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Bowling Green State University Athletics
1997 Women's Soccer Releases
March 20, 2020 | Women's Soccer
Intercollegiate Athletics Women's Soccer
1997 BGSU Women's Soccer Releases
(Nov. 3 Release)
BGSU FINISHES INAUGURAL SEASON ON WINNING STREAK
Falcons Capture Final Two Matches and Four of Last Six; Shamblin is MAC Player of Week
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (6-12-0 overall, 1-6-0 Mid-American Conference), after capturing two of three matches last week, has completed the 1997 season. The Falcons ended the campaign by winning the final two matches, and BG captured four of the last six contests after a 2-10-0 start.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) finishes his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 89-71-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, '95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
SHAMBLIN EARNS P-O-W HONORS: BG junior Krista Shamblin was named the MAC's "Player of the Week," the league office announced today (Nov. 3). The forward scored four goals last week, including the first hat trick in school history in Friday's (Oct. 31) 3-1 win at Robert Morris. Shamblin did not start that match, and played in just over half (roughly 54 minutes) of the contest.
A transfer from Lincoln Memorial University, Shamblin added her team-best sixth goal of the season in Sunday's (Nov. 2) win over Youngstown State. She finishes the season in second place on the BGSU scoring list with 12 points.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons won two of three matches last week. After a midweek loss to Michigan State, the Brown and Orange topped Robert Morris on the road and Youngstown State at home over the weekend.
The Michigan State Spartans scored a pair of goals in the first 20 minutes, and made that lead hold up for a 2-1 win over the Falcons Wednesday (Oct. 29) at Cochrane Field. State scored on the first shot attempt of the match, at the 1:28 mark, and added a second goal at 19:39 when a shot was misplayed by Falcon goalie Kit Gazley. Janice Mentrup cut the MSU lead in half with a marker early in the second half, but the hosts could draw no closer. Stefanie Sizemore and Michelle Lisy drew assists on the Falcon goal. The Spartans held a 19-8 lead in shot attempts, including a 10-2 margin in shots on goal. Gazley made eight saves on the afternoon.
After a sluggish first half, the Falcons exploded offensively in the second stanza for a 3-1 win at Robert Morris Friday (Oct. 31). The host Colonials took a 1-0 lead with less than 16 minutes gone, but the Falcons equalized on a Krista Shamblin goal at the 37:18 mark. Jamie Eshleman and Mentrup drew assists on the play, which tied the contest heading into the break.
The Falcons kept the ball in the RMC end of the field for nearly the entire second half, outshooting the hosts by a 23-5 margin in that stanza. BG could not get the tiebreaking goal, however, until the 71:41 mark. Shamblin was hauled down in the box, and converted the resulting penalty kick for a 2-1 BG lead. The multiple-goal match was the first ever by a Falcon player. Eight minutes later, Shamblin again made history, becoming the first member of the Brown and Orange to record a hat trick. Her third goal of the contest sealed the Colonials' fate, with Sizemore and Emily Graham assisting on the goal. Gazley made a total of four saves in earning the win.
For the match, the Falcon outshot RMC by a 38-9 margin, and BG held a 12-5 edge in shots on goal.
Two days later (Nov. 2), the Brown and Orange exploded for five first-half goals and coasted to a 7-2 win over visiting Youngstown State. A number of records fell, with Kerry McKee involved in several cases. Two days after Shamblin set a school record with six points in a match, McKee did her one better. McKee was involved in five of the seven goals, with a pair of goals and three assists for seven points on the day.
McKee's three assists set a school record which was matched by Paige Suhay. Suhay also assisted on three markers vs. the Penguins.
Sizemore got the offensive explosion started with her first collegiate goal at the 19:45 mark. McKee's assist on the play was a harbinger of things to come.
Five minutes later, the two hooked up again, with McKee scoring off a Sizemore feed. Lisy also drew an assist on the play.
The Falcons set a school record with three goals in a span of 2:09, beginning with McKee's second goal at the 34:25 mark. Sizemore again had the primary assist, with Suhay garnering the secondary helper for her first point of the day. Suhay scored a goal of her own just 1:19 later, with Mentrup and Emily McCracken earning the assists off a short corner kick play. McCracken's assist was the first point of her career.
Just 50 seconds later, another Falcon registered her first career points, as Rachel Short headed in a Suhay cross for a 5-0 BG lead.
McKee set another school standard with five points in the first half, while Sizemore and Suhay each had four. Gazley made four saves in net in the first half.
Just two of BG's original starting 11 took the field to begin the second half, and Youngstown tallied a pair of goals to narrow the Falcon lead to three. Shamblin tallied her fourth goal in three days, however, ending any YSU hopes of a comeback. Graham and McKee assisted on the play. Four minutes later, with just 3:02 remaining in the match, Stephanie Heller registered her fourth marker of the season, with McKee and Suhay each drawing assists number three on the afternoon. Lynette Lasanen played the final 45 minutes in goal, making three saves.
FALCON PLAYER NOTES:
RACHEL CLARK: Freshman from West Chester, Ohio...saw action in 16 of BG's 18 matches, starting half of those contests...registered one assist on the season, in the Falcons' 5-0 win over St. Francis (Pa.)...three of her seven shots on the year were on net.
ASHLEY ENSER: Freshman from Toledo, Ohio...one of just three players to start all 18 matches...scored one goal, on a penalty kick vs. Toledo...also scored a PK goal in BG's lone scrimmage, against Findlay...had five total shot attempts on the year, with four of those on target.
JAMIE ESHLEMAN: Freshman from Vacaville, Calif...parents now reside in the Beavercreek, Ohio, area...saw action in all 18 contests, starting six...had a pair of goals and an assist on the year...goals both came at Cochrane Field, vs. St. Francis (Pa.) and Kent...had an assist at Robert Morris...totalled 18 shots, including eight shots on goal.
CHRISTA GARVER: Freshman from Dublin, Ohio...saw action off the bench in half of BG's 18 contests...had one assist, at Miami...recorded three total shot attempts on the season, with two of those being on target.
KIT GAZLEY: Saw action in 14 of BG's 18 contests in goal, starting 11...led the team with 76 saves and a 2.29 goals-against average...combined with Lynette Lasanen for three shutouts on the year...missed four matches in midseason due to injuries...started the final six matches of the season...BG went 4-2-0 during that stretch...posted a 6-7-0 win-loss record on the year...recorded 11 saves at Ohio State, and 10 more at Indiana.
