Cincy Snaps Several Falcon Streaks with 3-1 Decision at Cochrane

Saturday, September 16

Bowling Green, OH

7:00 PM ET

Bowling Green State University

5-2-0

Cincinnati

4-2-1

Cincinnati

Bowling Green

September 16, 2017 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

BGSU falls before a large Alumni Weekend crowd

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The University of Cincinnati benefited from an own goal to take an early lead, and the Bearcats never looked back, downing the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team by a 3-1 count Saturday night (Sept. 16). The non-conference match was held before a large crowd on Alumni Weekend at Cochrane Stadium.

An own goal in the 32nd minute gave the 'Cats the halftime lead, and the visitors then doubled that lead early in the second period. Sophomore Chris Brennan got the Falcons within a goal with 1:32 remaining, but the visitors scored what amounted to an 'empty-net' goal on a counterattack with 30 seconds to go.

The loss snapped numerous streaks for the Falcons, who will look to respond against the number-two team in the country in just three days. BGSU is in the midst of a stretch which sees the team play four times in a 10-day span.

LINKS
FINAL STATS: PDF
PHOTO GALLERY: Photos by Isaiah Vazquez, BGSU Mkt. & Comm.
This Week's BGSU Release/Notes
2017 BGSU Men's Soccer Weekly Releases/Notes
MAC Office Announces Preseason Poll
2017 BGSU Men's Soccer: Schedule | Roster | Record Book
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STREAKS SNAPPED

As mentioned above, BGSU saw several streaks snapped in Saturday's loss to the Bearcats. Cincinnati snapped a 13-match home unbeaten streak for the Falcons, who had not lost at Cochrane Stadium since a 1-0 overtime setback to Northern Illinois on Oct. 3, 2015.
BGSU went 9-0-4 in that home unbeaten streak, outscoring opponents by a 26-5 count and posting nine shutouts in those 13 matches.
BG had not lost in regulation at Cochrane Stadium since a 1-0 loss to Michigan State on Sept. 29, 2015. The Spartans scored with less than two minutes remaining in regulation in that match.
The Falcons had not lost by more than one goal since a 4-0 loss at No. 10 Akron in the final match of the 2015 campaign (Nov. 7, 2015). BGSU had not lost by two or more goals at home in nearly five years, since a 2-0 setback vs. the No. 7 Zips on Sept. 22, 2012.
BGSU had not given up more than two goals in a game since that 4-0 setback to UA in the final 2015 match.
The Falcons had not allowed more than two goals at Cochrane in close to six years, since a 3-0 loss to Northern Illinois on Oct. 29, 2011.
BGSU suffered a 1-0 loss at No. 6 Michigan State on Wednesday night (Sept. 13). Coupled with the UC setback, it marked the first time BG lost back-to-back matches since mid-October of 2015.

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS

14' – The Bearcats' quick one-two passing resulted in Austin Smythe playing a ball toward Sean Clarke in the box, but BGSU sophomore defender Tom Wrobel took the ball off of Clarke's foot before he could fire a shot.
25' – Clarke fired a turnaround shot from the top of the box that rolled just wide of the left post.
30' – BGSU junior Peter Pugliese was fouled deep in the UC end of the field, to the left of the 18-yard box, and classmate Tate Robertson's ensuing free kick was tipped over the crossbar by UC goalkeeper Pearce Skinner. Off of the corner kick that followed, freshman Zach Buescher got his head on the ball, but his shot sailed wide of the target.
32' – Less than a minute after Buescher's shot, Cincinnati got on the board via an own goal. A UC player knocked the ball forward, and a Falcon player lunged at the ball, getting a foot on it as he raced toward his own goal. The ball looped over sophomore goalkeeper Anthony Mwembia, who had come off of his goal line to grab it, and it floated into the vacated net. It marked BGSU's first goal allowed in the run of play in the 2017 season.
35' – The Bearcats' David Sanz fired a free kick on target, but it was parried by Mwembia. Aerin West wound up with the rebound, and hit a shot from the top of the 18-yard box, but that effort was blocked by junior Dominic Grida.
37' – BGSU was able to string together several passes, with Buescher and Charlie Maciejewski involved as the Brown and Orange brought the ball upfield. Robertson took a pass and found sophomore Chris Brennan as he entered the box. Brennan's shot was blocked, but he got the ball back and hit another hard shot. The latter effort, though, sailed high.

