Falcons Strike Early in 3-1 Win at Kent State

Friday, October 4

Kent, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

5-4-2, 3-0-0MAC

Kent State

3-5-2, 1-1-1MAC

Bowling Green

Kent State

Nikki Cox scored the first goal of Friday's match

Photo by: Sara Donato

October 04, 2019 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Final Stats

BG scores twice in the first 15 minutes to seize control

By: KENT, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team opened the road portion of the Mid-American Conference schedule in style, picking up a 3-1 win over Kent State University Friday night (Oct. 4) at Dix Stadium.

The Falcons, now 5-4-2 overall and a perfect 3-0-0 in the MAC, scored twice in the first 15 minutes of the match to seize control. KSU (3-5-2, 1-1-1 MAC) cut the BG lead in half early in the second period, before the visitors restored the two-goal lead just over seven minutes later.

Redshirt junior Nikki Cox put the Falcons on the scoreboard just over 10 minutes into the match. The goal was the result of second, and third, effort on Cox's part, as she saw back-to-back shots blocked in the box before putting her third effort past the KSU defenders as well as goalkeeper Faith O'Neill.

Under four minutes later, senior Maureen Kennedy's free kick was met by junior Nikhita Jacob, who headed the ball into the upper-left corner for a 2-0 BG lead.

Karly Hellstrom got the Golden Flashes on the scoreboard early in the second half, but freshman Kennedy White restored the Falcons' two-goal lead just over seven minutes later, knocking home a loose ball in the box after a Kennedy corner kick as the match neared the hour mark.

BGSU had advantages of 14-10 in total shot attempts, 7-4 in shots on goal and 5-4 in corner kicks. Senior Kathleen Duwve made three saves in goal to earn the win, while O'Neill had four stops for the Flashes.

QUOTING HEAD COACH MATT FANNON
"I'm happy with the performance tonight. We were smart in our approach and won the big moments. We need to continue to play at this level and always bring the same fight."

📹 HIGHLIGHTS 📹
Let's go to the videotape, shall we?

📹 Some perseverance by NIKKI COX gave us the lead with just over 10 minutes gone tonight... pic.twitter.com/n4JR51rX3n
— BGSU Women's Soccer (@bgsuwsoc) October 5, 2019

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• BGSU is 3-0-0 in the MAC for just the third time in school history, but the second time in as many years.
• The 2000 team was the first in school history to win three-straight games to start the conference campaign. That club won three road matches, then dropped the next three contests, all at home, before rebounding to advance all the way to the championship match of the MAC Tournament.
• The 2018 Falcons, of course, got off to a school-record 8-0-0 start in MAC play, winning the league regular-season crown with a 10-1-0 record.

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 7' | Redshirt junior Nikki Cox stole the ball and hit a curving shot that forced Kent State goalkeeper Faith O'Neill into a diving save. Senior Hannah Dolfuss tracked down the rebound on the far side of the box and played it back to junior Sophia Barnes, but Barnes's resulting shot was wide right.
• 11' | GOAL | The sequence began near midfield with Dolfuss finding senior Chelsee Washington, and Washington put sophomore Sarah Allen down the left side of the field. Allen crossed the ball to Nikki Cox, who quickly hit a shot from inside the box. That shot was blocked, as was Cox's second try. But, her third shot eluded the defenders, went past O'Neill, hit the underside of the crossbar and landed behind the goal line.
• 14' | GOAL | The Falcons doubled the lead less than four minutes later. Allen was fouled about 25 yards out on the left side. Senior Maureen Kennedy took the ensuing free kick, expertly putting the ball into the box where junior Nikhita Jacob ran onto it. Jacob's header gave O'Neill no chance, as she put the ball back across and into the left side of the goal for a 2-0 BG lead at the 13:50 mark.
• 16' | Barnes blew past her defender, heading down the left side and cutting back along the end line. The junior slid a pass to Allen, but Allen's shot in the box was blocked.
• 25' | A KSU free kick sailed into the penalty area, but a header by Maddie Holmes went over the crossbar.
• 40' | Kent State's first shot on goal came after a BG pass deflected off of a player in the Falcons' defensive end. The ball caromed toward Karly Hellstrom, who hit a quick one-timer from distance. But, senior Kathleen Duwve was easily able to grab the shot on the short hop.