EMILY GRAHAM: One of just three Falcons to start all 18 matches on the year...had seven points on the season, on a goal and five assists...her lone goal, vs. Buffalo, proved to be the match winner...had a match-winning assist at Kent in overtime, in the first match in school history...also had assists against St. Francis (Pa.), UB, Robert Morris and Youngstown State...led the Falcons with 49 total shot attempts on the year, and 12 of those shots were on goal.
AUTUMN HARRIS: Freshman from Findlay, Ohio...started all 14 matches in which she played, primarily playing at the sweeper position...missed four contests due to injury...had a goal and an assist on the season...scored the first goal of the match at Western Michigan...her assist came at Toledo...had 14 shots, including four on net.
LAURA HARVEY: Freshman from Englewood, Ohio...played in 11 matches...started the last six contests of the season at an outside back position, helping the Falcons to a 4-2-0 record during that time...a stay-at-home defender, she did not register a shot attempt on the season.
STEPHANIE HELLER: Freshman from Loveland, Ohio...tied for second on the team in goals, with four, and tied for third with 10 points...originally listed as questionable for the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered late in the spring...led BG in scoring for much of the season...played in all but the first two matches of the year...came off the bench in her first three contests, then moved into the starting lineup for the final 13 matches...scored goals against St. Francis (Pa.), Toledo, Western Michigan and Youngstown State...recorded assists against Miami and Buffalo, with the latter helper coming on the match-winning goal...of her 19 total shots, nine were on goal, with nearly half of those hitting the back of the net.
LYNETTE LASANEN: Freshman from West Carrollton, Ohio...saw action in 11 matches in goal, starting seven...made 49 saves on the year, and combined on three shutouts with Kit Gazley...had a deceptive 0-5-0 record and a 2.57 goals-against average...played in four of BG's wins, earning a no-decision in each case...made a BGSU season-high 13 saves at West Virginia...stopped nine of 10 shots at Eastern Michigan.
MICHELLE LISY: Sophomore from Strongsville, Ohio...saw action in 13 matches, starting five...began the season as the third-string goalkeeper, and saw action in net vs. Dayton, Indiana and Western Michigan...saw time at forward in the other matches, and actually played both in goal and up front at WMU...scored eight points on the season, including goals against St. Francis (Pa.) and Buffalo...had assists against Miami, Kent, Michigan State and Youngstown... scored six of her eight points in the last seven matches...put together a three-match scoring streak, tying the BGSU season best...had a 6.84 GAA in limited action in goal...in the field, six of her nine total shot attempts went on net.
EMILY McCRACKEN: Freshman from Edinboro, Pa...saw action in 13 matches off the bench...picked up her first collegiate point with an assist in the season finale vs. Youngstown State...missed two matches due to an injury suffered in the final seconds of the Louisville contest...had eight shots, including three shots on goal.
KERRY McKEE: Freshman from Fairfield, Ohio...led the Falcons in scoring, with 13 points...tied for second on the team in goals, with four...three of those markers proved to be match winners...scored the first goal in team history, an overtime tally to end the match at Kent...also scored the match-winning goal in the second KSU match...had a pair of goals against Youngstown...set a school record with seven points in that match, and tied Paige Suhay for another school mark with three assists vs. the Penguins...also had assists at Western Michigan and Miami...tied for second on the team with 37 total shots, and led BG with 18 shots on goal...her five assists on the season tied her for third on the team...had a school-record-tying scoring streak of three matches...played in all 18 matches, starting 14.
JANICE MENTRUP: Freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio...one of just three Falcons to start all 18 matches...tied for third on the team in scoring, with 10 points...her six assists placed her second on the team...scored goals against St. Francis (Pa.) and Michigan State...her goal in the SFC contest proved to be the match-winner...also had an assist in that match...assisted on the match-winning goal in the season opener at Kent...also drew helpers against Western Michigan, Kent (second meeting of season), Robert Morris and Youngstown...had a BG-record-tying three-match scoring streak to close the season...had 37 shots on the year, including nine SOG.
LIZ ROBARGE: Freshman from Perrysburg, Ohio...saw action in 12 matches...was in the starting lineup for six contests...did not register a shot from her defensive position.
KRISTA SHAMBLIN: Junior from Cincinnati, Ohio...a transfer from Lincoln Memorial Universitiy...exploded for four goals in the final two matches to end the year as the team's leader, with six...had the team's first multi-goal contest, and - obviously - BG's first hat trick, scoring all three Falcon goals at Robert Morris...added a goal in the season finale against Youngstown State...that performance earned her MAC "Player-of-the-Week" honors...also had goals against Indiana and Miami...played in all 18 matches, starting 12...scored on nearly half of her shots on goal, as she had 14 SOG for the year...had 36 total shot attempts.
RACHEL SHORT: Freshman from Reading, Ohio...saw action in nine matches off the bench at a forward spot...scored her first collegiate goal against Youngstown State...totalled five shots on the year, with two SOG.
STEFANIE SIZEMORE: Freshman from Medina, Ohio...played in all 18 matches, starting 17...did not register a point in any of the first 10 contests of the year, then picked up nine points in the remaining eight matches...had a goal and a team-best seven assists on the year to finish sixth on the team with nine points...registered her first career point with an assist at Western Michigan, then had BG¹s first-ever two-assist match against Buffalo...assisted on both BG goals vs. UB...had another two-assist contest against Youngstown State...also scored her first collegiate goal in that YSU match...ended the season with a three-match scoring streak, tying the school record...also garnered assists vs. Michigan State and Robert Morris...had six points during the final week of the season...recorded 33 total shots, including 12 shots on goal.
PAIGE SUHAY: Freshman from Akron, Ohio...saw action in 17 matches, starting 15...tied for third on the team with 10 points...finished third on the team with three goals...was slowed late in the season by an ankle sprain, which forced her to miss the Buffalo match and parts of two other contests...recovered in time to score five points against Youngstown State...had a goal and a school-record-tying three assists in that match, including the match-winning helper...also scored a goal against St. Francis (Pa.)...assisted on the match-winning goal in the second Kent contest...totalled 22 shots on the year, including 10 on goal.
