BGSU, Buffalo Battle to Scoreless Draw at Cochrane

Saturday, November 5

Bowling Green, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

9-5-4, 2-0-3MAC

Buffalo

11-3-3, 2-1-2MAC

OT 3

OT 4

Buffalo

Bowling Green

Photo by: Ruben Kappler, BGSU Marketing & Communications

November 05, 2016 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Falcons finish second in the MAC, will face Bulls again in league tournament

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team finished both the home and the Mid-American Conference schedule without a loss, as the Falcons battled the University at Buffalo to a scoreless draw at Cochrane Stadium Friday night (Nov. 5). The match was the final regular-season contest for both teams.

The Falcons end the regular season with an overall record of 9-5-4 and a MAC mark of 2-0-3. BGSU finishes second in the six-team league, and the Brown and Orange will meet Buffalo again next Friday in the MAC Tournament semifinals.

BGSU is the only team in the MAC to finish the regular season without a loss in conference play. The Falcons went unbeaten in MAC action for the first time in two decades, since the 1996 team went a perfect 5-0-0.

The Brown and Orange also finished without a loss at Cochrane Stadium in 2016. BG went 5-0-4 at home this fall. The Falcons were unbeaten in home games for the first time since that '96 club went 9-0-1 at Cochrane.

LINKS
FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
POST-MATCH VIDEO: Coach Nichols
PHOTO GALLERY: Ruben Kappler, BGSU Mkt. & Comm.
MAC TOURNAMENT: Bracket

The Bulls are now 11-3-3 and 2-1-2, respectively. UB will be the number-three seed for the league tourney.

BGSU had a 22-11 advantage in shots, including a 9-4 edge in shots on goal. And, BG hit the goalpost with a shot on three occasions. But, neither goalkeeper -- Falcon freshman Anthony Mwembia or UB's Joseph Kuta -- let a ball get past them during the 110 minutes of action.

The Falcons had an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks as well. BG had seven shots in the overtime periods, to just two for UB.

BGSU won a corner in the third minute of the match, and that Joe Sullivan kick found the head of sophomore Moe Mustafa, who hit a ball that bounced before caroming off the right goalpost.

The Bulls' top scorer, Russell Cicerone, fired a shot with just over four minutes gone after a BG giveaway in the Falcons' defensive third. The ball was headed toward the far post, but Mwembia deflected the ball wide with a diving effort, and BG successfully dealt with the ensuing corner kick.

**------M A C S T A N D I N G S------**
Team (Overall)	MAC	Pts.
Akron (9-5-3)	3-1-1	10
BGSU (9-5-4)	2-0-3	9
Buffalo (11-3-3)	2-1-2	8
Western Mich. (9-5-4)	1-1-3	6
Northern Ill. (2-10-4)	1-3-1	4
West Virginia (8-7-1)	1-4-0	3

Redshirt sophomore Bismark Agyeman made a long run in the 10th minute of the match. Agyeman nearly lost the ball, but recovered it, then fired a low shot that sailed just wide. In the 15th minute of play, sophomore Tate Robertson found Chris Brennan, and the freshman hit a shot toward the far post, but Kuta was able to make a diving stop.

The Falcons had a good chance with nearly 25 minutes gone. Robertson served a ball into the box, and Sullivan found fellow senior Pat Flynn with a quick pass. Flynn fired a shot from the top of the box that was saved by Kuta, and Sullivan tracked down the rebound, but his follow try was stopped as well.

With 15 minutes left before halftime. Sullivan played a ball forward to Flynn. Flynn did masterful work in the box, holding the ball despite being harried by several defenders. Flynn held off the UB players, then laid the ball into the path of Agyeman. Agyeman's low shot from a sharp angle was on frame, but was stopped.

Under nine minutes remained in the period when Agyeman played a ball into the box that forced Kuta to tip it away with a leaping effort. Senior Jacob Roth came up with the ball and hit a tricky shot from distance. Kuta parried the shot as he fell to the ground, and the 'keeper was able to scramble to his feet and reach the rebound before anyone else.

Less than five minutes were left in the period when Flynn hit the onrushing Brennan with a pinpoint pass. But, Brennan's shot was blocked. BG had a 10-4 advantage in first-half shots, but the teams were scoreless at the intermission.

