Broncos Down BGSU, 2-0, in MAC Tournament Semifinal

Friday, November 9

Morgantown, WV

2:30 PM

Bowling Green State University

6-7-4

Western Michigan (Semifinals)

11-5-3

Western Michigan

Bowling Green

Ike Swiger v WMU - Nov 9 2018 - MAC Tournament SF

photo courtesy Dale Sparks, WVU Athletic Communications

November 09, 2018 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Final Statistics (PDF)

Falcons see 2018 season come to an end

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

Western Michigan scored a pair of first-half goals – one early, one late – to post a 2-0 victory over the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team Friday afternoon (Nov. 9). The match, a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal-round contest, was held at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

With the win, the Broncos, the number-three seed for the league tourney, will face fourth-seeded Akron in Sunday's championship match. The Zips downed host and top-seeded West Virginia, 3-1, in Friday's second semifinal.

The Falcons see the season come to an end with an overall mark of 6-7-4.

Western took the lead less than five minutes into the match, on a rebound goal by Mike Melaragni. Following the shaky start, the Falcons controlled tempo and possession for the bulk of the first half, but the Broncos doubled the lead against the run of play late in the period on a Zack Shane goal.

The Broncos then clamped down on defense after halftime, and although the Falcons had the majority of the possession for much of the second half, BG was unable to get a shot off during the 45 minutes.

WMU had narrow advantages of 9-7 in shot attempts, 4-3 in shots on goal and 3-2 in corner kicks.

Friday's match marked the final collegiate contest for Falcon seniors Ebenezer Ackon, Moe Mustafa, Peter Pugliese and Tate Robertson.

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 2' | WMU won a corner, and the ball was played back across the box, but a header by Brenden Skinner went just high.
• 5' | GOAL | After another corner, a shot by Anthony Bowie curved toward the far post and glanced off of the woodwork. WIth BGSU goalkeeper Anthony Mwembia on the ground after making a diving effort to stop the Bowie effort, Mike Melaragni collected the ball and put it into the vacated net.
• 12' | BGSU controlled the ball in the WMU end, and a serve by sophomore Zach Buescher was blocked. Freshman Jensen Lukacsko picked it up and fired a shot, but the ball went wide right.
• 16' | BG strung several passes together in tight quarters near the top of the box, but a shot by junior Charlie Maciejewski went high.
• 20' | Senior Tate Robertson was fouled approximately 30 yards from goal, and the captain took the ensuing free kick, firing a curving, dipping blast toward goal. But, the effort was saved by leaping WMU goalkeeper Lukas Von Lienen. Then, off of the resulting corner kick, Maciejewski's effort was wide.
• 25' | BG possessed the ball for a lengthy stretch of time, but junior Chris Brennan's shot from just outside the 18 was blocked.
• 31' | A Robertson serve into the box resulted in a flick-on by fellow senior Moe Mustafa. The ball went toward the center of the six-yard box, and senior Ebenezer Ackon reached it with a diving header but Von Lienen made the save almost in self defense.
• 34' | Freshman Kale Nichols and Brennan combined to steal the ball as BG looked to counter, but Nichols was fouled in the WMU third of the field on the right side. Robertson's serve, however, was headed out of the box by a Bronco backliner.
• 38' | Mustafa got his head on a right-side serve, but the shot was wide of the far post.
42' | After some sort of kerfuffle away from the ball, BG – lining up for a free kick in the Falcons' own end – wound up with a kick nearly 40 yards ahead of the original spot. But, the Falcons were called for a foul as multiple players went up for the ball in the box after the free kick was played into the danger zone.
• 43 | GOAL | Zack Shane doubled the Broncos lead after the Broncos pressured a Mwembia clearance. BG had dominated play for the previous 30 minutes prior to the goal against the run of play.
45' | Brennan headed a serve back across the box toward Maciejewski, but Maciejewski's header was saved in the final seconds of the period.

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 51' | The first shot of the half came from WMU's Brandon Eklund, but it sailed well over the bar.
• 56' | Maciejewski was fouled from behind after a through-ball was played toward him on the right side, and the Broncos were shown a yellow card. The ensuing free kick was played toward the far post, but the 'keeper grabbed it.
• 65' | Mwembia made a diving effort to push a low left-side cross away. The ball caromed off of a Bronco striker, but headed toward the corner, and BG cleared the ball away.
• 76' | Melaragni took the ball into the right side of the box, but Ackon snuffed out a shot before there was any danger, blocking the ball directly off of the Bronco freshman's boot.
• 84' | BGSU played multiple serves toward and into the box, but the Broncos, with great numbers back on defense, knocked them all away.
• 86' | Donovan Michael and the Broncos looked to counter. Michael poked ball past the charging Mwembia, but Achille Robin made a nifty play to stop the shot and knock the ball over the end line for a corner.

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.