MACKENZIE WILLIAMS: Sophomore from Erie, Pa...played in 16 of BG's 18 contests...started 10 matches, including the first nine of the year...did not register a point, but had seven shot attempts from her defensive position...had two shots on goal.
QUICK FACTS:
THIS WEEK: 1997 Season Complete THE COACHES: BGSU: Tom Piccirillo At BG: 6-12-0 (one season) Career: 89-71-8 (nine seasons) Assistant Coach: Julie Reule LAST WEEK: Michigan State 2, BGSU 1 - Wed., Oct. 29 - Cochrane Field BGSU 3, Robert Morris 1 - Fri., Oct. 31 - Moon Twp., Pa. BGSU 7, Youngstown State 2 - Sun., Nov. 2 - Cochrane Field THE MAC - 1997 Standings: Team (Overall) MAC Pts. Northern Ill. (10-8-1)* 6-1-0 18 Western Mich. (9-7-1)* 4-2-1 13 Eastern Mich. (10-6-1)* 4-2-1 13 Ohio (10-5-2)* 4-2-1 13 Toledo (9-6-2) 4-3-0 12 Miami (7-13-0) 2-5-0 6 Kent (3-14-2) 1-5-1 4 Bowling Green (6-12-0) 1-6-0 3 Teams earn 3 pts. for a win, 1 for a tie * MAC Tournament qualifier teams ranked in order of tourney seeding FINAL BGSU SCORING: Player MP G-A=Pts. Kerry McKee 18 4-5=13 Krista Shamblin 18 6-0=12 Stephanie Heller 16 4-2=10 Paige Suhay 17 3-4=10 Janice Mentrup 18 2-6=10 Stefanie Sizemore 18 1-7= 9 Michelle Lisy 13 2-4= 8 Emily Graham 18 1-5= 7 Jamie Eshleman 18 2-1= 5 Autumn Harris 14 1-1= 3 Rachel Short 9 1-0= 2 Ashley Enser 18 1-0= 2 Christa Garver 9 0-1= 1 Emily McCracken 13 0-1= 1 Rachel Clark 16 0-1= 1 BGSU GOALKEEPING: Goalie Min. Svs. GAA Kit Gazley 944:26 76 2.29 Lynette Lasanen 629:41 49 2.57 Michelle Lisy 52:36 5 6.84 FINAL MAC SCORING: Player G-A=Pts. Stephanie Heller 2-1=5 Kerry McKee 1-2=4 Autumn Harris 1-1=3 Paige Suhay 1-1=3 Ashley Enser 1-0=2 Jamie Eshleman 1-0=2 Krista Shamblin 1-0=2 Michelle Lisy 0-2=2 Janice Mentrup 0-2=2 Christa Garver 0-1=1 Stefanie Sizemore 0-1=1
(Oct. 27 Release)
BGSU CLOSES INAUGURAL YEAR WITH THREE MATCHES
Falcons Top Buffalo, 2-1, But See Two-Match Winning Streak Snapped Against Ohio
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (4-11-0 overall, 1-6-0 Mid-American Conference), after splitting a pair of home matches last week, has three matches scheduled for the final week of the team's inaugural season. Bowling Green will host Big Ten member Michigan State Wednesday (Oct. 29) at Cochrane Field, with starting time set for 3:00 p.m. Following the MSU match, the Brown and Orange will head to western Pennsylvania to do battle with Robert Morris Friday (Oct. 31). The match, BG's final road action of the season, will start at 3:00 p.m. The Falcons return home for the season finale Sunday (Nov. 2) against Youngstown State. That contest will start at 1:00 p.m. at Cochrane Field. BGSU closes the season with three matches in five days, and the Falcons are in the midst of a stretch in which the team plays five contests in a 10-day span.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 87-70-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, '95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE OPPONENTS: Michigan State enters Wednesday's match with an overall record of 7-8-1, and the Spartans completed Big Ten Conference action with a record of 3-5-0. Last week, MSU split a pair of road matches, defeating Toledo by a 3-1 score Friday (Oct. 24) before losing at Michigan by the identical score Sunday (Oct. 26). The Green and White is three contests into a six-match road streak to end the regular season. State is 1-5-0 on the road this year to date. Head coach Tom Saxton is 66-58-8 in his seventh season, both at the school and overall.
Robert Morris is 4-10-2 on the season, and the Colonials have posted a 1-3-2 record in the Northeast Conference. RMC will have been idle for 10 days when BG comes to town, as the Colonials' last match was a 5-0 loss to West Virginia on Tuesday (Oct. 21). RMC has posted a 2-3-1 record at home this fall. Head coach Libbie Tobin is in her first year at the school. She has a record of 29-14-5 in her third season overall.
Youngstown State enters the week with a 5-10-0 record, and the Penguins host Virginia Commonwealth Friday (Oct. 31) before heading to BG Sunday. YSU has not played since a 6-1 win over Canisius on Oct. 18. The Falcons will be the sixth MAC school Youngstown has faced this fall, and YSU is 1-4 so far against MAC schools. The Penguins have a 1-5-0 road record entering Sunday¹s match. Coach Joan Murphy is 8-24-0 in her second year.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons split a pair of matches at Cochrane Field, downing Buffalo Friday (Oct. 24) by a 2-1 count before falling to Ohio, 4-0, two days later.
The Falcons scored a pair of first half goals en route to the win over Buffalo. At the 17:20 mark, freshman Stefanie Sizemore threaded a pass across the penalty box to a wide-open Michelle Lisy. The sophomore one-timed the ball home for a 1-0 BG lead. Sophomore Emily Graham also drew an assist on the play. Just before the half, the Falcons struck again, with Sizemore and Graham again playing key roles. After a give-and-go with freshman Stephanie Heller, Sizemore lifted a cross from the left side of the box to the waiting noggin of Graham, who headed in her first career goal at the 43:05 mark. Both Sizemore and Heller drew assists on the play.
UB cut the margin in half with just under 16 minutes remaining in the match, but the Falcon defense preserved the lead. Freshman goalkeeper Kit Gazley went all the way, making eight saves. BGSU outshot the Bulls, 20-19, but UB held a 9-6 edge in shots on goal.
