Bowling Green State University Athletics
Joe Sullivan fires a shot during first-half action on Sunday
Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications
Robert Morris Survives BGSU Second-Half Onslaught in 1-0 Win
September 13, 2015 | Men's Soccer
Falcons dominate in every category except one
Neco Brett's first-half goal gave Robert Morris University the lead, and the Colonials somehow withstood a relentless offensive onslaught by the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team, surviving for a 1-0 win over the Falcons Sunday afternoon (Sept. 13). The non-conference game, part of the Veterans Memorial Cup, was held at Marshall University's Hoops Family Field at the Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex.
With the win, the Colonials improve to 4-2-0 on the season. The Falcons, ranked No. 24 in the country in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll, lose for the first time this year and drop to 5-1-0.
LINKS
FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
PHOTO GALLERY: Photos courtesy BGSU Athletic Communications
The Falcons were declared co-champions of the Veterans Memorial Cup. All four participating teams went 1-1-0 in the tourney, but BGSU and Marshall were named co-champions due to goal differential. Additionally, four Falcons earned all-tournament team honors. Senior Ryan James, redshirt juniors Max Auden and Ryan Heuton and true junior Pat Flynn all were named to the all-tourney team.
"Soccer can be a tough game," said Falcon head coach Eric Nichols. "I think we did a lot of things really well today, but we didn't get a result. We played a good team, and they have a very good player who got a goal on us. But, I loved our response to that. I loved how we pressed – actually, for the whole 90 minutes we were pressing to get a goal, and it just didn't happen for us today.
"But, I'm proud of how the guys managed today. They're certainly salty about the loss, and we'll be hungry to improve upon the result, but I saw a lot of very positive things."
A total of 12 different Falcons, including nine of the 10 field players in the starting lineup, took at least one shot on Sunday. BGSU had more shots on goal than Robert Morris had total shots.
BG outshot RMU by a 27-8 count, and the Falcons had a 19-3 advantage in the second half. The Brown and Orange put 10 shots on goal to the opponents' one, and BGSU had a 9-3 edge in corner kicks. But, Brett and the Colonials made a 21st-minute goal stand up.
That goal came off of a scramble near the top of the 18-yard box. The Colonials played the ball into the penalty area, and the Falcons attempted to clear it. BG could not get it out of the box, however, and the ball caromed to Brett just inside the 18. RMU's leading scorer made no mistaking, blooping a shot over Heuton and into the upper half of the net.
With that goal, BGSU trailed for the first time this season. The Falcons played over 470 minutes in regular-season action before falling behind for the first time.
RMU 'keeper Brenden Alfery made nine saves on the afternoon, and was aided by his defense on at least one occasion. With the Falcons applying great pressure late in the match, a BG shot was blocked on the end line by a member of the Colonials' back four.
The first half was relatively evenly played. Junior Jacob Roth -- who was dangerous on crosses, free kicks and corner kicks all day -- stole the ball deep in the RMU end of the field in the first minute of the match, but his cross was grabbed by Alfery. Less than a minute later, Brett received a pass on the right side of the box at the other end of the pitch, but his shot sailed wide.
With under three minutes gone, Flynn won a corner for the Falcons. Junior Joe Sullivan took that corner, and after playing the ball to Roth, Sullivan received a return pass and fired a ball into the box, but Alfery grabbed that cross as well.
At the other end, Jake Cooper fired a pair of shots in a 35-second span, but both were off the mark. First, after a BG defender knocked the ball away from Brett, Cooper blasted a one-time effort from distance, but the ball went well over the goal. Then, after RMU won the ball back, Cooper took a pass from Brett, but again his shot sailed high.
Heuton was not credited with a save in the match, but broke up several dangerous-looking opportunities for the Colonials. With just over 10 minutes gone, a corner kick sailed through the box, but RMU's Lucas Puntillo tracked it down and fired the ball back into the penalty area. Heuton, however, rose above several strikers to pluck the ball out of the air.
Sullivan tested Alfery with just under 15 minutes gone. He received a bouncing pass from Flynn and struck a volley from the top of the box. There was a great deal of force behind the shot, but the RMU 'keeper was able to deflect the ball out of play.
