Falcons Top Kent State to Earn Berth in MAC Championship

Friday, November 3

Kent, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Kent State

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

November 03, 2017 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: by Matthew Daley, Athletic Communicationis Assistant

LINKS
BGSU-KSU Box Score (PDF)
BGSU-KSU Box Score (Enhanced)
Updated BGSU Statistics
MAC Women's Soccer Statistics
NCAA Women's Soccer Statistics
2017 BGSU Record Book
2017 MAC Tournament Website

KENT, Ohio -- The mantra of postseason tournaments is "survive and advance". The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team survived an offensive blitz from top-seed Kent State on Friday night (Nov. 3) and pulled a 2-1 upset at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio. As a result, the fourth-seeded Falcons advance to the 2017 Mid-American Conference Women's Soccer Tournament Championship. The Falcons will face their arch-rivals, the Toledo Rockets, in that game. The two squads will determine an NCAA Tournament berth beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 5); that game will also be played at Dix Stadium.

BGSU out-shot Kent State 21-5 on the same field two weeks ago, but this game would be far different. The first ten minutes of the game were played almost exclusively on the Falcons' side of the field, and the Golden Flashes equaled that five shot output in the first 8:30 of the game. Despite the barrage, the Falcons did not allow a goal, and the game began to even out as the clock approached the midpoint of the first half.

In the 22nd minute, Kent State was whistled for a foul in BGSU's defensive zone. Maureen Kennedy sent a high, arching free kick to just outside of the box, where Jennifer Reyes was able to head it to the right towards Erica Hubert. Hubert had inside position on her defender and sent a rocket that beat goalkeeper Ashleah McDonald for a 1-0 lead. The Falcons made that lead stand up through halftime despite facing eight shots in the opening period.

Bowling Green nearly doubled their margin early in the second half on attacks by Skylar Fleak and Madison Schupbach, but McDonald made a pair of diving saves. However, BGSU continued to attack. In the 71st minute, KSU's Sierra Henderon-Muschett was booked. Rachel Winters was awarded a free kick, which she took from just outside the Falcons' attacking third. Her rainbow kick was misplayed in the box by McDonald, as it sailed over McDonald's head and into the net for a 2-0 BGSU lead.

The Golden Flashes halved the lead with 11:46 left on the clock on a goal by Hayden Pascoe, but the Falcons held from their to preserve a 2-1 victory. Bowling Green is now 13-6-1 in 2017. Kent State drops to 13-6-2.

COACH SAYS...
BGSU women's soccer head coach Matt Fannon had the following comments after the game:
"It wasn't one of our best performances on the ball, but we were excellent off the ball. We defended the ball brilliantly and were really up for the battle tonight. Kent State played us really well and gave us problems from start to finish. In the end, we battled hard, defended well, and took advantage of our opportunities. We deserved to win because of that."

(On Kent State's hot start)
"We expected that. I think they really wanted to come out and get in our faces to start the game, and they did a really good job of that. They executed their game plan and frustrated us at the beginning of the game. Soccer's a sport where you're not going to be on top all the time, so when we were on top, we took our chances. When we weren't, we defended well and played bravely as a team. It was another way we've learned to how to win, and it's even more enjoyable because of that."

(On BGSU's two goals)
"The thing about set pieces is that the game stops for just a second. We try to tell our players that, when the game stops, we don't switch off. We switch on and are ready to go. We focus on what we expect to happen. In the moments for both goals, we did a very good job of realizing the moment and making it count."

(On mindset after KSU goal)
"When the home team gets a goal to get back in the game, we expected a barrage of pressure. We defended the last minutes well. We hit back everything that was thrown at us, and I was very proud of how our players responded in those moments. Those are difficult to be big, braves and accomplished in, and we really were tonight."

(On Sunday's game)
"We know Toledo are a really good team. We're going to have to be at our best to get anything out of the game. We feel confident that our game is good and the way we play is good, so if we can hit those highs, we'll feel good about our chances. We also know that Toledo will bring a lot of energy, enthusiasm and noise, so I'm hoping we can get a big crowd from BG to get behind us in the game."

STAT PACK

BGSU is now 17-7 all-time in MAC Tournament games.
The Falcons' win is their sixth road victory of 2017. At 6-4-1, the Falcons have tied the school record for road wins in a season.
Bowling Green's 13-6-1 (.675) overall record is the best in school history by winning percentage.
A win on Sunday would be BGSU's 14th and tie another school record.
Rachel Winters has scored the game-winning goal in both of the Falcons' MAC Tournament wins iin 2017.
Tonight's goal is Winters' fourth of the season. All of them have won games for BGSU.
Winters and Skylar Fleak are tied for the team lead in game-winning goals and tied for second-most in a season in BGSU history; Erica Hubert also had four in 2016.
Erica Hubert's goal is her 11th of the season and ties her for the team lead.
Hubert has a goal in four straight games, one shy of the BGSU record. She has also scored five of the last seven BGSU goals.
Hubert now has eight goals in her last ten matches and at least one in seven of those games.
Jennifer Reyes posted her third assist of the 2017 season. They represent all three of her career assists.
Hubert led the Falcons with four shots and two shots on goal. Winters also had two.
Schupbach, Fleak, and Chelsee Washington also took shots for the Falcons.
Victoria Cope made three saves, and the Falcons also had a team save. Three of the team's four saves were in the second half.
Cope, Alexis Fricke, and Morgan Abbitt played the full time. Reyes (86) and Winters (85) also played heavy minutes.
Shots (on goal): KSU 15 (5), BGSU 9 (6)
Corner Kicks: KSU 4, BGSU 2
Fouls: BGSU 23, KSU 7
Offsides: BGSU 4, KSU 0

UP NEXT
Bowling Green seeks the third MAC championship in program history when it faces the third-seed Toledo Rockets in the MAC Championship Game at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 5). The contest will be played at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio. This will be the Falcons' sixth appearance in the title contest, and they own a 2-3 record in those games. BGSU defeated Central Michigan in 2004 and Kent State in 2005 to win championships. They lost the final against Miami in 2000, at Western Michigan in 2003, and in Muncie, Ind. against Toledo in 2007. The Falcons and Rockets are tangling for the fifth time in the MAC Tournament. Bowling Green won the first meeting on penalty kicks in the 2005 quarterfinals. Toledo won in the quarterfinals in 2006, the championship game in 2007, and the semifinals in 2008.

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 2, #1 KENT STATE 1
#3 Toledo 2, #2 Ball State 1 (2OT)
CHAMPIONSHIP (AT KENT, OHIO - SUNDAY, NOV. 5)
#3 Toledo vs. #4 Bowling Green (1:00 p.m.)

GOAL @BGSUWSoccer! #MACtion

Bowling Green 1??, Kent State 0??

Watch: https://t.co/EJCaXooRYZ pic.twitter.com/dKXD86vt1J
— #MACtion (@MACSports) November 3, 2017