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS

47' – After a UC foul outside the box on the right side, Brennan's free kick was grabbed by Skinner on the short hop.
48' – The Bearcats doubled the lead. After UC played the ball past midfield, Clarke blocked a BGSU clearing attempt. He was first to the ball, took it to the end line and brought it along that line before hitting a low cross to an open Sanz on the six-yard line. Sanz made no mistake, redirecting the ball past Mwembia and into the net to give the visitors a 2-0 margin.
51' – Smythe's shot from just outside the box was deflected by a BGSU defender, but Mwembia was able to make a diving stop as he went to his left.
70' – The Falcons put the ball into the net as senior Keaton Reynolds challenged Skinner for a diagonal ball. But, the play was nullified as a foul was called against BGSU.
78' – Buescher played a long ball forward to Robertson, who in turn found Reynolds with a pass. Reynolds brought the ball along the end line on the right side, and fired a shot that forced Skinner into a kick save at the near post.
89' – The Falcons cut the deficit in half with just 1:32 left. Freshman Marshall Mast crossed a ball into the box from the left side, and a Reynolds flick-on sent it into the path of Brennan near the far post. The sophomore headed the ball past Skinner to get BGSU on the board.
Soon after the ensuing kickoff, the Bearcats were whistled for a foul approximately 40 yards from the UC goal. Robertson took the free kick, with all of his teammates – including Mwembia – pushed forward. The kick was blocked by a UC defender, setting up a counterattack for the Bearcats. Despite the best efforts of several BGSU backliners, Clarke was able to get a shot off from approximately 40 yards out, firing the ball into the vacated net.

STATS

The Falcons had a 14-11 advantage in total shot attempts, but UC put seven shots on goal to BG's five.
Both UC's David Sanz and BGSU's Chris Brennan had four total shots on the night. Both players put two of those shots on frame, scoring on one of them. UC's Austin Smythe also had a pair of shots on goal.
UC's Pearce Skinner had four saves to improve to 3-1-1 on the year.
BGSU sophomore Anthony Mwembia also made four stops. Mwembia and the Falcons allowed a goal from the run of play for the first time in seven games this season.

FALCON NOTES

Cincinnati defeated a nationally-ranked team on the road for the second time in as many matches. The Bearcats downed Kentucky, ranked No. 13 in the United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) poll, earlier in the week, before topping No. 19 BGSU on Saturday night.
In Saturday's match, BGSU trailed at the half for the first time since last Oct. 4. On that date, Northern Kentucky held a 1-0 lead at the break, before two Alexis Souahy goals gave the Brown and Orange a road win.
When UC's David Sanz scored early in the second half, it marked the first time BGSU trailed by more than one goal since a loss to Akron on the final day of the 2015 regular season.
Saturday, BGSU's seventh match of the season, marked the first time this year that the Falcons allowed a goal from the run of play.
Saturday's match was part of the BGSU men's soccer program's Alumni Weekend, with a number of former Falcon greats in attendance.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES AND NUMBERS

Sophomore Chris Brennan's goal vs. UC was his third of the season, tying him for the team lead. Brennan, who finished second on the Falcons with 12 points a year ago, has a team-leading 10 points this season.
Brennan tops all active Falcons with 22 career points in 26 career matches.
Senior Keaton Reynolds had the primary assist on Brennan's goal, for his first point of the season. Reynolds now has eight career points on two goals and four assists.
Freshman Marshall Mast also drew an assist on the Brennan goal. For Mast, it was the first point of his Falcon career.
Sophomore Anthony Mwembia allowed a goal from the run of play for the first time this season. In fact, he was charged with three goals allowed for the first time in his BGSU career.
Mwembia now has a goals-against average of 0.57 and a saves percentage of 87.1% this fall. For his Falcon career, Mwembia's GAA is 0.69 while his saves pct. is 84.2%. The Toulouse, France, native has 13 shutouts in 25 career matches at BG.

UP NEXT

The Falcons are in the midst of a four-game stretch in which the opponents have a combined record of 18-3-1 (as of Friday). BGSU now hits the road for the next two matches, beginning with a Tuesday (Sept. 19) contest against the second-ranked team in the nation, Notre Dame. Then, the Brown and Orange will head to Columbus for a Friday (Sept. 22) matchup with Ohio State. Each of those games will begin at 7:00 p.m.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS

For more information on the men's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Facebook (BGSU Men's Soccer), Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUmenssoccer), Instagram (bgsumenssoccer) and Snapchat (BGSU Men's Soccer) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.

Tonight we had dinner with some of our Alumni (Kovacs '69, Bartels '74, Gofus '72). What a great way to start Alumni Weekend #HonorThePast pic.twitter.com/IPU9C9v5EP
— BGSU Men's Soccer (@BGSUmenssoccer) September 16, 2017

Our annual BGSU Soccer Alumni golf outing is going on today! It's great catching up with former Falcons on the course! pic.twitter.com/CBAkWcuRKr
— BGSU Men's Soccer (@BGSUmenssoccer) September 16, 2017

Alumni recognition at halftime! Welcome back Falcons?? pic.twitter.com/5IMbUYNPKK
— BGSU Men's Soccer (@BGSUmenssoccer) September 16, 2017

Falcontastic day for @BGSUmenssoccer alumni golf outing. #HonorThePast #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/iPdMlhdXCT
— BGSU Falcon Club (@Bgsufalconclub) September 16, 2017