Just over five minutes later, however, the Colonials got on the board on the Brett goal, his sixth of the season.
Less than a minute after the goal, though, the Falcons were threatening at the other end of the park. Roth's low entry ball into the box found James. The tri-captain settled the ball with his left foot and quickly fired a turnaround shot with his right, but the shot went wide.
Midway through the period, Sullivan stole a pass deep in the RMU end and tried to poke it past Alfery. The RMU 'keeper charged toward Sullivan and made a sliding effort, upending Sullivan as the ball rolled wide of the right goalpost and out of play for a goal kick.
Two minutes later, Roth played a diagonal ball into the box. Alfery came off of his goal line in an effort to grab the ball, but the 'keeper appeared to step on the back of Flynn's shoe just as he was ready to jump. The RMU netminder fell to the ground as the ball bounced wide of the far post.
BG made two more trips deep into the Colonials' end of the field less than a minute apart. First, Sullivan crossed the ball to Flynn in the center of the box. The ball popped up into the air, and Flynn attempted a bicycle kick, but Alfery was able to poke the ball away just before Flynn made contact. Then, a free kick by Roth found the head of sophomore Alexis Souahy in the box, but the ball sailed wide.
With the match just over half an hour old, Sullivan put a shot on target from a difficult angle on the left side of the goal. Alfery, however, was able to made the save at the near post, and also was able to hang onto the ball to avoid giving up a rebound.
With just over three minutes left in the half, redshirt junior Danny Shea played a long ball forward, in the direction of Flynn. The ball was deflected by a defender, but Sullivan ran onto it and hit a volley. His shot, however, was struck directly at Alfary, who gathered it in.
Just over a minute later, freshman Peter Pugliese made a nifty move to elude a would-be defender on the left side of the box. Pugliese headed across the box from left to right, but his shot sliced wide of the far post.
In the final 30 seconds of the period, Pugliese was fouled as he made a run toward the left side of the pitch in the RMU end. Roth's free kick, however, was blocked by the wall, and the Colonials were able to clear the ball out of their own end as time ran out in the first half.
A glance of the final statistics makes it seem like the field was tilted for the second half of Sunday's match, as BGSU had a 19-3 advantage in shot attempts and a 7-0 margin in shots on goal. But, somehow, Alfery and the Colonials hung tough and did not allow a goal.
Early in the second half, BG nearly turned the ball over near midfield, but freshman Tate Robertson won the ball back, made a nifty move to evade a defender and uncorked a long shot. But, the shot went wide.
Less than a minute later, the Falcons were threatening again, as sophomore Brad Macomber ripped a long shot from the right side. Macomber had a great deal of force behind his shot, but Alfery was able to get to the ball and make the save.
Only 30 seconds after that, Shea's left-side cross found the head of Flynn, but the ball was redirected wide.
With 10 minutes gone in the second half, Roth shot wide after taking a pass from Macomber, but BG soon had the ball back, and the Colonials committed a foul on the left side of the pitch, in front of the Falcons' bench. Roth played that free kick into the box. The ball deflected off of a player and went toward Flynn, who put it toward the net with an outstanding backheel effort. The ball, however, was hit directly at Alfery, who gratefully grabbed it.
Robertson was fouled near midfield as the first of two RMU yellow cards on the day was issued, and another Roth free kick was headed by Souahy in the box. Souahy, on the right side of the box, headed the ball toward Sullivan at the far post, but the ball was just out of reach of Sullivan's lunging effort.
Af the match neared the hour mark, a long ball by Roth very nearly found Sullivan in the box, and a diagonal ball by Souahy was just beyond the head of a leaping Sullivan. Then, a Roth free kick did find James in the box, and the senior tri-captain headed the ball backward, but Alfery was able to reach it before a Falcon striker could arrive.
Flynn was unceremoniously dumped as he headed toward the penalty area with 26 minutes left in the match, and a yellow card was issued to the Colonials. But, Roth's free kick was blocked, and a long follow try by Macomber was deflected out of play.
After a long stretch of possession for the Falcons in the 70th minute of play, redshirt freshman Bismark Agyeman was taken down on the left side of the pitch. Roth's ensuing free kick was struck well, but went just over the crossbar near the far post.
