Falcons Silence Penn, 2-0, to Remain Unbeaten

Sunday, September 3

Philadelphia, PA

7:00 PM ET

Bowling Green State University

4-0-0

Penn

0-2-0

Bowling Green

Penn

Alexis Souahy vs Dayton - August 2017 - MJC photo

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

September 03, 2017 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Miller & Souahy score, & a stout defensive effort lifts BGSU to 4-0

By: PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team got a pair of goals less than six minutes apart, along with a stellar defensive effort, Sunday night (Sept. 3). It all added up to a 2-0 victory over the University of Pennsylvania in non-conference action at Rhodes Field.

With the win, the Falcons improve to a perfect 4-0-0 on the season. Penn drops to 0-2-0.

Sophomore Robert Miller III – the lone Pennsylvania native on the BG roster – and senior Alexis Souahy scored second-half goals, and the Falcons put the clamps on the Penn offense, allowing the Quakers just one shot on goal and one corner kick over the 90 minutes. Sophomore Anthony Mwembia made one save en route to the shutout win.

LINKS
FINAL STATS: PDF
Friday Recap: Falcons Slay Dragons Behind Mustafa's Brace
Earlier This Week: Brennan Named to TDS Team of the Week
BGSU Men's Soccer Release/Notes - PDF
2017 BGSU Men's Soccer Weekly Releases/Notes
MAC Office Announces Preseason Poll
2017 BGSU Men's Soccer: Schedule | Roster | Record Book
Join the Falcon Club Today!

NOTE OF THE NIGHT

The Falcons allowed Penn just one shot on goal and one corner kick over the entire 90 minutes, en route to the team's fourth clean sheet in as many matches this season. BGSU has posted four consecutive shutouts for the first time since November of 1997.

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS

15' – There were only three total shot attempts, all by BG, during the first half. The first came with nearly 15 minutes gone, when a right-side cross by senior Brad Macomber found the head of sophomore Chris Brennan, who was charging toward the near post. Brennan's effort was on target, but Penn goalkeeper Scott Forbes parried it away, and the Quakers successfully dealt with the ensuing corner kick.
29' – Freshman Chris Sullivan won a corner kick for the Falcons. Off of that corner, a crossing ball by junior Peter Pugliese sailed into the box, where Mustafa got a head on it. But, Forbes was there to make the save once again.
39' – The Brown and Orange nearly had a dangerous chance, as Brennan's pass found junior Tate Robertson, and Robertson played a one-timer into the box, intended for senior Keaton Reynolds. Forbes, however, was able to come off of his line and grab the ball before Reynolds could reach it.
41' – Off of a Robertson corner kick, the ball bounced to freshman Zach Buescher on the far side of the box. He headed a short entry ball toward Mustafa, who quickly redirected it toward the near (right) post, but the shot went just wide.
44' – Sullivan and Souahy teamed up on a combination play on the left side of the pitch, and Sullivan got past his defender and headed into the box. He hit a cross near the end line, but Forbes plucked it out of the air to end the threat.

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS

46' – Macomber's right-side diagonal ball was knocked out of bounds by Forbes for a BGSU corner kick. Robertson's corner found Souahy in the box, and the senior got a body part on the ball and redirected it on goal, but Forbes was there.
53' – Brennan picked a Penn player's pocket in the Quakers' defensive end of the field. The sophomore entered the 18-yard box and played a pass to Miller on his left. Miller took a dribble to his left, then hit a shot from approximately 12 yards out that beat Forbes to the short side, squeezing between the Penn 'keeper and the left post.
55' – Penn's first shot attempt of the game came with 54:07 gone. Brandon Bartel's effort from distance was blocked by a BGSU defender.
56' – Peter Pugliese's dangerous cross somehow went through a crowded penalty area without a player touching it.
57' – Robertson's diagonal ball toward the far post is tipped out of play by Forbes.
58' – The ensuing corner kick, taken by Robertson, found the head of Souahy, who nodded it into the upper right corner of the goal to give the Falcons a two-goal lead.
81' – Freshman Marshall Mast's left-side cross was broken up by Forbes in the box. Less than a minute later, BG had the ball back, and Macomber's entry ball was headed by Buescher, but the freshman's shot was wide.
83' – After a giveaway in the BG end, Penn's Sam Hefter and Mwembia converged on the ball near the top of the penalty area. Hefter got a foot on the ball, but Mwembia smothered the shot and held on. As Mwembia looked to punt the ball away, Hefter interfered with the sophomore 'keeper and was assessed a red card. The Quakers played the final 6:56 of the match a man down.
88' – Brennan blew past a would-be defender on the right side and headed into the box, but his shot sailed just wide of the near post.

