BG Battles Broncos to 1-1 Draw Under a Full Moon at Cochrane

Saturday, October 15

Bowling Green, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

8-3-2, 1-0-1MAC

Western Michigan

8-4-3, 0-0-2MAC

OT 3

OT 4

Western Michigan

Bowling Green

photo by Paul Duncan, BGSU Athletic Communications

October 15, 2016 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Brennan scores as Falcons remain unbeaten both at home & in the MAC

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

There was a full moon above Cochrane Stadium on Saturday night (Oct. 15), and those who believe in full-moon-related theories would not have been dissuaded by the men's soccer match that took place there. Some strange events transpired during the 110 minutes, and in the end, Bowling Green State University and Western Michigan University battled to a 1-1, double-overtime draw.

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PHOTO GALLERY: Paul Duncan, BGSU Athletic Communications

The Falcons are now 8-3-2 overall, and BGSU remains undefeated both at home and in Mid-American Conference play. BG is now 1-0-1 in the MAC, and the Falcons are 5-0-2 at Cochrane this season to date.

The Broncos are now 8-4-3 overall and 0-0-2 in conference play.

With 40 percent of this season's conference regular-season matches in the books, the Falcons are in second place in the six-team league. BGSU, picked to finish fifth in the MAC's preseason coaches poll, has four points, trailing only Akron (2-0-0, 6 points).

The conference record marks BGSU's best start in MAC play in 14 years, since the 2002 team began with a pair of wins en route to a 4-1-0 league mark.

Falcon freshman Chris Brennan scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season early in the second half, but after the home team went down a man due to a red card, WMU's Edu Jiminez tied the score with 7:20 left in regulation.

The Broncos had advantages in shots (18-10) and corner kicks (11-1) on the night. WMU also had a whopping advantage in fouls, committing 21 to the Falcons' eight. And, some strange and surreal events transpired during the match.

The visitors saw more of the ball than the Falcons in the first half, but wound up with very little to show for it. A shot by Brandon Bye just over five minutes in was cleared away from the goal line by senior Jacob Roth, and neither team put a shot on target for the next 26 minutes. Senior Joe Sullivan's shot with nearly 32 minutes elapsed was BG's first shot attempt in the game. WMU goalkeeper Drew Shepherd was able to get to that shot that Sullivan lofted toward the upper left corner of the goal.

**MAC STANDINGS**
Team (Overall)	MAC	Pts.
Akron (7-4-1)	2-0-0	6
BGSU (8-3-2)	1-0-1	4
Buffalo (9-3-1)	1-1-0	3
Western Mich. (8-4-3)	0-0-2	2
Northern Ill. (1-7-4)	0-1-1	1
West Virginia (6-5-1)	0-2-0	0

BG had several solid stretches of possession as the match passed the half-hour mark. Redshirt sophomore Bismark Agyeman eluded several defenders as he took the ball down the left side of the field, and he slid a pass ahead to Sullivan. The senior also got past several WMU players and hit a low cross toward the center of the box, but the ball was knocked away. Then, Roth's long throw in led to the aforementioned Sullivan shot.

WMU's Tommy Clark got his head on a cross in the final minute of the half, but the ball was not hit with a ton of force, and Falcon freshman goalkeeper Anthony Mwembia was able to make an easy save.

Mwembia made another stop in the first minute of the second half, as Bye's low shot rolled directly to the 'keeper. Ten minutes into the period, the Falcons had a chance at the other end. Sophomore Tate Robertson won a pair of challenges near midfield and played a through ball to senior Pat Flynn. Flynn, working against two WMU defenders, still was able to get into the penalty area and get a shot off, but Shepherd was able to make the stop. Several minutes later, though, a miscue by the Western 'keeper led to the Falcons' goal.

