Overtime PK Lifts Purdue Fort Wayne to 3-2 Victory

Saturday, September 22

Fort Wayne, IN

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

1-5-2

Purdue Fort Wayne

5-3-0

OT 2

Bowling Green

Purdue Fort Wayne

Jensen Lukacsko v Michigan St - Sept 7 2018

Photo by: BGSU Marketing and Communications

September 22, 2018 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Final Statistics (PDF)Rewatch the BGSU-PFW Match

Lukacsko, Brennan score for the Falcons

By: FORT WAYNE, Ind. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Host Purdue Fort Wayne capitalized on two penalty-kick opportunities, the second in overtime, to pick up a 3-2 win over the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team Saturday night (Sept. 22). The non-conference match was held at the Hefner Soccer Complex.

Romain Lopez converted from the spot with just 1:40 gone in the OT period to give the Mastodons the victory. Earlier in the match, PFW's Matthew Lieshout hit the crossbar on a PK, but scored on the rebound.

BGSU twice battled back from one-goal deficits in the second half. Freshman Jensen Lukacsko scored less than four minutes after halftime, and after Alex Frank gave the home side the lead, junior Chris Brennan knotted the score on a diving header with less than 10 minutes to go in regulation.

Senior Peter Pugliese assisted on both BGSU goals, while classmate Tate Robertson also had an assist in the match.

The Falcons outshot Purdue Fort Wayne (formerly Fort Wayne, and IPFW prior to that) by a 16-12 count, and the Falcons had a 12-5 advantage in shots on goal.

QUOTING COACH NICHOLS
"Losing is hard and losing in OT is even harder, but I am really proud of our guys tonight. They showed a real fight, a real desire to compete, and played a brand of soccer that was dynamic and dangerous. We didn't win the game, so we clearly didn't achieve our main objective, but I am very encouraged. This is a performance we will build from."

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 6' | Off of a throw-in by senior Tate Robertson in the PFW end of the pitch, senior Moe Mustafa got his head on the ball, and Achille Robin lunged and put a one-timer on frame. But, Mastodons goalkeeper Tor Erik Larsen was able to make a point-blank save, deflecting the ball out of play.
• 10' | Robertson was played behind the defense by a teammate, and the senior hit a quick shot from outside the penalty area, but the ball sailed high.
• 13' | Junior Tom Wrobel made a stellar play to catch a Mastodon striker on the left side of the box. Wrobel, with a lunging effort, blocked a shot by Blake Cearns out of play.
•14' | GOAL | But, off of the ensuing corner, though, a foul was called on the Falcons inside the 18-yard box, and a penalty kick was awarded to the 'Dons. Matthew Lieshout's PK was no good, hitting the crossbar, but the ball bounced off of the back of diving BGSU goalkeeper Anthony Mwembia and landed in the goalmouth. Lieshout was the first to the rebound, & knocked it into the net.
• 15' | Sophomore Zach Buescher played the ball to junior Charlie Maciejewski in the box. The ball was tipped to sophomore Chris Sullivan, who hit a shot from just outside the 18 on the left side. But, Larsen was able to make the save.
• 16' | BG got ball right back, and sohomore Vinny Worner made a move across the top of the box. With two defenders on him, Worner slid a pass to Buescher for a quick shot, but again, Larsen was there to make the stop.
• 17' | After PFW's Romain Lopez and a BG defender get tangled up, the BG player fell to the ground. Lopez brought the ball along the end line on the left side and hit a hard shot, but Mwembia swatted it away.
• 19' | BG possessed the ball for a lengthy stretch, as Sullivan found Buescher, who in turn passed it to freshman Jensen Lukacsko. But, Lukascko's diagonal ball was grabbed by a leaping PFW 'keeper.
• 22' | Sullivan played a nifty through ball to Maciejewski, but the junior initially had trouble settling it. Maciejewski got a shot off, but Larsen was able to grab the ball.
• 27' | Mere seconds after checking into the match for the first time, junior Chris Brennan was fouled on the right side of the field, just outside the box. But, the ensuing Falcon free kick was headed away by a 'Dons defender.
• 45' | BGSU won a corner with one minute remaining in the half, but as Mustafa headed that Robertson kick toward goal, a foul was called against the Falcons on the other side of the box.

