Falcons Advance in MAC Tournament After Three Second Half Goals

Sunday, October 29

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

12-6-1, 6-4-1MAC

Buffalo

7-9-3, 5-4-2MAC

Buffalo

Bowling Green

October 29, 2017 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: by Matthew Daley, Athletic Communicationis Assistant

LINKS
BGSU-Buffalo Box Score (PDF)
BGSU-Buffalo Box Score (Enhanced)
Photo Gallery (Larry Clapper)
Photo Gallery (Isaiah Vazquez, BGSU Marketing & Communications)
Game Highlights
Updated BGSU Statistics
MAC Women's Soccer Statistics
NCAA Women's Soccer Statistics
2017 BGSU Record Book
2017 MAC Tournament Website

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The dream season continues. On Sunday afternoon (Oct. 29), the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team advanced in the Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Bulls in the quarterfinal round. The fourth-seeded Falcons (12-6-1, 6-4-1 MAC) were playing their first conference tournament game in nine years and were facing a fifth-seeded Bulls team with four straight years of tournament experience that included a championship. BGSU's victory sends it through to the semifinal round, where they will face the top-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes in Kent, Ohio.

The Falcons struggled to get offense going during the first half, ultimately securing only three shots, none of which were on goal. Buffalo managed only five shots, but they made one count. The Bulls created an offensive chance when Julia Benati passed to Kaitlyn Walsh. Walsh took a shot that was saved, but Carissima Cutrona tipped home a rebound for a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute.

Cope made a critical save of a Cutrona shot early in the second half. After that, the BGSU offense took over. At the ten minute mark of the half, Madison Schupbach passed Erica Hubert behind the defense to set up a one-on-one with goalkeeper Laura Dougall. Hubert's footwork allowed her to beat Dougall to the right from five yards out for the equalizer. BGSU took the lead just five minutes later. Maureen Kennedy sailed a free kick into the box, where Nikhita Jacob headed it to the left. Rachel Winters was there to meet the ball with a header that sped past Dougall at the 60:47 mark.

Bowling Green finished the scoring in the 80th minute. Elisa Baeron chipped a pass over the defense to a waiting Hubert, who once again won a one-on-one matchup with Dougall. Her shot high into the right side of the net provided a 3-1 margin that held up as the final score.

NOTE OF THE DAY
Junior Erica Hubert found a perfect time for her first multi-goal match of the 2017 season. Her initial score was the equalizer against Buffalo, and she capped her day with a goal in the 80th minute. That gave BGSU much-needed breathing room with a two-goal lead. The "insurance goal" has been a Hubert specialty this year; of her ten goals, six of them have been the Falcons' final scores in two-goal victories. Four have occurred in the final 11 minutes of a match. Hubert has also been BGSU's own "Ms. October", as she has seven goals in nine games this month and five in the last four. Bowling Green is 8-1 when she scores a goal this season.

STAT PACK

BGSU is now 16-7 all-time in MAC Tournament games, including 9-1 in the quarterfinal round.
The Falcons finish the 2017 season with a 7-2-0 record at Cochrane Stadium, best since an 8-1-1 mark in 2008.
Today was Hubert's third career multi-goal game and first since a hat-trick on Oct. 20, 2016 against Western Michigan.
Hubert has a new personal-best of 10 goals in a season and 25 in her career. Hubert is fourth on BGSU's all-time scoring list.
Winters' goal was her third of 2017 and also her third game-winning goal of the season. She also provided the winning margin against Morehead State and Wright State.
Schupbach and Kennedy each posted their team-best eighth assists of the season today.
Schupbach had six career assists coming into the season; she now has 14 in her career. She also has a personal-best 16 points in 2017.
Kennedy has 10 points (1 goal, 8 assists) in 2017 and 13 assists in her career. Seven of those 13 have been game-winners, including her assist today.
Nikhita Jacob's assist was her third of 2017 and her second game-winning assist. She also has a goal for five points as a freshman.
Elisa Baeron's assist on the Falcons' third goal was her first career point.
Victoria Cope saved six shots, including three in the second half.
Cope, Alexis Fricke, and Morgan Abbitt played the full 90 minutes. Jennifer Reyes added 86 minutes, while Sophia Barnes played 53 in a reserve role.
Shots (on goal): BGSU 13 (4), Buffalo 11 (7)
Corner Kicks: Buffalo 4, BGSU 1
Fouls: BGSU 14, Buffalo 11
Offsides: BGSU 4, Buffalo 2

UP NEXT
Bowling Green travels to Kent, Ohio next weekend for the MAC Tournament semifinals and championship. The semifinal round will take place on Friday, Nov. 3, and the Falcons' game will begin at 7:00 p.m. against top-seed Kent State. Should BGSU win their match on Friday, they would advance to the championship game on Sunday, which will also be played at Kent. They would face the winner of the Ball State vs. Toledo semifinal, which will be played on Friday immediately before the BGSU-KSU game. The Falcons won 3-1 at Kent State last Sunday (Oct. 22) behind two goals from Chelsee Washington.

2017 MAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
QUARTERFINALS (AT CAMPUS SITES - SUNDAY, OCT. 29)
#1 KENT STATE 1, #8 Ohio 1 (2OT)
* -- Kent State wins on penalty kicks (4-2)
#4 BOWLING GREEN 3, #5 Buffalo 1
#2 BALL STATE 2, #7 Northern Illinois 1
#3 TOLEDO 2, #6 Western Michigan 1
SEMIFINALS (AT KENT, OHIO - FRIDAY, NOV. 3)
#4 Bowling Green at #1 Kent State (7:00 p.m.)
#2 Ball State vs. #3 Toledo (TBA)
CHAMPIONSHIP (AT KENT, OHIO - SUNDAY, NOV. 5)
Semifinal winners.

FALCONS WIN! @BGSUWSoccer grabs the W in the first round of the MAC tournament 2-1! #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/vYWKFyrpuT
— BGSU Athletics (@BGathletics) October 29, 2017

That time when the @BG_Football team rushed the field to celebrate a @BGSUWSoccer quarterfinal victory! #AyZiggy #InvestInSuccess pic.twitter.com/6t1nz6CwlV
— BGSU Falcon Club (@Bgsufalconclub) October 29, 2017

Congratulations to @BGSUWSoccer on their win in the first round of the MAC Tournament. Thrilled we could be there to support the comeback! pic.twitter.com/bSBo4TlO8R
— BG Football (@BG_Football) October 29, 2017