No. 3 Michigan State Stops Falcons, 3-0

Friday, September 7

Bowling Green, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

1-3-1

Michigan State

4-0-1

Michigan State

Bowling Green

Photo by: Larry Clapper

September 07, 2018 | Men's Soccer

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Spartans score two late goals to break open a close game Friday night

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Ryan Sierakowski scored early in the second half, and DeJuan Jones added a pair of late goals as No. 3 Michigan State University downed the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team, 3-0, Friday night (Sept. 7). The non-conference match was held at Cochrane Stadium.

Sierakowski's goal came at the 52:54 mark, as he headed home a diagonal ball off the boot of Michael Pimlott. Jones scored off a counterattack with just under 10 minutes to go, then capped the scoring with only 2:48 remaining. Robbie Cort had the assist on both Jones goals.

Jimmy Hague made four saves, all in the second half, to earn the win for the Spartans. Junior Anthony Mwembia had a season-high five stops for the Orange and Brown.

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 15' | Junior Anthony Mwembia broke up a chance for the Spartans, coming off of his line and jumping to grab a left-side crossing ball off the boot of MSU's Giuseppe Barone.
• 20' | A free kick by Hunter Barone, taken from just outside the box, was blocked by the BG defensive wall and caromed out of bounds for a corner kick, which the Falcons turned aside.
• 26' | BGSU looked to mount an attack, as a diagonal ball by senior Tate Robertson found the head of classmate Moe Mustafa on the far side of the box. Mustafa headed the ball back across, in the direction of fellow senior Ebenezer Ackon, but as the teams battled for the ball, an offside call ended the play.
• 29' | The Spartans' DeJuan Jones hit a cross into the box from the left side. Ackon got his head on the ball, but his header deflected off of MSU striker Ryan Sierakowski in the six-yard box. Mwembia, however, quickly grabbed the ball to put to rest any notions of danger.
• 31' | Senior Peter Pugliese and junior Chris Brennan worked a nifty combination play on the right side of the pitch, but the ball was knocked away just after Pugliese entered the 18, but before he could fire a shot.
• 40' | Sierakowski got his head on a cross by Farai Mutatu, but the shot went just wide of the left goalpost.
• 41' | Just over a minute later, Jones found Giuseppe Barone in the center of the pitch at the top of the box. But, Mwembia went to the ground to make a kick save and keep the match scoreless.
• 44' | The Spartans had three corner kicks in the final 1:58 of the period. Junior Tom Wrobel headed the first kick out of the box, and Mustafa got his head on the final kick in that stretch.
• 45' | With the visitors looking to make a foray down the left side of the field in the waning seconds, Wrobel alertly kicked the ball over his own end line, and there was not nearly enough time for MSU to line up for another corner kick before time ran out.

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 46' | After being held without a shot in the first half, the Falcons quickly attacked as the second half began. Less than a minute in, sophomore Vinny Worner got his head on a diagonal ball by Robertson from the left side. Worner's header, however, went wide of the right post.
• 50' | Jones exchanged passes with John Freitag, taking the return ball and heading right-to-left across the 18-yard line. Jones hit a hard shot toward the far post, but Mwembia saw it all the way and made a diving stop.
• 53' | GOAL | The Spartans got on the board as Michael Pimlott played a ball into the box from the right side. Sierkowski got his head on the cross, nodding it into the right side of the goal to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
• 58' | After a corner kick, Mwembia made a point-blank save on a header by Nick Woodruff, blocking the ball out of play for another corner. That kick wound up being tapped over the bar by Sierakowski
* 60' | After a foul against the Spartans, Brennan's free kick hit an MSU player and bounded high into the air. As the teams battled for the ball in the box, a foul was called on the home side.
• 62' | Ackon played a bouncing ball down the left side of the pitch to Robertson, who made a nifty play, knocking the ball over and MSU defender and toward Brennan with the outside of his foot. But, the assistant referee's flag was raised, indicating an offside call on the Falcons.
• 67' | Robertson stole the ball in the middle of the field and made a lengthy run. He headed into the box, and MSU 'keeper Jimmy Hague was forced to come off of his line. Robertson faked a shot, cut to his right and fired, but head was able to make a nice save on the play.
• 68' | The Falcons had four shot attempts in under two minutes, including a redirection by Wrobel on a diagonal ball by Pugliese. But, Hague was able to make the save at the near post.
• 81' | GOAL | Jones and the Spartans doubled the lead on a counterattack. With BG pressing forward and looking for the tying goal, Robbie Cort gained possession and brought the ball downfield. He held up a defender long enough to play a ball into the path of the onrushing Jones, who made no mistake.
• 83' | With seven minutes to go, sophomore Chris Sullivan played a ball ahead to Brennan, who won a corner kick. Off of that corner, a Sullivan serve sailed through the box.
• 88' | GOAL | Jones scored his second goal of the night to clinch the victory. Cort again had the assist.

STATISTICS
• For the first time in five matches this season, the Falcons did not have an advantage in shots. MSU had 15 total attempts to BGSU's six, and the Spartans also had an 8-4 advantage in shots on goal.
• Jimmy Hague made four stops en route to the shutout for the Spartans. Junior Anthony Mwembia had a season-high five saves for the hosts.
• DeJuan Jones and Ryan Sierakowski, the goal-scorers, had three shots apiece to lead all players. Jones put all three of his attempts on frame.
• Sophomore Vinny Worner led the Falcons with two shot attempts.
• BGSU did not have an advantage in corner kicks for the first time this season, as the Spartans had 14 to the Falcons' four.
• The teams combined for 23 fouls, but no yellow or red cards.
• Mwembia, Worner, Ebenezer Ackon, Zach Buescher, Moe Mustafa, Peter Pugliese and Tom Wrobel each played all 90 minutes on Friday night, while Jensen Lukacsko was on the pitch for 86 minutes, Tate Robertson 81 and Chris Sullivan 76.

WHAT'S NEXT?
• The Falcons head to Columbus to play a second-straight match against a Big Ten Conference foe, as BGSU meets Ohio State on Tuesday evening (Sept. 11).
• The OSU contest begins a four-match road swing for the Brown and Orange, which also includes games at Wofford (Sept. 15), Cleveland State (Sept. 18) and Purdue Fort Wayne (Sept. 22).
• BG's next home action is set for Saturday, Sept. 29, when Valparaiso comes to Cochrane for a 7:00 p.m. match.

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.