BGSU Downs WSU, 3-2, to Bring the I-75 Cup Back Home

Tuesday, October 27

Dayton, Ohio

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

8-7-1

Wright State

9-5-1

Bowling Green

Wright State

The Falcons maintain possession of the I-75 Cup for the fourth-straight year

October 27, 2015 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Goals by Reynolds & Robertson erase late deficit on rainy night in Dayton

By: DAYTON, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team scored two late goals to post a 3-2, come-from-behind win over Wright State University on Tuesday night (Oct. 27). The non-conference match was held at a rainy Alumni Field in Dayton.

With the victory, the Falcons improve to 8-7-1 on the season, and BGSU keeps possession of the I-75 Cup, which goes to the winner of the BGSU-WSU matchup. The Falcons are 5-1-0 against the Raiders since the teams' head coaches came up with the idea for the cup prior to the 2010 season, and BG has won four-straight matches against WSU.

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"This is as good a road win as we have had in a long time," said Nichols, who is in his seventh season at the BGSU helm. "Wright State is ranked 64th in the current RPI, so to come into their stadium and leave with a win speaks volumes about our guys."

Junior Jacob Roth scored on a diving header late in the first half, and sophomore Keaton Reynolds and freshman Tate Robertson each scored late in the second period to erase a 2-1 WSU advantage. Both Reynolds and Robertson found the back of the net for the first time in their respective collegiate careers.

Tuesday's entire match was played in a driving rain, and the Raiders' Marquis Payton scored early in each period. Payton opened the scoring with 12:15 gone. After the Raiders intercepted a BGSU goal kick, WSU's Eric Lynch sent Payton down the left side. Payton headed into the box, and hit a low shot that caromed off the far post and went into the goal.

The Falcons equalized in the 39th minute of the match. After a WSU foul on the right side of the pitch, junior Joe Sullivan played a curving ball into the center of the penalty box. Roth met the ball perfectly, hitting a diving header from approximately eight yards out, and WSU goalkeeper Tyler Blackmer had no chance as the shot sailed past him and into the net.

Payton struck again early in the second period, heading home a diagonal ball at the far post. With just 3:33 gone in the half, the Raiders had a 2-1 lead.

But, with 15:17 to go, the Falcons tied the score. Redshirt junior Max Auden took a pass from classmate Danny Shea just over the midfield stripe in the center of the pitch. Auden chipped a ball over the top, into the path of the onrushing Reynolds. The sophomore, between two Wright State players, fought off one defender and, from just to the right of the penalty spot, hit a shot that found the center of the goal.

And, just over five minutes later, Robertson gave the Falcons the lead. The freshman, a native of nearby Springfield, Ohio, took a pass from senior Ryan James near the right sideline in front of the BG bench. Robertson took several dribbles, then hit a ball that went behind Blackmer and found the upper left corner of the goal. James drew the lone assist on Robertson's first collegiate goal.

The Raiders had 21 shots to the Falcons' 14, and WSU had narrow advantages of 8-6 in shots on goal and 7-4 in corner kicks. Redshirt junior Ryan Heuton made five saves in a complete-match effort for the Falcons, while Blackmer had two saves for the home team.

For the most part, WSU corner kicks seemed to come in pairs on Tuesday night. The Raiders won a corner less than a minute in, and after that corner was knocked out of play for another corner, the home team's second set piece resulted in a scorcher from Jalim Bayo. Bayo's hard shot, taken from at least 25 yards out, sailed just outside of the upper left corner of the goal.

The Raiders had four of the first five shot attempts of the game, and WSU's fourth attempt in that stretch was the first Payton goal of the evening.

The Falcons looked to respond quickly, but a shot by freshman Vincent Giannini, taken from just outside the 18, was saved by Blackmer, and moments later, an effort from redshirt freshman Bismark Agyeman was blocked by a defender. In the 19th minute, Roth ripped a shot from 25 yards away, but the dipping ball went wide left.

Midway through the period, Heuton made a tough save on Payton, after a right-side cross was headed back across the mouth of goal by a WSU player at the left goalpost. Payton, near the right post, looked to knock the ball home from about eight yards out, but Heuton made the save at point-blank range.

Two minutes later, after a BG foul, a free kick by Lynch went on goal, skidding along the wet turf, but Heuton made another nifty save in the center of the box. Then, with 13 minutes left in the half, after a corner kick by the home team, Heuton made a stop on Peguy Ngatcha, who hit a shot after the ball bounced around in the box for several nervous moments.

Roth's goal came after a WSU foul near midfield, and the diving header was his fifth goal of the season. It also marked the second time this season the junior headed home a ball from Sullivan. The two teamed up for the first goal of the game in the Falcons' match at IUPUI just over two weeks ago (Oct. 10).

Only 30 seconds after his goal, Roth drove a ball into the box from the right side, but Blackmer grabbed the cross with a BG striker lurking on the doorstep.

Just over a minute into the second half, a dangerous-looking ball from Agyeman was tipped out of play by Blackmer. Less than a minute later, Heuton went low to save a shot by Payton, knocking that ball out of bounds at the near post. In each case, the defending team successfully dealt with the ensuing corner kick.

But, with three-and-a-half minutes gone, the hosts took the lead on Payton's second goal of the match. Less than a minute later, BG threatened at the other end, as James got a foot on an entry ball by Auden, but Blackmer made the stop.

Ten minutes into the period, Roth stole the ball on the right side of the field, and slid a low cross into the box. The ball got past Blackmer and a Raider defender, finding its way to Sullivan. But, Sullivan's shot hit the crossbar, and the play may not have counted anyway, as it appeared the assistant referee was signalling offside against the Falcons.

As the match neared the hour mark, Auden won a ball at midfield on the left side of the pitch, poking it past a would-be defender and then catching up to the ball in space. As Auden headed into the penalty area, however, a defender was able to poke the ball away from the BG junior, thwarting the scoring chance.

In the 62nd minute, WSU's Zach Zwiesler's shot was blocked by a BG defender who was stationed near the far post, a few feet off of the goal line. Then, after a BG giveaway deep in the Falcons' own end of the field, Payton put an open shot just outside the far post.

Midway through the period, Roth's free kick sailed into the box, and Sullivan met the cross and put a header on goal, but Blackmer made the stop. Five minutes later, Sullivan took a free kick, and his ball went into the box and was headed by a teammate. This time, however, the ball popped straight up into the air, and Blackmer was the first to reach it.

Under 18 minutes remained when BG won a corner, and Sullivan slid a ball to senior Jake Martin. Martin fired a shot that was blocked by a defender, and soon after, Roth's shot from distance sailed over the bar. But, with just over 15 minutes remaining, Reynolds tied the score. And, five-and-a-half minutes later, Robertson scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal.

Following Robertson's goal, the Falcons were relatively successful in burning some time off the clock, but WSU did have a few chances. A long shot by AJ Paterson slid just wide of the right post with four minutes to go, and Ngatcha saw his shot saved by Heuton with 1:46 remaining. That would prove to be WSU's last attempt of the night, and the Falcons salted away the road win.

The Falcons return to Mid-American Conference play this weekend, heading to Western New York for a Friday night (Oct. 30) matchup vs. the University at Buffalo. First touch is set for 7:00 p.m. at UB Stadium.