Early in the second period, the Falcons were whistled for a foul just outside the box, but Cicerone's free kick sailed well over the crossbar.

As the match neared the hour mark, Robertson put a ball into the penalty area. Several Falcons, including Mustafa and junior Alexis Souahy, got a head on the ball. But, as a Mustafa header reached Sullivan and the senior looked to get a shot off in traffic, the whistle blew and the Falcons were called for a foul.

Cicerone led all players with three shots on goal on the night, and he tied for game honors with four total shots. In the 64th minute, he came up with the ball and took a shot seemingly out of nowhere. But, Mwembia tipped the ball out for a corner kick, and the Falcons successfully dealt with that kick.

With 21 minutes to go in regulation, Roth crossed the midfield line and spotted Flynn. Flynn, in turn, looked to play a forward ball to fifth-year Falcon Max Auden. But, as Auden looked to head toward the 18, a UB defender was able to poke the ball away at the very last second.

Mwembia went high into the air to grab a UB diagonal ball with 15 minutes left, and the Falcons threatened several minutes later. Roth's ball into the box was headed back across the six-yard line by Mustafa, and junior Keaton Reynolds got a foot on the ball. But, hit shot went just over the bar.

With under eight minutes on the clock, Robertson's ball from the right side, off of a corner kick, was grabbed by the 'keeper. BG got the ball right back, though, and Sullivan found Reynolds heading down the right side. The junior took it to the end line, then played a low cross to Flynn in the box. But, the ball was knocked away as Flynn looked to control it in traffic.

Just over a minute later, though, Sullivan's shot was deflected by a defender, but still went on goal, where Kuta was able to make the stop. With under five minutes on the clock, Roth's right-side cross deflected to Brennan at the top of the box. He fired a hard, low shot, but Kuta saw it all the way and made the save

UB had a rare chance with under two minutes to go. Daniel Cramarossa took a pass from Tommy Fogarty-Cameron and hit a long serve into the box. The high ball caromed off the top of the crossbar, and the teams went to overtime.

In the first OT session, BG had a 3-1 advantage in shots. UB's Braden Scales picked up a loose ball in the 92nd minute, and hit a shot that was blocked and rolled directly to Mwembia.

Midway through the period, junior Brad Macomber picked up a ball near the 18, and fired a shot that was blocked out for a corner kick. Off of that Sullivan corner, several Falcons got a head on the ball, including Souahy and Mustafa. Mustafa's header went to Flynn, who was facing away from goal near the six-yard line. Still, Flynn got a foot on the ball, and it glanced off of the left goalpost before the Bulls were able to clear it. Freshman Robert Miller III tracked it down and fired a shot from the top of the box that was blocked.

Each goalkeeper went high in the air to grab a cross in the final minutes of the period, and the teams headed to a second OT. BG outshot the Bulls by a 4-1 count in that period, and the ball was in UB's defensive end for the vast majority of the 10 minutes.

With just over a minute gone, Flynn and Sullivan looked to connect on a combination play near the top of the box. But, Flynn's return pass for Sullivan was just out of his reach and rolled to Kuta.

In the 104th minute, Robertson took a Roth pass and spotted Miller heading toward the box. Robertson played the ball ahead to the freshman, and Miller hit a hard one-timer. But, the shot went just wide of the far post.

With just over four minutes on the clock. Brennan's shot hit the post -- BG's third ball off the woodwork in the match -- and Miller's rebound try was blocked out for corner.

UB had a harmless shot with just over two minutes to go, but the only shot the Falcons could muster in the final few minutes was a header by Roth in traffic, and that shot went over the bar.

Mwembia and the Falcons picked up their eighth shutout of the season. Mwembia's season goals-against average dropped to 0.66, and he ended with a GAA of just 0.53 in MAC regular-season matches.

BGSU, as mentioned, finished second in the final MAC standings. The Falcons were picked to place fifth in the six-team league in the preseason coaches poll.

Saturday's match was Senior Night for the Falcons, as BGSU's stellar senior class of Auden, Flynn, Roth and Sullivan were recognized in ceremonies prior to kickoff.

The Falcons will face the Bulls on Friday (Nov. 11) in Akron, Ohio. BGSU's match is tentatively scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start, and will be followed by the second semifinal, which will pit host Akron against fourth-seeded Western Michigan.