BGSU and Ohio battled to a scoreless tie for the first 64 minutes in a driving rain Sunday, but the Bobcats exploded for four goals en route to the win. OU's four goals came on four-straight shot attempts and were tallied in a span of 9:57. The Bobcats held a 19-6 lead in total shots, and a 10-1 margin in shots on goal. Gazley made six saves in net.
FALCON NOTES: Sophomore Michelle Lisy scored the match-opening goal in the win over Buffalo, her first career start...Lisy, who began the year as the Falcons' third-string goalie, scored a point in her third consecutive match, tying the school record set one match earlier by freshman Kerry McKee...Lisy, despite seeing action in just 10 matches, is tied for second on the team in goals (2), assists (2) and points (6)...Sophomore Emily Graham tied a school record with three points in the Buffalo match...Freshman Stefanie Sizemore recorded BGSU's first-ever two-assist match, drawing the primary helper on both Falcon goals against UB...That win gave the team its first-ever two-match winning streak, which ended two days later at the hands of Ohio...The OU loss also ended a streak a four-straight matches in which the Falcons had scored two goals...Freshman back Laura Harvey has started each of the last three contests, and BG is 2-1 during that time...The Falcons finished MAC play with a 1-6-0 record. In those matches, Heller led the team in scoring with five points, while McKee had four. Freshmen Autumn Harris and Paige Suhay had three points apiece in conference contests.
FINAL MAC SCORING:
Player G-A=Pts. Stephanie Heller 2-1=5 Kerry McKee 1-2=4 Autumn Harris 1-1=3 Paige Suhay 1-1=3 Ashley Enser 1-0=2 Jamie Eshleman 1-0=2 Krista Shamblin 1-0=2 Michelle Lisy 0-2=2 Janice Mentrup 0-2=2 Christa Garver 0-1=1 Stefanie Sizemore 0-1=1QUICK FACTS:
THIS WEEK: Michigan State (7-8-1) at BGSU (4-11-0 [1-6-0]) Wednesday, Oct. 29 - 3:00 p.m. BGSU at Robert Morris (4-10-2) Friday, Oct. 31 - 3:00 p.m. Moon Township, Pennsylvania Youngstown State (5-10-0) at BGSU Sunday, Nov. 2 - 1:00 p.m. THE COACHES: BGSU: Tom Piccirillo At BG: 4-11-0 (first season) Career: 87-70-8 (ninth season) Assistant Coach: Julie Reule Michigan State: Tom Saxton Robert Morris: Libbie Tobin Youngstown State: Joan Murphy NEXT WEEK: End of season LAST WEEK: BGSU 2, Buffalo 1 - Fri., Oct. 24 - Cochrane Field Ohio 4, BGSU 0 - Sun., Oct. 26 - Cochrane Field THE MAC - 1997 Standings: Team (Overall) MAC Pts. Northern Ill. (9-7-1)* 6-1-0 18 Western Mich. (9-7-1)* 4-2-1 13 Eastern Mich. (10-6-1)* 4-2-1 13 Ohio (9-5-2)* 4-2-1 13 Toledo (8-6-1) 4-3-0 12 Miami (7-12-0) 2-5-0 6 Kent (3-11-2) 1-5-1 4 Bowling Green (4-11-0) 1-6-0 3 Teams earn 3 pts. for a win, 1 for a tie * MAC Tournament qualifier BGSU SCORING LEADERS: Player MP G-A=Pts. Stephanie Heller 13 3-2=8 Michelle Lisy 10 2-2=6 Kerry McKee 15 2-2=6 Janice Mentrup 15 1-4=6 Paige Suhay 14 2-1=5 Emily Graham 15 1-3=5 Krista Shamblin 15 2-0=4 Jamie Eshleman 15 2-0=4 Autumn Harris 11 1-1=3 Stefanie Sizemore 15 0-3=3
(Oct. 20 Release)
BG'S HOMESTAND CONTINUES AGAINST BUFFALO, OHIO
Falcons Look To Build Upon Success of First-Ever Mid-American Conference Win
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (3-10-0 overall, 1-5-0 Mid-American Conference), after posting the first conference win in school history, looks to build upon that success in a pair of home matches this weekend. The Falcons will host future MAC member Buffalo Friday (Oct. 24), with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m., and BG will welcome Ohio to town for a battle of first-year MAC schools Sunday (Oct. 26). That match will begin at 3:00 p.m. This week's contests are the second and third in a four-match homestand at Cochrane Field.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 86-69-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, ¹95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE OPPONENTS: Buffalo enters the week with a record of 4-9-1. The Bulls, competing as an independent this season before entering the MAC for the 1998 campaign, dropped a pair of close matches last week. UB suffered a 1-0 overtime loss at Pittsburgh Friday (Oct. 17) before falling to crosstown foe Niagara by the identical score Sunday (Oct. 19). Buffalo enters the week with a 3-4-0 road record, and UB plays at Canisius Tuesday (Oct. 21) before facing BGSU Friday. A year ago, the Bulls finished 8-8-3 overall. Head coach Jean-A. Tassy is 21-20-7 in three years at the school.
Ohio has a 8-5-2 overall record entering the BGSU match, and the first-year Bobcats are 3-2-1 in the MAC after a league win and a tie last week. The 'Cats tied visiting West Virginia, 2-2, Wednesday (Oct. 15), before going 1-0-1 in weekend action. OU posted an important 1-0 win against visiting Toledo Saturday (Oct. 18), and earned a 2-2 tie at Eastern Michigan the following afternoon. Ohio and EMU are deadlocked for the fourth and final MAC Tournament spot. After starting the season with a 2-4-0 record, OU has gone 6-1-3 over the last 10 contests. The Bobcats are 2-3-1 on the road this fall. Wendy Logan is 8-5-3 in her first season as a collegiate head coach.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons returned home for the first time in over a month, and BG broke a seven-match losing streak with a 2-0 win over Kent Friday (Oct. 17). The match marked BGSU's first-ever Mid-American Conference win, but the team's second win over KSU. BG opened the season with a non-league win at Kent.
The Falcons, who kept the ball in the Kent end of the field for most of the match, got on the board at the 10:25 mark. Freshman Paige Suhay's pass sent classmate Kerry McKee in on goal on a semi-breakaway. McKee's shot beat Kent goalie Cherie Brusky, with Suhay drawing the lone assist.