Arguably the best chance of the half for Robert Morris came with just under 15 minutes left, and not surprisingly, came against the run of play. After a goal kick, the Colonials quickly got downfield, and Puntillo blasted a shot wide of the far post. The game quickly reverted to its second-half form, however, with the ball returning to the RMU defensive end of the field. With 13 minutes remaining, Agyeman's long shot attempt was off the mark.
The clock had ticked under the 10-minute mark when freshman Ryan Ross forced Alfery to make a diving save. Sullivan received a right-side cross in the box, and laid the ball into the path of the onrushing Ross. Ross blasted a shot that seemed ticketed for the upper left corner of the goal, but the RMU 'keeper kept it out with a diving effort, deflecting the ball wide of the post for a corner kick. And, that corner was punched away by Alfery.
The Colonials took the ball into the BG end, and rans some time off the clock by taking the ball to the corner and winning several corner kicks. The Falcons eventually got the ball back, however, and freshman Dominic Grida began a sequence which wound up with a Sulivan shot on the left side of the box. After a combination play between Robertson and Souahy, Robertson's pass went to Sullivan, who forced Alfery to make a save at the near post.
With just over four minutes left, Shea received a long pass and hit a diagonal ball toward the goal, but it sailed over the bar and out of play. A minute later, Roth put a ball into the box, and Sullivan left it for James, but his shot was off line.
Less than two minutes remained when the Falcons had one of their best chances of the game. A ball was played into the box, and Sullivan flicked it on to the foot of Flynn. Flynn lifted it over a defender to Robertson, and the freshman's point-blank shot was saved. With Flynn, Robertson and several other Falcons in the area, an RMU player attempted to clear the ball, but it was blocked by a Falcon and very nearly caromed into the net. But, the ball was blocked, then finally cleared off the line.
With under a minute on the clock and BG pressing forward, the Colonials got possession of the ball and looked to head downfield. A BG defender thwarted the RMU counterattack, and the Colonials were called for a foul in the process. BG quickly took a free kick on the Falcons' own side of midfield. Robertson knocked the ball ahead to Souahy, who in turn found Sullivan with a full head of steam. But, with the clock winding down, Sullivan's quick shot attempt was off the mark, and time ran out on the Falcons.
BGSU's total of 27 shot attempts was a season high, and represented the Falcons' highest total since late in the 2013 season (38 shots vs. IPFW on Nov. 5, 2013). The team's 10 shots on goal tied a season-high mark, as BG also put 10 shots on frame vs. Cleveland State. And, BG's nine corner kicks was a season high.
The Falcons were shut out for the first time since last Oct. 22 at Ohio State. BGSU had scored in 12 consecutive matches, with two or more goals in eight of those 12 contests.
"Now, the challenge for our team is to decide how we are going to respond to this result," said Nichols. "Does this result hurt our confidence, or do we use it to make us stronger and find the positives out of it? That's a decision each of us needs to make. Certainly, we try to win every single game, but we can take a result – win or lose – learn from it and get better."
The Falcons return home to prepare for a Friday (Sept. 18) match at Cochrane Stadium. BGSU will take on IPFW in a 7:00 p.m. start, and admission is free.
VETERANS MEMORIAL CUP
Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex; Huntington, W.Va.
Friday, Sept. 11
Bowling Green 3, Evansville 1
Marshall 3, Robert Morris 1
Sunday, Sept. 13
Robert Morris 1, Bowling Green 0
Evansville 1, Marshall 0
WEEKEND RECORDS (W-L-T, GF/GA)
Bowling Green (1-1-0, 3/2)
Marshall (1-1-0, 3/2)
Evansville (1-1-0, 2/3)
Robert Morris (1-1-0, 2/3)
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Ryan Heuton, Bowling Green
Pat Flynn, Bowling Green
Ryan James, Bowling Green
Max Auden, Bowling Green
Ryan Koening, Evansville
Trever Baum, Evansville
Vince DiPrimio, Evansville
Matt Freeman, Marshall
Ryan Forde, Marshall
Neco Brett, Robert Morris
Jack Cooper, Robert Morris
Â
With the win, the Colonials improve to 4-2-0 on the season. The Falcons, ranked No. 24 in the country in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll, lose for the first time this year and drop to 5-1-0.