QUOTING COACH NICHOLS
"Winning is hard, and winning on the road in college soccer is extremely hard, so I'm really pleased for the guys. We came to Philadelphia with a goal of getting two good results, and to walk out of here with two wins … again, I'm very happy for our guys."

"Tonight's game was a battle, and it definitely created some uncomfortable moments for us. We started out strong, but then faded and were a little flat. I thought Penn controlled portions of that first half. It gave us the opportunity to check ourselves at halftime. Each guy changed his game, and the second half was a very good effort, what I would call a BG soccer effort."

STATS

The Falcons, as mentioned, allowed Penn just one shot on goal for the entire match. BGSU had a 9-4 advantage in total shot attempts, and a 5-1 lead in shots on goal. BG had three corner kicks to the Quakers' one.
Brennan led all players with three total shot attempts, putting two on goal.
Mwembia was called upon to make just one save, as he and the BG defense silenced the Penn offense. Each of the BG defenders – Souahy, Mustafa and sophomore Tom Wrobel – played all 90 minutes of the win.
Midfielders Buescher, Macomber and Dominic Grida each played the entirety of the match as well.

FALCON NOTES

The Falcons are off to a 4-0 start for the third-straight season. Last year, BG won the first four matches of the year before falling at Western Illinois. Two years ago, the Brown and Orange got off to a 5-0 start and moved into the national rankings.
BGSU has scored at least two goals in all four matches this season, and the Falcons have outscored opponents, 9-0.
BG is 18-0-2 when scoring two goals in a match since the start of the 2015 season, and the Falcons are now 48-4-6 in such matches in the Eric Nichols Era.
BGSU has posted four consecutive shutouts for the first time in almost two decades, since November of 1997. The Falcons have not had five-straight shutouts since 1991.
The school record for consecutive shutouts is five matches, achieved on three occasions. The Falcons had five-straight shutouts in 1977-78 (last three games of 1977 and the first two of '78), then matched that mark in 1983 and again in '91.
The last time – and the only other time – BGSU began the season with four-straight shutouts was 1981.
Sunday night marked the Falcons' first-ever meeting with Penn.
The Falcons now are 8-2-2 all-time in matches played in the state of Pennsylvania.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES AND NUMBERS

Sophomore Robert Miller III scored the second game-winning goal of his BGSU career Sunday night. Both GWG have come in the last week. Miller scored the opening goal of Tuesday's 2-0 win over Cleveland State before opening the scoring vs. Penn as well.
With two goals this season, Miller has matched his total for all of last year.
Senior Alexis Souahy also scored his second goal of the season on Sunday, and also matched his total for the entire 2016 campaign.
Souahy scored for the second-straight game, having also scored the final goal of Friday night's 3-0 win at Drexel.
Miller now has 12 career points on four goals and four assists.
Souahy has five points on two goals and an assist through four games, matching his 2016 totals in all three categories. In his third season at BG, he now has 14 points on five goals and four helpers.
Sophomore Chris Brennan picked up his team-leading fourth assist of the season with a pass to Miller vs. the Quakers. Brennan has six points this season, good for second on the Falcons. With 18 career points, he leads all active BG players in career scoring.
Junior Tate Robertson recorded an assist on Sunday night, and now has three this season, matching his total for all of last year. Robertson has seven career assists to lead all current Falcons in that category.
Sophomore Anthony Mwembia's shutout on Sunday was the 12th of his 22-match BGSU career. His career goals-against average dropped to 0.60, while his career saves percentage improved to 85.6%.

UP NEXT

The Falcons return home for the team's lone afternoon match at Cochrane Stadium this season. The Brown and Orange will face Western Illinois on Saturday (Sept. 9) in a 12:00 p.m. start. Admission to all regular-season BGSU soccer matches is free.

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.

ANTHONY MWEMBIA with his 4th shutout of the season pic.twitter.com/1brfePOsP5
— BGSU Men's Soccer (@BGSUmenssoccer) September 4, 2017

4-0 with 4 shutouts ???? come check the team out on Saturday at noon vs Western Illinois! https://t.co/FvMqtiE4o0
— BGSU Screech Team (@BGScreechTeam) September 4, 2017

Took a team photo after our training this morning. Excited to tour Philly tonight! pic.twitter.com/AhP36GZvXW
— BGSU Men's Soccer (@BGSUmenssoccer) September 2, 2017