Freshman Jamie Eshleman completed the scoring with just 22 seconds gone in the second half, heading home a centering ball from sophomore Michelle Lisy. Freshman Janice Mentrup also had an assist on the goal.
A pair of BGSU freshmen combined for the shutout in goal, as Kit Gazley played the first half and Lynette Lasanen the second. The two combined for three saves, all by Lasanen. BG outshot Kent, 33-8, including a 17-3 margin in shots on goal. All 20 players on the Falcon roster saw action in the win.
SCORING (MAC MATCHES ONLY):
Player G-A=Pts. Stephanie Heller 2-1=5 Kerry McKee 1-2=4 Autumn Harris 1-1=3 Paige Suhay 1-1=3 Ashley Enser 1-0=2 Jamie Eshleman 1-0=2 Krista Shamblin 1-0=2 Michelle Lisy 0-2=2 Janice Mentrup 0-2=2 Christa Garver 0-1=1 Stefanie Sizemore 0-1=1
FALCON NOTES: Freshman Kerry McKee has scored a point in each of the last three matches, a school record. McKee had assists at both Western Michigan and Miami prior to her goal vs. Kent...McKee scored the match-winning goal in both Kent contests this season...Michelle Lisy has assisted on BG goals in each of the last two matches...The Falcons' 17 shots on goal set a single-match mark, while Kent's three shots was a season-low for a BG opponent...Both Kit Gazley and Lynette Lasanen have faced 62 shots on goal and made 46 saves on the year...All three of the Falcons' wins have come by shutout, with Gazley and Lasanen combining for each...BGSU committed more fouls than Kent Friday, marking just the second time in 13 matches that the Falcons have "out-fouled" the opposition...Freshman Laura Harvey drew her first start of the season Friday...BG has held the opponent to fewer than 10 total shot attempts in three matches - all wins - this year.
UP NEXT: After the UB and OU matches, the Falcons will play three matches in the regular season's final week. BG will host Michigan State Wednesday, Oct. 29, before heading to Robert Morris two days later. The Falcons will finish the season at home vs. Youngstown State Sunday, Nov. 2.
QUICK FACTS:
THIS WEEK Buffalo (4-9-1) at BGSU (3-10-0, 1-5-0) Friday, Oct. 24 - 1:30 p.m. - Cochrane Field* Ohio (9-5-3, 3-2-1) at BGSU Sunday, Oct. 26 - 3:00 p.m. - Cochrane Field* *both matches are part of doubleheaders with the BGSU men's team, which faces Western Michigan Friday at 3:30 p.m. and Northern Illinois Sunday at 1:00 p.m. THE COACHES: BGSU: Tom Piccirillo At BG: 3-10-0 (first season) Career: 86-69-8 (ninth season) Assistant Coach: Julie Reule Buffalo: Jean-A. Tassy Ohio: Wendy Logan NEXT WEEK: Michigan State at BGSU - Wednesday, Oct. 29 - 3:00 p.m. BGSU at Robert Morris - Friday, Oct. 31 - 3:00 p.m. Youngstown State at BGSU - Sunday, Nov. 2 - 2:00 p.m. LAST WEEK: BGSU 2, Kent 0 - Fri., Oct. 17 - Cochrane Field THE MAC - 1997 Standings: Team (Overall) MAC Pts. Northern Ill. (9-6-1) 6-1-0 18 Western Mich. (9-6-0) 4-2-0 12 Toledo (8-5-1) 4-3-0 12 Eastern Mich. (8-6-1) 3-2-1 10 Ohio (8-5-2) 3-2-1 10 Miami (7-10-0) 2-4-0 6 Bowling Green (3-10-0) 1-5-0 3 Kent (3-11-1) 1-5-0 3 Teams earn 3 pts. for a win, 1 for a tie BGSU SCORING LEADERS: Player MP G-A=Pts. Stephanie Heller 11 3-1=7 Kerry McKee 13 2-2=6 Janice Mentrup 13 1-4=6 Paige Suhay 13 2-1=5 Krista Shamblin 13 2-0=4 Jamie Eshleman 13 2-0=4 Michelle Lisy 8 1-2=4 Autumn Harris 9 1-1=3 Ashley Enser 13 1-0=2 Emily Graham 13 0-2=2 Rachel Clark 13 0-1=1 Stefanie Sizemore 13 0-1=1 Christa Garver 7 0-1=1
(Oct. 13 Release)
FALCONS HOST KENT IN CONFERENCE MATCH FRIDAY
BGSU Returns to Cochrane Field for the First Time in Over a Month
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (2-10-0 overall, 0-5-0 Mid-American Conference), after over a month away from home, finally returns to Cochrane Field for a MAC match this Friday (Oct. 17). The Falcons will host Kent, another first-year program, with kickoff set for 4:00 p.m. The match marks BG's first home contest since Sept. 14.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 85-69-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, '95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE SERIES: For the first time in Falcon women's soccer history, the team is playing a second match against an opponent. BGSU beat Kent, 1-0, in the first match in each program's history on Aug. 29 in Kent. Although BG outshot the hosts by a whopping 42-9 margin, including an 11-4 lead in shots on goal, the match was scoreless at the end of regulation. Freshman Kerry McKee scored the first goal in Falcon annals 6:43 into overtime to end the match. Sophomore Emily Graham and freshman Janice Mentrup, who had started the play with a short corner kick, drew assists on the goal. BGSU goalkeepers Lynette Lasanen and Kit Gazley combined to make four saves on the day, with Gazley earning the win. Prior to McKee's goal, the Falcons hit the crossbar four times and the post once with shot attempts.
THE OPPONENT: Kent enters the BGSU match with a 3-10-1 overall record, and the Golden Flashes are 1-4-0 in MAC play. The first-year Flashes played a pair of matches last week, downing Robert Morris by a 2-1 count Wednesday (Oct. 8) before losing at Ohio, 2-0, Saturday (Oct. 11). The Ohio match did not count in the conference standings. KSU is 0-4-1 in road matches this season, including an 0-2 mark in conference road tilts. Kent is 3-4-1 after opening the season with six losses. Head coach Colleen Marcum, in her first year at Kent, is 12-66-1 in her fifth year as a collegiate mentor.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons continued their recent offensive success, but Miami tallied a late goal for a 3-2 win Saturday (Oct. 11) in Oxford. After the RedHawks, like BG a first-year program, scored twice in the first 20 minutes, the match was scoreless until late in the half. With just 45 seconds left before the break, freshman Christa Garver dropped the ball to sophomore Michelle Lisy. Lisy's through ball found freshman Paige Suhay at the edge of the penalty box for a one-timer. Suhay's blast found the top of the net to cut the MU lead to a goal at the intermission.