With nearly 57 minutes gone, Shepherd ventured outside of the 18-yard line in an attempt to clear a ball out of Western's end of the pitch. He misfired on his clearing attempt, and the spinning ball deflected into the air. Brennan ran past both Shepherd and a defender, and with several Broncos in hot pursuit, was able to settle the ball and fire it into the vacated net. The unassisted goal was Brennan's team-leading fifth of the season.

With 21 minutes left in regulation, a corner kick by the Broncos was deflected to Connor McNulty just outside of the box, and McNulty hit a hard shot, but it was just wide left.

Just under 12 minutes remained when a WMU player was injured in the Broncos' end of the field. Play continued for a few moments, however, and the Falcons put the ball inside of the 18. A BG striker was knocked to the ground, and the ensuing scuffle resulted in a yellow card to the Broncos and a red card to the Falcons. BGSU would play the final 11:40 of regulation, plus the two 10-minute overtime periods, a man down.

With 7:20 to go in regulation, the Broncos knotted the score. Zach Bock made a run down the left side and played a cross. That cross was deflected to Jiminez at the top of the 18, and he hit a shot that was also deflected by a BG defender. Mwembia, diving to his left, was unable to recover after the shot changed direction, and it went into the other side of the net, That proved to be the final shot attempt of the period, and the teams headed to overtime.

WMU had a 3-1 advantage in shots in the first OT period, but could put just one on goal. In the first minute of the period, Agyeman stole the ball and slid it to Flynn, but a defender was able to knock the ball away near the top of the box. Two minutes later, after a Bronco foul, a long free kick by Roth sailed into the area, but Shepherd was able to make a leaping grab.

Just over two minutes were left in the period when another Roth free kick headed toward the box. This time, junior Alexis Souahy got his head on it. Souahy, facing away from goal, nodded it behind him, but it bounced just wide of the far post, just beyond the lunging effort of Flynn. A shot by Bye was gathered in by Mwembia with only 11 seconds left in the period.

In the second OT period, after a Bronco corner, BG cleared the ball out of the box, and Brennan headed toward the north goal on a counterattack. BG had a two-on-two opportunity, with Flynn just ahead of Brennan, but the BG freshman was flattened approximately 25 yards from goal. The ensuing free kick was taken by Roth, who curled it around the wall. But, Shepherd made a leaping save to keep the game tied.

Midway through the period, a ball was played toward the WMU end line by fifth-year senior Max Auden. Sophomore Moe Mustafa headed it back toward the goalmouth, leading to a frenzied scramble, with Flynn and Mustafa involved. But, as BG frantically fought for a Golden Goal, the assistant referee raised his flag, indicating an offside call against the home side.

The Falcons had several more chances. With just over a minute to go, freshman Robert Miller III won a battle for the ball in the WMU defensive third of the field. Miller, on the left side of the pitch, hit Brennan with a pass. Brennan, on the right side, took several touches to create some space between him and a defender, and uncorked a hard shot from near the 18. Brennan's blast, however, whizzed over the goal as the clock ticked down toward 60 seconds.

BG won the ball back, and the Falcons won a corner kick -- the team's first of the match -- in the dying seconds. Roth raced to the left corner and quickly took the kick, but it sailed just past the far goalpost as time ran out.

The Falcons, as mentioned, are now 5-0-2 at Cochrane Stadium this fall, and BG has outscored opponents by a 16-3 count in the seven home matches.

BGSU has surpassed the team's MAC point total for all of last year. BG has a 1-0-1 conference record after going 1-4-0 in league play a season ago.

BG now returns to the road for the next three matches, beginning with a Tuesday (Oct. 18) non-conference contest against the nationally-ranked University of Kentucky.

BGSU MEN'S SOCCER - REMAINING REGULAR-SEASON MATCHES
Tue., Oct. 18 – at Kentucky, 7:00
Sat., Oct. 22 – at Northern Illinois, 7:00 CT *
Tue., Oct. 25 – at Fort Wayne, 7:00
Sat., Oct. 29 – AKRON, 7:00 *
Sat., Nov. 5 – BUFFALO, 7:00 *
* MAC match