📹 Less than 4 minutes after Nikki's goal, NIKHITA JACOB doubled our lead. Gorgeous ball by Maureen Kennedy, & a gorgeous header by Nikhita! pic.twitter.com/cH8kRcwUdH
— BGSU Women's Soccer (@bgsuwsoc) October 5, 2019

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 49' | Sophomore Mackenzie Reuber played a right-side cross into the penalty area, and Washington hit a one-time effort toward goal, but her low shot was saved.
• 52' | KSU's Sierra Henderson-Muschett stole the ball and fired a quick shot, but the shot was hit directly at Duwve, who made the save.
• 52' | Less than a minute later, freshman Kennedy White stole the ball in the KSU end, and played a pass back to Jacob. Jacob's through ball put Nikki Cox behind the KSU defense, and the redshirt junior hit a shot from approximately eight yards out on the right side. O'Neill, however, had come off of her line and made a great save to kepe the Falcons' lead at two goals for the moment.
• 53' | GOAL | But, soon after, the Flashes cut into that lead. After a BG giveaway, a give-and-go by the Flashes resulted in a goal from Hellstrom, who put her shot from 19 yards out into the upper left corner.
• 54' | The Flashes had momentum, and KSU won the ball back and looked to tie the match. But, Duwve made a nice diving save on a shot by Cameron Shedenhelm.
• 56' | A ball was deflected to sophomore Alexis Miller, who hit a shot from distance that was tipped out of play by O'Neill.
• 60' | A nifty backheel by Nikki Cox sent freshman Jasmine Dijsselhof down the left side, and Dijsselhof played a dangerous cross into the box, but a KSU defender was able to knock the ball out of play for a BG corner kick.
• 60' | GOAL | Kennedy took that corner, putting the ball into the six-yard box, and O'Neill was able to leap and get a glove on it. The ball fell to the ground, and a Flash defender poked at it, but it only went a few yards before White came swooping in. The freshman blasted the ball into the back of the net from close range, giving BG a two-goal lead once again.
• 63' | Holmes received a throw-in and hit turnaround shot from the right side of the box, but her shot sailed high.
• 65' | Miller found Nikki Cox with a pass, and Cox settled, turned and shot from distance, but the effort went just wide left.
• 67' | Washington played a ball out to senior Kristin Tveit on the right side, and Washington quickly made a run into the box to get on the other end of a Tveit diagonal ball. But, the play was nullified due to an offside call.
• 67' | BG stole the ensuing free kick, and White hit a quick shot as she was knocked to the ground, but O'Neill made the save.
• 78' | Sophomore Ruby Linton's cross was met by the head of freshman Katie Cox, but the shot was saved.
• 87' | A KSU cross from the right side sailed into the box, but freshman Audrey Shea booted it out of the area, and off of the resulting throw-in, a long shot attempt bounced harmlessly over the end line, well wide of goal.

📹 After KSU got on the board in the second half, KENNEDY WHITE restored our 2-goal lead just shy of the hour mark! pic.twitter.com/HmYKJTfftN
— BGSU Women's Soccer (@bgsuwsoc) October 5, 2019

FALCON NOTES
• Friday's win was BG's first road victory of the year. The Falcons are now 1-4-2 away from home in 2019.
• BGSU is 1-0-0 in MAC road matches this year, after going 4-1-0 in conference play on the road last season.
• BG is now 8-4-1 in true road matches vs. MAC foes in head coach Matt Fannon's two seasons (plus one game). In the nine years prior to his arrival (2008-16), the Falcons won a total of six MAC matchups away from home.
• Nikki Cox's game-opening goal increased her BG-leading totals to five goals and 13 points on the season.
• Cox now has a total of 32 points in 33 matches as a Falcon. She has 13 goals and six assists since transferring to BG prior to the 2018 season.
• Junior Nikhita Jacob had the game-winning goal on Friday night, for her first GWG of the season and the second of her career.
• On the year, Jacob now has two goals and five points. She now has three career goals and 11 career points.
• Senior Maureen Kennedy assisted on Jacob's goal. Kennedy now has two assists and eight points on the year.
• Kennedy's assist was the 26th of her BGSU career, moving her into sole possession of second place on the school's career list. She moved past Jill Conover (25 from 1999-2002), and now trails only Julie Trundle (33 from 2002-05) on that BG chart.
• Kennedy now has 10 game-winning assists in her BGSU career.
• Kennedy now has 52 career points, and has moved past Corbie Yee (51 from 2005-08) into sole possession of seventh place on that school list. Her next target is Trundle, who had 57 points in her BG career.
• Freshman Kennedy White now has eight points on the season, after scoring her fourth goal of the year. White is second on the team in goals, and White and Kennedy are tied for second on the Falcons in points.
• With 13 goals as a Falcon, Nikki Cox has moved into a tie for 12th with Kennedy on that career list. They are both one goal behind 11th-place Chelsee Washington.
• Senior Kathleen Duwve now has 23 career victories, the fourth-highest total in school history. Duwve ranks fifth or higher on all of BGSU's career goalkeeping lists.
• The Falcons now lead Kent State, 15-7-5, in the all-time series, and BG has won the last four meetings. Each of the last three regular-season matchups has resulted in a 3-1 BGSU victory.

WHAT'S NEXT?
• The Falcons now head to Athens for a Sunday (Oct. 6) afternoon matchup with Ohio. First touch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Chessa Field.
• The Bobcats are 7-4-0 overall and 2-1-0 in the MAC after defeating Toledo, 4-0, on Friday afternoon.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will return home to face Central Michigan on Thursday (Oct. 10). That contest is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start at Cochrane Stadium, and admission is free.

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