BG scored the equalizer with 15 minutes gone in the second half. Freshman Stephanie Heller picked the pocket of a RedHawk and slipped the ball left to classmate Kerry McKee. McKee's pass found junior Krista Shamblin heading toward goal. Shamblin's flick beat the MU 'keeper to knot the score. Miami, however, scored the eventual match-winner with just over 10 minutes left. The hosts outshot BG by a 19-14 margin, and Miami held a 10-7 edge in shots on goal. Freshman Lynette Lasanen made seven saves in net for the Brown and Orange.
FALCON NOTES: Freshman Stephanie Heller, originally listed as questionable for the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the spring, continues to lead the Falcons in scoring. Her assist at Miami upped her team-leading point total to seven...After playing just three home matches in the first 12 contests of the year, BG begins a four-match homestand with Friday's Kent contest. The Falcons will play five of the season's final six matches at Cochrane Field...In the 12 matches this year, BG has committed more fouls than the opponent on just one occasion. In fact, in the five MAC matches, the Falcons have been "out-fouled" by a total of 94-53...Freshman Lynette Lasanen has played all but 6:34 in goal over the last four matches. She has made 33 saves during that time...Freshman Christa Garver's assist on the first goal at Miami marked her first collegiate point...Both freshman Paige Suhay and junior Krista Shamblin, after finding the net at MU, have two goals on the year. They are tied for second on the team in that department behind Stephanie Heller...In MAC matches only, Heller leads the Falcons with five points, followed by freshman Autumn Harris (3). Four players - Shamblin, Suhay, McKee and Ashley Enser - have two points apiece.
UP NEXT: After the Kent match, the Falcons will remain home for a pair of contests next week. BG will host future MAC member Buffalo Friday, Oct. 24, before facing Ohio, a first-year conference program, two days later.
QUICK FACTS: THIS WEEK: Kent (3-10-1, 1-4-0) at BGSU (2-10-0, 0-5-0) Friday, Oct. 17 - 4:00 p.m. - Cochrane Field THE COACHES: BGSU: Tom Piccirillo At BG: 2-10-0 (first season) Career: 85-69-8 (ninth season) Assistant Coach: Julie Reule Kent: Colleen Marcum NEXT WEEK: Buffalo at BGSU - Friday, Oct. 24 - 1:30 p.m. Ohio at BGSU - Sunday, Oct. 26 - 3:00 p.m. LAST WEEK: Miami 3, BGSU 2 - Sat., Oct. 11 - Oxford, Ohio THE MAC: 1997 Standings: Team (Overall) MAC Pts. Northern Ill. (9-4-1) 6-1-0 18 Western Mich. (9-5-0) 4-1-0 12 Toledo (8-3-1) 4-2-0 12 Eastern Mich. (8-5-0) 3-2-0 9 Ohio (7-5-0) 2-2-0 6 Miami (6-8-0) 1-4-0 3 Kent (3-10-1) 1-4-0 3 Bowling Green (2-10-0) 0-5-0 0 Teams earn 3 pts. for a win, 1 for a tie BGSU SCORING LEADERS: Player MP G-A=Pts. Stephanie Heller 10 3-1=7 Janice Mentrup 12 1-3=5 Krista Shamblin 12 2-0=4 Paige Suhay 12 2-0=4 Kerry McKee 12 1-2=4 Michelle Lisy 7 1-1=3 Autumn Harris 8 1-1=3 Jamie Eshleman 12 1-0=2 Ashley Enser 12 1-0=2 Emily Graham 12 0-2=2 Rachel Clark 12 0-1=1 Stefanie Sizemore 12 0-1=1 Christa Garver 6 0-1=1 BGSU GOALKEEPING: Goalie Min. Svs. GAA Lynette Lasanen 539:41 43 2.67 Kit Gazley 494:26 46 2.91
(Oct. 6 Release)
FALCONS' ROAD TRIP FINALLY WINDING DOWN
BGSU Faces Miami Saturday to Complete Five-Match, Month-Long Road Swing
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (2-9-0 overall, 0-4-0 Mid-American Conference) completes a five-match road trip with a single road contest this week. The Falcons head to Oxford, Ohio, for a MAC match against the Miami RedHawks Saturday (Oct. 11). The two first-year programs are scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start.
The Miami match will end a stretch of over a month in which the Falcons played away from the friendly confines of Cochrane Field. BG's last home match was Sept. 14, and the Brown and Orange finally returns home for a contest Oct. 17, when Kent comes to town.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 85-68-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, '95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE OPPONENTS: Miami is 5-8-0 overall in the RedHawks' inaugural season of women's soccer, and the team is tied with BGSU with a MAC ledger of 0-4-0. Last week, MU suffered three losses, including a pair of conference road setbacks. Miami dropped a Wednesday (Oct. 1) overtime match at Ohio, 1-0, before falling by a 6-0 count at Northern Illinois Friday (Oct. 3). The RedHawks stepped out of MAC play and lost a home contest to Detroit, 4-1, Sunday (Oct. 5). Miami director of soccer operations Bobby Kramig is in his first year as women's coach. Also the MU men's coach, Kramig is in his 15th year at the helm of that program.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons held their own in a pair of road contests, but came out on the short end of the score in both cases. BGSU dropped matches at West Virginia, 4-0, Wednesday (Oct. 1) and Western Michigan, 4-2, Sunday (Oct. 5).
In Morgantown, W. Va., the Falcons battled WVU to a scoreless tie for most of the first half. The visitors had several good scoring chances before the host Mountaineers drew first blood at the 35:34 mark. A pair of WVU goals just 2:13 apart early in the second half proved to be too much for BGSU to overcome. Another Mountaineer tally with just under six minutes left in the match provided the final margin. Falcon goalie Lynette Lasanen made a career- and BG-match-high 13 saves. The hosts outshot BG, 28-14, including a 17-4 margin in shots on goal.
