Falcons Play To A 2OT 1-1 Draw Sunday

Sunday, September 13

Valparaiso, Ind.

2:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

4-2-1

Valparaiso

2-3-2

OT 3

OT 4

Bowling Green

Valparaiso

September 13, 2015 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: by Alexx Klein, BGSU Athletic Communications

Box Score (PDF)
Box Score (HTML)
Season Stats (PDF)

Valparaiso, Ind. – The Bowling Green women's soccer team played its first double overtime match of the 2015 season Sunday afternoon against Valparaiso. The Falcons ended in a 1-1 tie with the Crusaders, as they were going for their third straight win. BGSU is off to its best start since 1999.

"I think both teams snuck away with a point today," said head coach Lindsay Basalyga. "Lauren had a great game as we allowed way too many dangerous chances on goal in the 2nd half. Our character was tested, we weathered the storm and we saw a commitment in overtime to compete and win the game."

Six minutes into the second overtime period, Fleak had a pair of chances to secure the win, with the first shot going just a few inches over the cross bar. Her second chance at the go-ahead goal came when she intercepted a failed clearance and was one-on-one with Valpo keeper Sydney Galvez-Daley, but Galvez-Daley came out to smother the shot.

With time winding down in the final overtime, Jip Van Haaster's header off a Julie Knapp corner hit the cross bar and was cleared out by a Crusader defender off the line.

Valpo got off four shots of their own in the final OT, but Cadel saved them all, finishing with a career-high 19 saves. Cadel's previous career-high was 14 against Ohio on October 17, 2014. Her 19 saves set a new program record, as she broke Erika Flanders' mark of 17 saves set back in 2001.

The first overtime period featured back and forth action with both teams trying to control pace and possession. Mikaela Couch launched a shot from outside of the box in the 94th minute, but it was saved by Galvez-Daley. Later in the period, Couch was looking for Laura Bozzelli, who was streaking up the field, but the pass went long and Bozzelli was unable to coral the ball and it rolled out of bounds.

Bowling Green scored its lone goal of regulation in the 28th minute. Mikaela Couch, who has an assist or goal in six of seven games, fed the ball to Skylar Fleak who split two Valpo defenders and put the shot past Galvez-Daley from the center of the box. This is Fleak's second straight game with a goal.

The Falcons had other early scoring opportunities, coming in the fourth and fifth minutes when freshman Morgan Abbitt and sophomore Madison Schupbach were unable to net a goal on two blocked shot attempts. In the 13th minute, Erica Hubert's header went high after a perfectly played in ball from Knapp off a cornerkick.

An offsides violation on the Crusaders wiped out a goal in the 17th minute, keeping the score at 1-0 Falcons. Valpo's next best scoring opportunity came in the 39th minute, but Abbitt cleared the shot on goal as Cadel was out of the play.

The Falcon defense stepped up late in the first half, stopping three straight shots from the Crusaders. Valpo controlled play for much of the first half outshooting BG 11-6, but stout defensive play by the Bowling Green backline and Cadel kept Valpo off the board, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Lauren Cadel recorded six saves in the opening period alone, which surpassed her season-high in a game this season.

The Crusaders evened the score in the 53rd minute, as Jordan Tindell's shot hit the crossbar and April Cronin chased down the rebound and scored from close range for her fourth goal of the season.

BGSU has scored a goal in every match this season, a streak that hasn't been matched since 2008. The Falcons' 17 goals this season is more than the team's 15 goals scored in 2014.

"A week ago I think we would've lost this game, so I'm proud of our growth mentally and that we were able to walk away from the road with four points which will really matter in another two weeks," added Basalyga.

Bowling Green return to Cochrane Stadium after splitting this weekend's games to face Butler Thursday Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Following the matchup with the Bulldogs, the Falcons will open conference play with Miami (OH) on Sept. 25 at home.