on the afternoon. At the other end of the pitch, Eduardo Cortes had eight stops for the Jags.

BGSU had advantages of 27-22 in total shot attempts, 10-6 in shots on goal and 7-4 in corner kicks.

"We knew this was going to be a very difficult game," said BGSU head coach Eric Nichols. "This is a very tough IUPUI team and their record is very deceiving. We knew we were going to be in a battle today, and we certainly were."

IUPUI has gotten a result in nearly 50 percent of the team's matches this season. The Jags are 0-6-5 after Saturday's match, but five of the team's six losses have come by a single goal, and the team has played seven overtime contests. Last week, IUPUI battled to double-overtime draws against a pair of nationally-ranked teams in Omaha and Denver.

On Saturday, Roth gave the Falcons the lead on the first shot on goal of the day for either team. BG won a corner, which was taken by Sullivan. That kick found the head of Roth, who put his shot into the top-left corner of the net at the 5:57 mark.

For Roth, the goal was his second of the season.

With just over 10 minutes gone, junior Pat Flynn uncorked a shot from the top of the box that went just wide, At the other end, Soto fired a shot in the 19th minute that forced Landsberger to make a save, his first of the year.

Midway through the period, freshman Tate Robertson slotted a ball to sophomore Chase Betenson. Betenson's shot was blocked and led to a BG corner, but the Jags cleared that corner away.

In the 35th minute, Sullivan – who led all players with seven shot attempts – fired a shot that was stopped by Cortes. Then, the home team countered, firing a pair of shots less than a minute after Sullivan's effort. But, Jacob Singer's shot was blocked, and Emmanuel Usen's follow-up try sailed high.

In the 37th minute, freshman Ryan Ross – less than one minute after checking into the match for the first time – looked to combine with Sullivan as they moved into the penalty area. The ball was poked out of bounds for a corner, and Flynn's shot off of that Sullivan corner was blocked.

Back came the hosts, however, and with 6:43 left before halftime, Hoffar scored on a shot from distance. The goal was Hoffar's team-leading fourth of the year, with Singer and Nick Anderson drawing assists.

Five minutes remained in the half when Betenson stripped the ball from an IUPUI defender and looked to find Ross in the box. But, Betenson's ball rolled just wide of the foot of Ross. Then, with just over a minute left in the period, Reynolds played a cross to Betenson, who tried to head the ball back into the mix, but his effort was cleared by a defender.

Early in the second period, Ross uncorked a shot just inside the 18, but it was blocked. Sullivan put an effort on goal, but Cortes made the save. Then, at the other end, Soto gave the home team the lead with just over 49 minutes gone.

Hoffar's throw-in sailed into the box, and Landsberger punched it away. But, the ball came out to Soto, who put a hard shot through traffic and into the net. The Jags had a 2-1 advantage.

BG looked to respond, as senior Ryan James put a shot on frame less than a minute later. But, his effort was saved, and a shot by Ross several minutes later was blocked.

In the 63rd minute, a long-range effort from James went just over the crossbar. Then, Robertson found Sullivan with a cross, but Sullivan's header went high. Several minutes later, another James effort was saved.

Ten minutes later, off of a Sullivan corner kick, a shot by redshirt junior Max Auden was stopped, and soon after, an effort by Ross sailed wide left.

At the other end of the park, Usen hit a shot in the 75th minute that was stopped by Landsberger. Landsberger, making his 2015 debut, played in 15 of BGSU's 21 matches last season, making 13 starts. He posted a double-digit win total last fall, and now has a career record of 10-4-1.

Three minutes later, Robertson put a ball toward Sullivan at the far post, but Sullivan's header went just wide. With under 10 minutes to go, BG had several good chances, as the ball was crossed into the box multiple times, but the Falcons could not take advantage. However, a minute later, Sullivan and the Falcons equalized.

Reynolds found Sullivan in space, and Sullivan's shot from just inside the 18 beat Cortes and tied the match. For Reynolds, the assist was the first point of his BGSU career.

The Falcons had two shots and a corner kick in the final few minutes of regulation, but the second half ended with the teams still tied at 2-2.

In the first overtime period, Reynolds forced Cortes into a save with just over a minute gone. Flynn saw a shot deflected wide for a corner kick, and that Sullivan corner found Roth, but his shot was headed wide.

Late in the period, IUPUI's Ryan Machonga fired a pair of shots, with Landsberger saving the first and the second going over the bar. In the final minute of that stanza, Usen attempted to chip a ball over Landsberger, and his shot hit the bar. The teams, still tied, headed to a second OT.

Robertson fired a shot midway through that second extra session that was headed toward the far post, but Cortes was able to save his low shot. A James had BG's only other shot of the period, but that ball went wide left with just over two minutes to go. The home team had two total shots in that 10-minute session, and neither was on target.

Sullivan, as mentioned, had a game-high seven shots, putting four of them on goal to lead all players in that category as well. No fewer than five of his teammates had three shot attempts. That quintet included Flynn, James, Robertson, Ross and Roth.

Sullivan now has 16 points on the season, tying his career-best total. He also had 16 points a year ago. Sullivan's goal on Saturday was his sixth of the year, a new career high.

"I'm pleased that we showed some character to fight back and get to overtime, which is not easy," said Nichols. "This was our third overtime game in a row and we fought through it. We certainly want to fix some issues. We kind of let the game ebb & flow a little bit; we let it flow away from us too often. We weren't quite as tight defensively as we needed to be on their goals, and we had some chances on offense that we need to take care of.

"But, again, I'm pleased with the character we showed, and we will use this game to get better and move forward."

BGSU's four-match road swing continues on Tuesday (Oct. 13), when the Falcons take on nationally-ranked Syracuse University. BG then returns to Mid-American Conference action with a match at Western Michigan University next Saturday afternoon (Oct. 17).