On Sunday, the Falcons headed to WMU and stunned the Broncos with a quick two goals. From the left side, Janice Mentrup served a ball into the box, and, when the WMU goalie came off the line, Autumn Harris swooped in to tuck the ball into the right side of the net. In addition to Mentrup, Stefanie Sizemore drew an assist on the goal, which came at the 3:52 mark. The goal was Harris' first career marker, and the assist was the first point of Sizemore's career.
Just over two minutes later, Kerry McKee picked the pocket of a WMU back and went in on a 2-on-2 break with Stephanie Heller. McKee's short pass at the top of the box found Heller all alone on the left side, and she tucked the ball into the lower right corner, giving BG a two-goal lead at the 6:00 mark. Heller's goal was her team-leading third of the year, while the assist was the first of McKee's career. The two BG goals came on the first two shots of the match.
The Broncos - and sophomore Jenna Schlee, in particular - wasted little time in coming back. Schlee tallied a hat trick in a span of 7:42, giving the Broncos a 3-2 lead at the midway point of the first half.
After the opening five-goal flurry, there was just one more tally on the afternoon. The Broncos extended the margin to two with a goal early in the second half.
The Falcons outshot the hosts, 19-18, and BGSU held a 9-8 edge in shots on goal. Lasanen made four saves for the visitors. Michelle Lisy, who saw some time at forward in the first half, played the final 6:34 in goal for the Falcons and did not face a shot.
FALCON NOTES: Freshman Stephanie Heller, originally listed as questionable for the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the spring, scored her team-leading third goal of the season at WMU ... The two BG goals at Western, scored just 2:08 apart by Autumn Harris and Heller, are not the fastest two goals in team history. Heller and Paige Suhay both found the back of the net in a 48-second span vs. St. Francis (Pa.) Sept. 7 ... In the 11 matches this year, BG has committed more fouls than the opponent on just one occasion. In fact, in the four MAC matches, the Falcons have been "out-fouled" by a total of 84-47 ... The Falcons have three MAC matches remaining - against the other three first-year programs in the conference ... Following Saturday's Miami match, the Falcons return home for the first time in over a month to host Kent (Oct. 17). That match begins a four-match homestand, and a season-ending streak in which BG has five-of-six matches at Cochrane Field.
QUICK FACTS: THIS WEEK: BGSU (2-9-0, 0-4-0) at Miami (5-8-0, 0-4-0) Saturday, Oct. 11 - 1:00 p.m. THE COACHES: BGSU: Tom Piccirillo At BG: 2-9-0 (first season) Career: 85-68-8 (ninth season) Assistant Coach: Julie Reule Miami: Bobby Kramig NEXT WEEK: Kent at BGSU Friday, Oct. 17 - 4:00 p.m. LAST WEEK: West Virginia 4, BGSU 0 Wed., Oct. 1 - Morgantown, W. Va. Western Michigan 4, BGSU 2 Sun., Oct. 5 - Kalamazoo, Mich. THE MAC - 1997 Standings: Team (Overall) MAC Pts. Northern Ill. (7-4-1) 5-1-0 15 Western Mich. (8-4-0) 4-0-0 12 Toledo (8-2-1) 4-2-0 12 Eastern Mich. (8-4-0) 3-2-0 9 Ohio (5-5-0) 2-2-0 6 Kent (2-9-1) 1-4-0 3 Bowling Green (2-9-0) 0-4-0 0 Miami (5-8-0) 0-4-0 0 Teams earn 3 pts. for a win, 1 for a tie BGSU SCORING LEADERS: Player MP G- A= Pts. Stephanie Heller 9 3- 0= 6 Janice Mentrup 11 1- 3= 5 Autumn Harris 7 1- 1= 3 Kerry McKee 11 1- 1= 3 Michelle Lisy 6 1- 0= 2 Jamie Eshleman 11 1- 0= 2 Ashley Enser 11 1- 0= 2 Emily Graham 11 0- 2= 2 Krista Shamblin 11 1- 0= 2 Paige Suhay 11 1- 0= 2 Rachel Clark 11 0- 1= 1 Stefanie Sizemore 11 0- 1= 1 BGSU GOALKEEPING LEADERS: Goalie Min. Svs. GAA Lynette Lasanen 449:41 36 2.60 Kit Gazley 494:26 46 2.91
(Sept. 29 Release)
FALCONS STAY ON ROAD WITH TWO CONTESTS THIS WEEK
BGSU Falls, 1-0, at EMU; Heads to West Virginia, Western Michigan This Week
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (2-7-0 overall, 0-3-0 Mid-American Conference) continues a five-match road trip with a pair of road contests this week. The Falcons make a trip to West Virginia to face the Mountaineers Wednesday (Oct. 1), with kickoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m. for that non-conference contest. The Brown and Orange will return to MAC action Sunday (Oct. 5) with a matinee' at Western Michigan. The Falcons will meet the Broncos at 2:00 p.m. in Kalamazoo, Mich.
The WVU and WMU matches are the Falcons' third and fourth road contests in the current road swing. BGSU will not play another home match until Oct. 17, when Kent comes to town.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 85-66-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, '95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE OPPONENTS: West Virginia is 6-3-0 on the season, and the Mountaineers have posted a 3-3 record in the Big East Conference. Last weekend, WVU suffered a pair of road losses, falling to Seton Hall by a 3-1 count Friday (Sept. 26) before losing at nationally-ranked Connecticut, 5-0, Sunday (Sept. 28). The Mountaineers are 3-1-0 at home this season, with the only setback coming to national power Notre Dame. Last year, in the school's first season of varsity soccer, the Mountaineers posted a 10-7-2 overall record and a fourth-place conference finish with a 4-4-1 mark. WVU head coach Nicole Izzo is 16-10-2 in her second season at the school and 29-15-2 in her third year as a collegiate mentor.
