Flynn, Falcons Down Western Illinois, 4-1

Sunday, August 30

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

2-0-0

Western Illinois

0-2-0

Western Illinois

Bowling Green

Pat Flynn scored his third goal of the day from this seemingly-impossible angle

Photo by: Larry Clapper

August 30, 2015 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Junior's hat trick leads the way as BGSU moves to 2-0 on the year

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Junior striker Pat Flynn scored early and often Sunday afternoon (Aug. 30), propelling the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team to a 4-1 win over Western Illinois University. The non-conference match was held at a sun-drenched Cochrane Stadium.

With the victory, the Falcons improve to 2-0-0 on the young season, while dropping the Leathernecks to 0-2-0.

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PHOTO GALLERY: Photos courtesy Larry Clapper

Flynn recorded a hat trick, giving the Falcons the lead for good with less than three minutes gone, then scoring the game's final two goals in the second half. Classmate Joe Sullivan had BG's other goal, and added two assists on the day.

For the second-straight game, redshirt freshman Bismark Agyeman recorded a pair of assists. Agyeman now has four career assists in two collegiate matches.

Juniors Max Auden and Jacob Roth each added an assist, while true freshman Tate Robertson picked up the first point of his young career with an assist.

Ryan Heuton made four saves to earn the win in goal for the Falcons. The only goal he allowed came on a two-on-none WIU breakaway after an errant BG pass deep in the Falcons' own end of the field.

Naperville natives Flynn and Sullivan nearly had more goals on Sunday. Flynn was stopped at point-blank range by WIU 'keeper Sam Copp in the first half, while Sullivan fired a blast that Copp deflected in the second half. That Sullivan shot then caromed off the crossbar.

Three of Copp's four saves were of the difficult variety, as he made a diving stop to grab a dangerous, curving ball by Roth in the opening period.

Conrad Hager scored the visitors' long goal midway the first half, cutting BG's lead to 2-1, before Flynn's second-half brace completed the hat trick and sealed the win.

Flynn and the Falcons got the scoring started less than three minutes into the match. Sullivan stole the ball in the center of the park in WIU's end of the field, headed toward goal and slid a pass to Flynn on his right. Flynn took a few touches and put his shot past Copp and just inside the far post at the lower-left corner of the frame. With only 2:36 gone, the Falcons had the lead for good.

Flynn nearly doubled that lead less than a minute later. After an errant pass by a WIU player deep in the Leathernecks' end of the field, Flynn was first to the ball and headed in on the right side of the penalty area. With a defender close behind him, however, Flynn's blast went just wide of the near post.

With approximately 17 minutes gone, Flynn and the Falcons were at it again. Agyeman played a pass to Sullivan on the right side, and Sullivan gave it right back with a nifty backheel pass that split several WIU defenders. Agyeman's ensuing pass put Flynn behind the defense, but Copp came charging off of his line to make a point-blank save on Flynn's effort, and the 'keeper was able to smother the rebound before Flynn could get another shot off.

Several minutes later, though, the Falcons doubled the lead. Agyeman beat a would-be defender on the right side, and took the ball to the end line. The redshirt freshman centered the ball to the charging Robertson, who fired a hard shot toward goal. Sullivan deflected the shot, giving Copp no chance for a save. Robertson and Agyeman picked up assists on Sullivan's second goal of the season, and the home team had a 2-0 lead.

Several minutes later, however, the Leathernecks threatened and finally broke through. WIU's Diego Lopez made a long run before he was tripped up just outside the 18-yard box. The Falcons dealt with the ensuing free kick, but after a BG backpass went awry, Fernando Pacheco picked up the ball, and headed into the box all alone on the right side.

Pacheco forced Heuton to commit, then slid a pass to Hager in the center of the box, and Hager scored into the empty net. In the 26th minute of play, the visitors had cut BG's lead in half.

The goal gave WIU some momentum, and WIU won a corner kick less than two minutes later. Alejandro Pacheco took that kick, and his ball found the head of Hager. Heuton, however, made a nice diving save to deny Hager and keep the Falcons on top.

Late in the first half, Agyeman made a long run with three players scrambling to stop him, and the redshirt freshman was fouled about 25 yards from goal on the right side. Roth took the free kick, and bent his shot around the WIU wall. Copp, however, was there to make an acrobatic diving stop, and Sullivan's follow try went over the bar. The Falcons went into the halftime break with a 2-1 lead.

The visitors applied pressure in the early stages of the second half. WIU took the first three shot attempts of the period, putting two on goal, but Heuton was up to the task, making stops on shots by Amedeo Carbo and Lopez. With just over eight minutes gone in the second half, though, Flynn put BG back up by two.

Roth came down the right side of the field, and crossed the ball into the area. Sullivan got a touch on the ball, and it bounced toward the charging Flynn. Flynn's blast from the center of the box was deflected by a defender and went into the right side of the goal. In the 54th minute, the Falcons had a 3-1 lead.

Five minutes later, Agyeman put Flynn in on the right side, but his shot went high. Then, four minutes after that, the Falcons threatened again. This time, sophomores Alexis Souahy and Brad Macomber teamed up to work the ball into the WIU end. Macomber found Flynn heading toward the box, and Flynn tapped the ball to sophomore Keaton Reynolds. Reynolds' roller headed toward the goal line, but was knocked away by a defender just before it got there.

With just over 11 minutes remaining, however, Flynn and the Falcons scored to seal the victory. Auden's square pass found Agyeman on the left side, and Agyeman split the defense with a gorgeous through ball. Flynn, near the top of the box, got behind the defense and reached Agyeman's pass a split-second before Copp arrived. Flynn tapped the ball past Copp, and it headed toward the end line. From what seemed like a nearly-impossible angle, Flynn -- who had almost reached the end line -- poked the ball off the far post and into the net. The junior had his second collegiate hat trick, and the Falcons had a 4-1 lead.

And, BGSU very nearly added to that lead. With five-and-a-half minutes to go, Sullivan cut back to elude a defender on the right side of the box, and fired a shot on target. Copp made a diving effort to deflect Sullivan's strike, and the ball caromed off the crossbar.

Flynn and Sullivan have combined to score six of the Falcons' first seven goals of the season. After two games, Flynn leads the team with nine points, while Sullivan has six and Agyeman four.

The Falcons had advantages of 14-11 in total shot attempts and 9-5 in shots on goal on Sunday. Both Heuton and Copp made four saves, and WIU also was credited with a 'team save' when the Reynolds shot was cleared off the goal line.

The Orange and Brown will remain at home, concluding a season-long four-game homestand with a pair of matches under the lights. BGSU will host Drexel on Thursday (Sept. 3) and Cleveland State next Sunday (Sept. 6).