LINKS
FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
PHOTO GALLERY: Photos courtesy BGSU Athletic Communications
The Falcons were declared co-champions of the Veterans Memorial Cup. All four participating teams went 1-1-0 in the tourney, but BGSU and Marshall were named co-champions due to goal differential. Additionally, four Falcons earned all-tournament team honors. Senior Ryan James, redshirt juniors Max Auden and Ryan Heuton and true junior Pat Flynn all were named to the all-tourney team.
"Soccer can be a tough game," said Falcon head coach Eric Nichols. "I think we did a lot of things really well today, but we didn't get a result. We played a good team, and they have a very good player who got a goal on us. But, I loved our response to that. I loved how we pressed – actually, for the whole 90 minutes we were pressing to get a goal, and it just didn't happen for us today.
"But, I'm proud of how the guys managed today. They're certainly salty about the loss, and we'll be hungry to improve upon the result, but I saw a lot of very positive things."
A total of 12 different Falcons, including nine of the 10 field players in the starting lineup, took at least one shot on Sunday. BGSU had more shots on goal than Robert Morris had total shots.
BG outshot RMU by a 27-8 count, and the Falcons had a 19-3 advantage in the second half. The Brown and Orange put 10 shots on goal to the opponents' one, and BGSU had a 9-3 edge in corner kicks. But, Brett and the Colonials made a 21st-minute goal stand up.
That goal came off of a scramble near the top of the 18-yard box. The Colonials played the ball into the penalty area, and the Falcons attempted to clear it. BG could not get it out of the box, however, and the ball caromed to Brett just inside the 18. RMU's leading scorer made no mistaking, blooping a shot over Heuton and into the upper half of the net.
With that goal, BGSU trailed for the first time this season. The Falcons played over 470 minutes in regular-season action before falling behind for the first time.
RMU 'keeper Brenden Alfery made nine saves on the afternoon, and was aided by his defense on at least one occasion. With the Falcons applying great pressure late in the match, a BG shot was blocked on the end line by a member of the Colonials' back four.
The first half was relatively evenly played. Junior Jacob Roth -- who was dangerous on crosses, free kicks and corner kicks all day -- stole the ball deep in the RMU end of the field in the first minute of the match, but his cross was grabbed by Alfery. Less than a minute later, Brett received a pass on the right side of the box at the other end of the pitch, but his shot sailed wide.
With under three minutes gone, Flynn won a corner for the Falcons. Junior Joe Sullivan took that corner, and after playing the ball to Roth, Sullivan received a return pass and fired a ball into the box, but Alfery grabbed that cross as well.
At the other end, Jake Cooper fired a pair of shots in a 35-second span, but both were off the mark. First, after a BG defender knocked the ball away from Brett, Cooper blasted a one-time effort from distance, but the ball went well over the goal. Then, after RMU won the ball back, Cooper took a pass from Brett, but again his shot sailed high.
Heuton was not credited with a save in the match, but broke up several dangerous-looking opportunities for the Colonials. With just over 10 minutes gone, a corner kick sailed through the box, but RMU's Lucas Puntillo tracked it down and fired the ball back into the penalty area. Heuton, however, rose above several strikers to pluck the ball out of the air.
Sullivan tested Alfery with just under 15 minutes gone. He received a bouncing pass from Flynn and struck a volley from the top of the box. There was a great deal of force behind the shot, but the RMU 'keeper was able to deflect the ball out of play.
Just over five minutes later, however, the Colonials got on the board on the Brett goal, his sixth of the season.
Less than a minute after the goal, though, the Falcons were threatening at the other end of the park. Roth's low entry ball into the box found James. The tri-captain settled the ball with his left foot and quickly fired a turnaround shot with his right, but the shot went wide.
Midway through the period, Sullivan stole a pass deep in the RMU end and tried to poke it past Alfery. The RMU 'keeper charged toward Sullivan and made a sliding effort, upending Sullivan as the ball rolled wide of the right goalpost and out of play for a goal kick.
