WVU Comeback Downs Falcons, 3-2, in Rainy Morgantown

Friday, October 26

Morgantown, WV

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

5-6-4, 1-1-2MAC

West Virginia

12-5-0, 4-0-0MAC

Bowling Green

West Virginia

October 26, 2018 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Final Statistics (PDF)

BGSU falls for the first time in MAC play

By: MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

West Virginia University mounted a late rally, scoring the winning goal with just 2:31 remaining to post a 3-2 win over the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team Friday night (Oct. 26). The Mid-American Conference match was held at a rainy Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

With the win, the Mountaineers improve to 12-5-0 overall, and WVU has clinched the MAC regular-season title. The Mountaineers are 4-0-0 in league play with one match remaining.

BGSU, 5-6-4 overall, fell for the first time in MAC play. The Falcons, who are now 1-1-2 in the conference, saw a six-match unbeaten streak halted.

Joey Piatczyc scored the winning goal for the hosts, taking a pass from Jorge Quintanilla and scoring from the right side of the six-yard box.

The Falcons had taken an early lead on a goal by senior Moe Mustafa with just 3:45 gone, and classmate Ebenezer Ackon scored on a second-half penalty kick after junior Charlie Maciejewski was tripped in the penalty area.

But, WVU's Andres Muriel Albino scored a pair of goals, tying the score each time. His second goal came with 5:44 remaining, setting the stage for Piatczyc's winner.

The win was WVU's first over the Falcons since the 2014 season. Heading into Friday's match, BGSU had been unbeaten (3-0-1) in the last four meetings with the Mountaineers.

QUOTING COACH NICHOLS
"Congratulations to West Virginia; 12 points after four games in the MAC is an extremely impressive feat."

"I thought we were really good for large portions of the game. But, as good as we were, we didn't do a good enough job of taking care of the key moments and that ultimately cost us the game."

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 4' | Sophomore Chris Sullivan picked up the ball near the top of the 18-yard box, hitting a shot that was blocked out of play for a corner kick.
• 4' | GOAL | Freshman Jensen Lukacsko popped a short ball over the top, as senior Moe Mustafa had gotten behind the WVU defense. Mustafa settled the ball and, with time to pick his corner, chose wisely, slotting the ball past WVU goalkeeper Steven Tekesky to give the Falcons the early lead.
• 12' | Junior Charlie Maciejewski won a corner kick for the Falcons, as his short cross from the left side of the box was blocked over the line, but the ensuing corner was headed away by a WVU defender.
• 16' | The hosts won a corner, but after that short corner was played, senior Tate Robertson dispossessed a West Virginia winger just outside the box on the left side.
• 19' | WVU's Rushawn Larmond worked a combination play with a teammate, made a nifty spin move and got past the BG defense. He attempted to chip the ball over Anthony Mwembia as the junior goalkeeper came off of his line, but the shot glanced off the crossbar and Mwembia grabbed the ball off of the bounce.
• 20' | BG quickly earned a chance at the other end. Maciejewski slid a right-side pass into the path of the onrushing Sullivan. The sophomore's shot, however, curved around the right post and hit the outside netting
• 23' | Sophomore Vinny Worner found Robertson just outside the 18, and the senior blasted a shot, but it whizzed over the crossbar.
• 29' | On a BG counterattack, Sullivan passed the ball to Peter Pugliese on his left, but the senior's shot from the left side of the box sails over the goal.
• 35' | Maciejewski split the defense with a nifty through ball, & Robertson poked it around the 'keeper & played it into the net, but the assistant referee's flag was raised, indicating an offside call against the Falcons.
• 39' A foul was called on the Falcons just outside the box, but Mustafa, in the wall, blocked the free kick off the foot of Albert Andres-Llop.
• 43' | After another foul on the Brown and Orange, the free kick was played into the box. Spenser Myers' shot was blocked at the top of the 18, and as the teams battled for the rebound, Mustafa was fouled and BG was awarded a free kick, ending the threat.

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 47' | Pugliese took the ball to the end line and slid a cross along the goalmouth, but it went tantalizingly through the box.
• 48' | GOAL | The Mountaineers' Andres Muriel Albino got open on the left side of the box, and fired a shot into the far corner to tie the score.
• 50' | Senior Ebenezer Ackon picked up a ball that was headed out of the box by a WVU defender, and Ackon hit a hard shot that went just over the bar.
• 52' | Another good chance for WVU, but a header by Josh DiMatteo went high The shot came off a Joey Piatczyc free kick.
• 56' | GOAL | Maciejewski made a spin move along the end line, as he turnstiled a would-be defender in the process. Kevin Morris hauled Maciejewski down as he entered the penalty area, and the referee pointed to the spot. Tekesky didn't move as Ackon's shot zipped past him.
• 58' | Mwembia made the save on a header by DiMatteo after a cross into the box.
• 60' | Worner and Sullivan worked a combination play on the right side of the field, and Worner was sent to the ground as he entered the penalty area. The soph still got a foot on the ball to slide it across the six-yard line, but it was cleared by a defender.
• 67' | On a breakaway after a BG giveaway, Mwembia came all the way out of the box to knock the ball away from Larmond and out of bounds.
• 68' | Freshman Matt Walters, just into the match, made a sliding effort to get to a left-side cross, but the shot from about 12 yards out went over the bar.
• 70' | Larmond got free for another near breakaway, splitting a pair of defenders. Mwembia came all the way out to the top of the 18, and got a hand on the ball, then covered up.
• 75' | WVU won a corner, & a powerful header from Logan Lucas went just wide of the post, although BG seemed to have the post covered.
• 77' | Albino brought the ball into the left side of the box, but Mustafa blocked his shot, and BG saved the ball on the end line, putting it out over the sideline for a throw-in rather than a corner kick.
• 79' | A WVU corner kick fell to Jorge Quintanilla, who settled it and fired from approximately 12 yards out. But, the shot went well over the bar.
• 85' | GOAL | Albino scored his second of the night, taking a through ball on the left side and putting his shot inside the far post.
• 86' | Sullivan just missed on a header try. The soph took the ball toward the 18, and played it out left to Pugliese who served it back in. But, the Sullivan header from close range was just off the mark.
• 88' | GOAL | Piatczyc scored from the right side of the six-yard box after being sent in by Quintanilla.

WHAT'S NEXT?
• BGSU returns home to close out the regular season with a Mid-American Conference match against SIUE on Saturday night, Nov. 3.
• The SIUE match will be Senior Night for the BGSU men's soccer program, with the Falcons' four seniors – Ebenezer Ackon, Moe Mustafa, Peter Pugliese and Tate Robertson – recognized in ceremonies prior to kickoff.
• The MAC Tournament begins with a pair of quarterfinal-round matches on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The top-two teams in the final standings will earn byes, and will be joined by the two quarterfinal survivors for the semifinal round on Friday, Nov. 9.

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