Broncos Best BG, 1-0, Saturday Afternoon

Saturday, November 2

Kalamazoo, MI

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

9-6-1 (1-3MAC)

Western Michigan

11-5-1 (2-1-1MAC)

Bowling Green

Western Michigan

Photo by: Isaiah Vazquez/BGSU Athletics

November 02, 2019 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Final Stats

First-half goal proves to be the winner in MAC matchup in Kalamazoo

By: KALAMAZOO, Mich. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Anthony Bowie scored in the 35th minute to lift host Western Michigan University to a 1-0 victory over the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team Saturday afternoon (Nov. 2). The Mid-American Conference match was held at the WMU Soccer Complex.

With the win, the Broncos improved to 11-5-1 overall and 2-1-1 in the MAC. WMU moved into a tie for first in the MAC for the time being, with each of the conference's other four men's soccer programs in action on Saturday night.

The Falcons are now 9-6-1 overall and 1-3-0 in league play.

The match was relatively free of statistics. WMU outshot the Falcons, 10-6, and each team had only two shots overall in the match. Western had three corner kicks to BG's two.

Bowie's goal was the first allowed by the Falcons in a span of 231:14, since midway through the second half of the SIUE match on Oct. 19.

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 6' | WMU's Paul Liagre played a through ball to Charlie Sharp on the right side of the box. Sharp turned and fired a shot that was blocked by senior goalkeeper Anthony Mwembia, who had come off of his line, but the flag was already raised, indicating an offside call against the Broncos.
• 15' | The Broncos won a corner kick, but off of that corner, a header by Jaylen Shannon was wide.
• 17' | One of BGSU's first forays into the WMU penalty area was ended when Bronco 'keeper Isaac Walker grabbed a right-side cross.
• 18' | Mwembia made a nifty play, leaping to punch a diagonal ball out of the box just before a Bronco striker could arrive.
• 23' | After a foul on the Broncos, junior Chris Sullivan played a long ball toward the top of the 18-yard box. Classmate Achille Robin headed the ball toward the right side of the box, toward the onrushing Charlie Maciejewski. The senior got his boot on the ball, but Walker was able to make the save near the right post.
• 32' | A right-side cross by the Broncos went through the penalty area, but was saved from going over the end line. Caden Jackman received a pass and hit a shot from the left side, but it was well off the mark.
• 35' | GOAL | WMU's Anthony Bowie received a pass in stride as he entered the box, and he fired a shot from the right side, about 15 yards out. That shot was blocked, but the rebound came right back to Bowie, who put his follow-up try just inside the far post from approximately seven yards out.
• 38' | Sophomore Jensen Lukacsko played a ball into the penalty area, and it was laid off for freshman Spencer Straka, but Straka's shot attempt was blocked by a Bronco defender.
• 39' | WMU's Dylan Sing brought the ball into the box on the left side, took it to the end line and slid a cross back toward the center of the box. But, freshman Michael Montemurri was there to clear the ball out of danger.
• 44' | After a Bronco corner kick, the Falcons cleared the ball and looked to counter. But, a long pass intended for Straka was knocked away by a WMU defender just before the BG freshman to get to it.
• 45' | As the final seconds ticked away in the opening half, Maciejewski went to the ground on the right side of the penalty area as he and a Bronco battled for the ball. Despite the protests of the Falcons, play continued and the half came to an end.

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
• 48' | Macijewski and the Falcons won a corner kick, and off of that Sullivan corner, the ball was deflected to the senior on the left side. From a difficult angle, Maciejewski hit a hard shot that was blocked near the left post.
• 49' | Another Sullivan corner, the result of that Maciejewski shot, was knocked out of the box, but BG kept possession in the WMU end.
• 50' | Maciejewski was fouled by Giuseppe VItale on the left side of the field. Sullivan's free kick was punched away by Walker, but Maciejewski laid the ball into the path of junior Vinny Worner. Worner fired a cannon from the top of the box, but the shot was blocked by a defender.
• 53' | Walker was able to leap and grab a cross by sophomore Matt Walters, just before Maciejewski could arrive.
• 63' | After a Western foul, Montemurri played a long free kick from the left side, beginning a nifty series of one-touch passing from the Brown and Orange that led to a quality scoring chance. Robin got his head on the ball, and Straka one-times it into the penalty area. Sophomore Kale Nichols knocked the ball to senior Tom Wrobel, who hit a one-timer from the top of the box. But, the shot went just wide of the right goalpost.
• 64' | BGSU won the ball right back, and Straka was dumped as he took the ball down the center of the park. Sullivan's free kick was headed toward the center of the box by Robin, but the Broncos were able to clear the ball out of their own end.
• 68' | Off of a Bronco free kick, a header sent the ball toward the right side of the six-yard box. Mwembia raced over and grabbed it just ahead of Sing.
• 70' | Not long after checking back into the match, Bowie made a run and hit a shot as he reached the 18-yard line on the left side. But, his left-footed boot slid well wide of the far post.
• 71' | A low right-side cross and a nice dummy left Daniel Nimick open at the top of the 18 on the right side, but he got under his shot and it sailed high.
• 78' | Straka won the ball on the right side, near the end line, and got past a pair of Broncos as he took the ball into the box. He slid a pass toward the center, where Sullivan was waiting, and the junior played it back toward Straka near the center of the penalty area. The freshman got a boot on the ball, but Walker made the save.
• 79' | Mwembia got his hand on a corner kick by Matheus Lima that seemed to be curving toward the goal line, and the senior then knocked the ball away from Bowie on the right side of the field.
• 81' | After a Bronco foul near midfield, junior Zach Buescher put his free kick into the box. But, as the teams battled for the ball near the top of the area, the Falcons were whistled for a foul.
• 83' | A Maciejewski serve sailed just over the leaping Nathan Masters and went out the far side of the box for a Bronco goal kick.
• 84' | A BG clearance attempt was blocked by a Western player, and the ball caromed directly to a wide-open Bowie in the center of the box. But, his shot was well off the mark.
• 85' | A foul on the Falcons gave the hosts a free kick just outside the box. Sam Biek hit a nice curving free kick, but it went just over the crossbar.
• 89' | With approximately 1:15 to go, Maciejewski crossed the ball from the right side toward the 18-yard line, where several Falcons were located. One of those BG players got a head on the cross, but the effort went wide of the far post.

WHAT'S NEXT?
• The Falcons will return to the road on Tuesday (Nov. 5), heading to Dayton to close the non-conference schedule against Wright State. That match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m at WSU's Alumni Field.
• Then, the regular season wraps up next Saturday night (Nov. 9), when the Falcons host Northern Illinois at Cochrane Stadium. That contest is also slated for a 7:00 p.m. start, and admission is free.
• The MAC Tournament will begin on Tuesday, Nov. 12, with first-round matches at campus sites.

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