Two minutes later, Roth played a diagonal ball into the box. Alfery came off of his goal line in an effort to grab the ball, but the 'keeper appeared to step on the back of Flynn's shoe just as he was ready to jump. The RMU netminder fell to the ground as the ball bounced wide of the far post.
BG made two more trips deep into the Colonials' end of the field less than a minute apart. First, Sullivan crossed the ball to Flynn in the center of the box. The ball popped up into the air, and Flynn attempted a bicycle kick, but Alfery was able to poke the ball away just before Flynn made contact. Then, a free kick by Roth found the head of sophomore Alexis Souahy in the box, but the ball sailed wide.
With the match just over half an hour old, Sullivan put a shot on target from a difficult angle on the left side of the goal. Alfery, however, was able to made the save at the near post, and also was able to hang onto the ball to avoid giving up a rebound.
With just over three minutes left in the half, redshirt junior Danny Shea played a long ball forward, in the direction of Flynn. The ball was deflected by a defender, but Sullivan ran onto it and hit a volley. His shot, however, was struck directly at Alfary, who gathered it in.
Just over a minute later, freshman Peter Pugliese made a nifty move to elude a would-be defender on the left side of the box. Pugliese headed across the box from left to right, but his shot sliced wide of the far post.
In the final 30 seconds of the period, Pugliese was fouled as he made a run toward the left side of the pitch in the RMU end. Roth's free kick, however, was blocked by the wall, and the Colonials were able to clear the ball out of their own end as time ran out in the first half.
A glance of the final statistics makes it seem like the field was tilted for the second half of Sunday's match, as BGSU had a 19-3 advantage in shot attempts and a 7-0 margin in shots on goal. But, somehow, Alfery and the Colonials hung tough and did not allow a goal.
Early in the second half, BG nearly turned the ball over near midfield, but freshman Tate Robertson won the ball back, made a nifty move to evade a defender and uncorked a long shot. But, the shot went wide.
Less than a minute later, the Falcons were threatening again, as sophomore Brad Macomber ripped a long shot from the right side. Macomber had a great deal of force behind his shot, but Alfery was able to get to the ball and make the save.
Only 30 seconds after that, Shea's left-side cross found the head of Flynn, but the ball was redirected wide.
With 10 minutes gone in the second half, Roth shot wide after taking a pass from Macomber, but BG soon had the ball back, and the Colonials committed a foul on the left side of the pitch, in front of the Falcons' bench. Roth played that free kick into the box. The ball deflected off of a player and went toward Flynn, who put it toward the net with an outstanding backheel effort. The ball, however, was hit directly at Alfery, who gratefully grabbed it.
Robertson was fouled near midfield as the first of two RMU yellow cards on the day was issued, and another Roth free kick was headed by Souahy in the box. Souahy, on the right side of the box, headed the ball toward Sullivan at the far post, but the ball was just out of reach of Sullivan's lunging effort.
Af the match neared the hour mark, a long ball by Roth very nearly found Sullivan in the box, and a diagonal ball by Souahy was just beyond the head of a leaping Sullivan. Then, a Roth free kick did find James in the box, and the senior tri-captain headed the ball backward, but Alfery was able to reach it before a Falcon striker could arrive.
Flynn was unceremoniously dumped as he headed toward the penalty area with 26 minutes left in the match, and a yellow card was issued to the Colonials. But, Roth's free kick was blocked, and a long follow try by Macomber was deflected out of play.
After a long stretch of possession for the Falcons in the 70th minute of play, redshirt freshman Bismark Agyeman was taken down on the left side of the pitch. Roth's ensuing free kick was struck well, but went just over the crossbar near the far post.
Arguably the best chance of the half for Robert Morris came with just under 15 minutes left, and not surprisingly, came against the run of play. After a goal kick, the Colonials quickly got downfield, and Puntillo blasted a shot wide of the far post. The game quickly reverted to its second-half form, however, with the ball returning to the RMU defensive end of the field. With 13 minutes remaining, Agyeman's long shot attempt was off the mark.
The clock had ticked under the 10-minute mark when freshman Ryan Ross forced Alfery to make a diving save. Sullivan received a right-side cross in the box, and laid the ball into the path of the onrushing Ross. Ross blasted a shot that seemed ticketed for the upper left corner of the goal, but the RMU 'keeper kept it out with a diving effort, deflecting the ball wide of the post for a corner kick. And, that corner was punched away by Alfery.