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 49' | GOAL | After senior Peter Pugliese and Sullivan worked a combination play in traffic, Pugliese crossed the ball from the left side, and Lukacsko blasted a shot from just inside the 18 on the other side of the box, beating Larsen and tying the match at 1-1.
• 51' | Sullivan was knocked to the ground, and soon after, Pugliese was unceremoniously dumped as well. A foul was called on the hosts after the latter incident, but after the ensuing free kick, Pugliese had the ball knocked off of his boot just before he could uncork a shot.
• 52' | A Worner volley from the right side is saved.
• 54' | Buescher played a long ball ahead. Mustafa headed it along, Robin kept it moving with a cheeky backheel, and Wrobel crossed it into the box, but Worner's shot was corralled by the 'Dons' 'keeper.
• 56' | After a foul on BG just outside the box. a free kick by Lopez was deflected out by the wall for a corner kick, and Mustafa headed that corner out of the box.
• 60' | POST | Lukacsko played a short pass to Sullivan on the right side, and Sullivan crossed the ball into the box. Pugliese's header rang off the woodwork, and a defender was able to clear the ball out of the box.
• 64' | Sullivan drove in from the right side, and slid a pass to Brennan, but Brennan's shot was stopped by Larsen.
• 70' | Wrobel put it into the mixer, and Pugliese got a head on the ball, sending it toward Brennan. The junior took a touch to his left, and got off a shot in traffic, but the ball was deflected out of play at the last moment.
• 75' | Robertson played a short right-side cross into the box, and Maciejewski laid it into the path of Worner. The soph hit a hard shot, but it was saved at the near post.
• 76' | GOAL | Against the run of play, PFW took the lead. Adam Gannon crossed the ball into the box, and Alex Frank headed it into the net from approximately 10 yards out.
• 81' | GOAL | But, less than five minutes later, the Falcons equalized. Pugliese faked a cross and made a nifty move to elude a lunging defender. He knocked the ball into the box from the left side, and Robertson headed it back across toward Brennan, who scored on a diving header. Robertson and Pugliese drew assists on the scoring play.
• 88' | A dangerous dipping drive from distance by Lieshout went just over the crossbar.
• 89' | Sullivan was fouled with just over a minute to go, and as the clock ticked down, Robertson's free kick went off of a head or two in the box. The ball bounded over the end line, last touched by the 'Dons, and after the Falcons quickly took a corner kick, the ball ping-ponged around the box, but BG couldn't get a shot off before time expired.

OVERTIME HIGHLIGHTS
• 91' | The Falcons got the ball into the box and fired a shot soon after the kickoff (although more than one second after the kickoff, contrary to what the statistics might say), but Robertson's effort was saved at the near post.
• 92' | GOAL | The 'Dons' Lopez played a ball forward into the box, and Mwembia made a diving effort to grab the ball as a Fort Wayne forward attempted to poke it past him on the right side of the area. On a bang-bang play, it appeared as if Mwembia might have gotten there first, but PFW's Cearns went to the ground, the referee pointed to the spot, and Lopez converted the PK at the 91:40 mark.

FALCON NOTES
• Freshman Jensen Lukacsko's goal was the first of his young collegiate career.
• Junior Chris Brennan's goal on Saturday night was his first of the season, but his 11th as a Falcon. He now has 28 career points in 43 matches at BG.
• Senior Peter Pugliese assisted on both BG goals vs. the 'Dons, for the second multiple-assist match of his career. He also had two helpers in last season's win over Northern Illinois at Cochrane Stadium. Pugliese now has nine assists in his career, including three in each of the last three years.
• Senior Tate Robertson's assist on BG's second goal was his team-leading fifth of the season. He now has 24 career points on four goals and 16 assists.

WHAT'S NEXT?
• BGSU returns home for the next two matches, beginning with a contest vs. Valparaiso next Saturday night (Sept. 29). First touch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium.
• Then, the Falcons will begin Mid-American Conference play the following Saturday (Oct. 6), hosting Akron in another 7:00 p.m. start. As always, admission is free to all BGSU regular-season home soccer action.

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.