No. 16 Syracuse Downs Falcons, 3-0, Tuesday night

Tuesday, October 13

Syracuse, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

6-6-1

Syracuse

9-3-1

Bowling Green

Syracuse

Nick Landsberger - practice Aug 12 2015 - MJC

Nick Landsberger, shown here in practice earlier this season, had 6 saves on Tuesday night

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

October 13, 2015 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

BGSU returns to MAC play this weekend at Western

By: SYRACUSE, N.Y. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Julian Buescher scored one goal and set up another, staking No. 16 Syracuse University to a two-goal lead Tuesday night (Oct. 13), and the Orange went on to down the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team, 3-0. The non-conference match was held at the SU Soccer Stadium.

With the win, SU improves to 9-3-1 on the year. The Falcons drop to 6-6-1.

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Buescher slid a pass to Ben Polk for the Orange's first goal in the 15th minute of the match, then scored himself just 1:22 into the second half. Louis Cross closed the scoring on a rebound goal with just over 15 minutes left.

The Orange enjoyed advantages of 18-4 in shot attempts, 11-2 in shots on goal and 10-2 in corner kicks. Redshirt junior Nick Landsberger made six saves in goal for the Falcons.

"We had an opportunity to do something special tonight and we didn't seize it," said BGSU head coach Eric Nichols. "Syracuse is a very good team, but we are a much better than what we showed tonight."

Junior Pat Flynn forced SU 'keeper Hendrik Hilpert into a save with just over eight minutes gone, and Landsberger stopped a low shot by Polk two minutes later. But, at the 14:38 mark, the Orange got on the board.

Oyvind Alseth brought the ball toward the 18-yard box on the left side of the pitch, and slid a pass forward to Buescher. Buescher, near the end line, slid a crossing ball to Polk, who was about eight yards from goal on the left side of the box. Polk's one-timer found the back of the net, giving the hosts the lead.

SU controlled possession for most of the evening, but Landsberger made several spectacular plays. In addition to his six saves, the redshirt junior dealt with numerous crosses and diagonal balls as well. And, he was aided by his teammates as well. Midway through the period, a shot by SU's Chris Nanco from the top of the 18 was headed away by a BG defender on the goal line.

With 15 minutes left before halftime, the Falcons played a long ball ahead, intended for Flynn. A defender got to the ball first and attempted to clear it, but it was taken back by junior Max Auden. Auden attempted to slide a ball through two defenders to Flynn in the box, but the pass was just a little ahead of Flynn, and Hilpert gathered it in.

Just over 11 minutes remained in the period when Landsberger made a nifty save on a shot from the left side by Noah Ryhnhart. Then, five minutes later, a low shot by Andreas Jenssen from about 10 yards out was blocked out of play by a defender, and the Falcons dealt with the ensuing corner kick. SU had five corner kicks in each half.

Each 'keeper thwarted a scoring opportunity in the final few minutes of the period. With two minutes to go, Landsberger plucked a dangerous-looking cross by Alseth out of the air. Then, with just over 30 seconds remaining, Hilpert just barely beat junior Joe Sullivan to a long forward ball that bounced into the penalty box.

Early in the second half, Buescher and the Orange doubled the lead. Jenssen floated a short cross into the box from the right side, and Buescher headed it home from approximately 12 yards out, just to the left of the penalty spot.

In the 50th minute, senior Jake Martin lofted a ball over the SU back line, looking to connect with Sullivan, but the assistant referee's flag was raised and the Falcons were ruled offside.

Landsberger made an outstanding save from point-blank range on Polk. Liam Callahan's pass found Polk in the box, but Landsberger came off his line and blocked Polk's shot from about eight yards out.

Moments later, SU moved forward quickly on a counter. Nanco took a pass, tapped it around the onrushing Landsberger and attempted to find the far corner of the net from the right side of the box. His shot was out of the reach of a sliding BG defender, but the ball also rolled just outside of the post.

The Falcons put together several minutes of solid possession time as the match neared the hour mark. Senior Ryan James won the ball near midfield, and a Sullivan pass found redshirt freshman Bismark Agyeman on the right side of the field. Working against a defender, Agyeman took the ball all the way to the end line, and fired a cross into the box.

No teammate was there to meet that cross, but freshman Peter Pugliese tracked down the ball on the left side of the field. Pugliese played a ball to James, who fired from just outside the 18-yard line. That shot was blocked out of play for a corner kick. Off of that corner, a diagonal ball by Martin was just out of reach of junior Jacob Roth on the right side of the box.

Midway through the period, Nanco put the ball into the net, but the Orange had been ruled offside before Nanco took his shot.

One minute later, Flynn was fouled near the center line. Roth played a long free kick into the box. The ball was deflected by a defender, but it went to Flynn, who fired a shot that was blocked out of play for a corner. The SU defense, however, was able to clear that corner out of danger.

In the 72nd minute, a BG player tripped, leaving the Orange with a clear path toward goal. Polk wound up with the ball just six yards out, but Landsberger parried his shot out of play.

Several minutes later, though, SU applied pressure in the box after a corner kick. Buescher, on the right side of the box, cut the ball back to his left and fired a shot. Roth blocked that shot on the goal line, and the ball caromed off of Sullivan as well. Cross, also near the goal line, was first to the rebound, knocking it across the line to close the scoring.

BG continued to look to get on the board. Flynn played a ball ahead, looking for freshman Ryan Ross, but Hilpert reached the ball just a split-second before Ross arrived. Then, a long free kick by Roth found its way to Flynn. The junior slid a pass to James on his left, and James fired a shot from the 18-yard line that forced Hilpert into a diving save.

Hilpert made two saves on the night to improve to 3-1-0 on the year.

"We let ourselves down tonight but this is a very good group with strong leadership," said Nichols. "I am confident that we will respond and we won't let any more opportunities like this get away."

The Falcons conclude a four-game road swing on Saturday (Oct. 17), returning to Mid-American Conference play with a match against Western Michigan University. That contest will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the WMU Soccer Complex in Kalamazoo.