The Colonials took the ball into the BG end, and rans some time off the clock by taking the ball to the corner and winning several corner kicks. The Falcons eventually got the ball back, however, and freshman Dominic Grida began a sequence which wound up with a Sulivan shot on the left side of the box. After a combination play between Robertson and Souahy, Robertson's pass went to Sullivan, who forced Alfery to make a save at the near post.
With just over four minutes left, Shea received a long pass and hit a diagonal ball toward the goal, but it sailed over the bar and out of play. A minute later, Roth put a ball into the box, and Sullivan left it for James, but his shot was off line.
Less than two minutes remained when the Falcons had one of their best chances of the game. A ball was played into the box, and Sullivan flicked it on to the foot of Flynn. Flynn lifted it over a defender to Robertson, and the freshman's point-blank shot was saved. With Flynn, Robertson and several other Falcons in the area, an RMU player attempted to clear the ball, but it was blocked by a Falcon and very nearly caromed into the net. But, the ball was blocked, then finally cleared off the line.
With under a minute on the clock and BG pressing forward, the Colonials got possession of the ball and looked to head downfield. A BG defender thwarted the RMU counterattack, and the Colonials were called for a foul in the process. BG quickly took a free kick on the Falcons' own side of midfield. Robertson knocked the ball ahead to Souahy, who in turn found Sullivan with a full head of steam. But, with the clock winding down, Sullivan's quick shot attempt was off the mark, and time ran out on the Falcons.
BGSU's total of 27 shot attempts was a season high, and represented the Falcons' highest total since late in the 2013 season (38 shots vs. IPFW on Nov. 5, 2013). The team's 10 shots on goal tied a season-high mark, as BG also put 10 shots on frame vs. Cleveland State. And, BG's nine corner kicks was a season high.
The Falcons were shut out for the first time since last Oct. 22 at Ohio State. BGSU had scored in 12 consecutive matches, with two or more goals in eight of those 12 contests.
"Now, the challenge for our team is to decide how we are going to respond to this result," said Nichols. "Does this result hurt our confidence, or do we use it to make us stronger and find the positives out of it? That's a decision each of us needs to make. Certainly, we try to win every single game, but we can take a result – win or lose – learn from it and get better."
The Falcons return home to prepare for a Friday (Sept. 18) match at Cochrane Stadium. BGSU will take on IPFW in a 7:00 p.m. start, and admission is free.
VETERANS MEMORIAL CUP
Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex; Huntington, W.Va.
Friday, Sept. 11
Bowling Green 3, Evansville 1
Marshall 3, Robert Morris 1
Sunday, Sept. 13
Robert Morris 1, Bowling Green 0
Evansville 1, Marshall 0
WEEKEND RECORDS (W-L-T, GF/GA)
Bowling Green (1-1-0, 3/2)
Marshall (1-1-0, 3/2)
Evansville (1-1-0, 2/3)
Robert Morris (1-1-0, 2/3)
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Ryan Heuton, Bowling Green
Pat Flynn, Bowling Green
Ryan James, Bowling Green
Max Auden, Bowling Green
Ryan Koening, Evansville
Trever Baum, Evansville
Vince DiPrimio, Evansville
Matt Freeman, Marshall
Ryan Forde, Marshall
Neco Brett, Robert Morris
Jack Cooper, Robert Morris
Â
Team Stats
RMU
BGSU
Goals
1
0
Shots
8
27
Shots on Goal
1
10
Saves
10
0
Corners
3
9
Fouls
12
13
Scoring Plays

BRETT, Neco (6)
gathered loose ball. Chip shot
20:18
Game Leaders
Players
Players Mentioned
Eric Nichols Post-Practice Interview (Sept. 19, 2025)
Friday, September 19
Off The Pitch: Trace Terry (Sept. 18, 2025)
Friday, September 19
BGSU MSOC: USMNT GOAT (Lucas Kleimeyer)
Wednesday, September 17
Off The Pitch: Andrew Shaffer (Sept. 11, 2025)
Thursday, September 11