Western Michigan enters the week with a 6-4-0 overall record, and the Broncos have a 2-0-0 MAC mark. WMU split a pair of non-conference matches last week, falling at Detroit by a 3-0 final Wednesday (Sept. 24) before posting a 2-0 victory over visiting Valparaiso Sunday (Sept. 28). The Broncos travel to Toledo for a MAC contest Friday (Oct. 3) before hosting the Brown and Orange Sunday. In 1996, the Broncos' inaugural varsity season, the team posted a record of 11-7-1. Head coach Katie O¹Shaughnessy has a record of 17-11-1 in her second season.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons made the short trip north to Ypsilanti, Mich., and dropped a 1-0 contest to the Eagles Sunday afternoon (Sept. 28).
The Brown and Orange, for the second-straight match, battled a veteran conference program to a scoreless tie at halftime. BGSU freshman goalie Lynette Lasanen made four saves in the first 45 minutes of play. The third-year Eagles outshot BGSU, 15-4, in the first half, including a 4-2 margin in shots on goal.
In the second stanza, EMU scored with five-and-a-half minutes gone, and that marker proved to be enough. BG had four shots on goal in the second half, including two in a last-second flurry off a Stefanie Sizemore free kick. Her shot was stopped by the EMU goalie, who failed to control the rebound, and several Falcons attempted to poke the ball into the net as the clock wound down.
EMU held a total-shots advantage of 28-10, and the Eagles had 10 shots on goal to the Falcons' six. Lasanen made a career-high nine saves in going the distance for her first complete match.
Offensively, junior Krista Shamblin, coming off the bench after starting the season's first eight matches, led BG with two shots on goal and four total shot attempts. Sophomore Emily Graham and freshmen Autumn Harris and Emily McCracken had single shots on goal, in addition to Sizemore.
ANSWERING THE BELL: A total of six Falcon players have started each of BGSU's eight matches. Sophomores Emily Graham and Mackenzie Williams and freshmen Ashley Enser, Janice Mentrup, Stefanie Sizemore and Paige Suhay have been on the field at the start of every BGSU match.
UP NEXT: After this week's matches, the Falcons will head to Miami for a MAC tilt Sunday, Oct. 11. That match, scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff, will be BGSU's first conference contest against another first-year program. BG's final three MAC matches all will be against the other league newcomers, as the Falcons will host both Kent (Oct. 17) and Ohio (Oct. 26) later in the season.
QUICK FACTS: THIS WEEK: BGSU (2-7-0, 0-3-0) at West Virginia (6-3-0) Wednesday, Oct. 1 - 4:00 p.m. BGSU at Western Michigan (6-4-0, 2-0-0) Sunday, Oct. 5 - 2:00 p.m. THE COACHES: BGSU: Tom Piccirillo At BG: 2-7-0 (first season) Career: 85-66-8 (ninth season) Assistant Coach: Julie Reule West Virginia: Nicole Izzo Western Mich.: Katie O'Shaughnessy NEXT WEEK: BGSU at Miami Saturday, Oct. 11 - 1:00 p.m. LAST WEEK: Eastern Michigan 1, BGSU 0 Sunday, Sept. 28 - Ypsilanti, Michigan THE MAC 1997 Standings: Team (Overall) MAC Pts. Eastern Mich. (7-2-0) 3-1-0 9 Northern Ill. (5-4-1) 3-1-0 9 Toledo (7-1-0) 3-1-0 9 Western Mich. (6-4-0) 2-0-0 6 Ohio (4-4-0) 1-1-0 3 Kent (2-8-0) 1-4-0 3 Miami (5-5-0) 0-2-0 0 Bowling Green (2-7-0) 0-3-0 0 Teams earn 3 pts. for a win, 1 for a tie BGSU SCORING LEADERS: Player MP G-A=Pts. Stephanie Heller 7 2-0=4 Janice Mentrup 9 1-2=4 Michelle Lisy 5 1-0=2 Kerry McKee 8 1-0=2 Jamie Eshleman 9 1-0=2 Ashley Enser 9 1-0=2 Emily Graham 9 0-2=2 Krista Shamblin 9 1-0=2 Paige Suhay 9 1-0=2 Autumn Harris 5 0-1=1 Rachel Clark 9 0-1=1 BGSU GOALKEEPING: Goalie Min. Svs. GAA Lynette Lasanen 276:15 19 1.63 Kit Gazley 494:26 46 2.91
(Sept. 22 Release)
FALCONS' MARATHON ROAD SWING CONTINUES AT EMU
BGSU, After Narrow Loss at UT, Faces Eagles in Second of Five-Straight Away Matches
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (2-6-0 overall, 0-2-0 Mid-American Conference) continues a five-match road trip with a Sunday (Sept. 28) matinee vs. Eastern Michigan. The Falcons will meet the Eagles in a conference contest in Ypsilanti, Mich., with kickoff scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
The EMU match is the Falcons' second road contest in the current road swing. BGSU will not play another home match until Oct. 17, when Kent comes to town.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 85-65-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, '95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE OPPONENT: Eastern Michigan is 4-2-0 on the season, including a mark of 1-1-0 in MAC play. EMU defeated Detroit Tuesday (Sept. 16), 2-1, and the Eagles' scheduled contest with visiting St. Francis (Ind.) Friday (Sept. 19) was cancelled due to severe weather. EMU held a 2-0 lead with 16:38 left in the first half when the match was halted. The Eagles travelled to Valparaiso Sunday (Sept. 21) and recorded a 1-0 win. A third-year program, the Eagles posted a 10-9-0 record a year ago. EMU coach Paul Scicluna has a record of 18-20-1 in his third season.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons, playing before the biggest crowd in the school's brief women's soccer history, gave Toledo a battle before falling, 3-2, at UT's Glass Bowl Stadium Saturday (Sept. 20).
The Falcons, behind the efforts of freshman goalkeeper Lynette Lasanen and a little bit of luck, played the third-year Rockets to a scoreless first half. Lasanen made three saves in that first half, including a point-blank stop of a Rocket attempt at the top of the penalty box. Lasanen was aided by her defenders, as two UT shots heading toward goal were cleared by Falcon backs.
Freshman Kit Gazley replaced Lasanen to start the second half, and had a rude welcome from her Rocket hosts. UT's first two shots on goal in the second stanza got past Gazley, and the Blue and Gold took a 2-0 lead with 37:05 left in the match. The two goals came just 4:52 apart.
Gazley began to settle down, and the Falcon offense, stymied to that point, began to show signs of life. The Brown and Orange, after just three shot attempts (none on goal) in the first half, began to test UT goalie Tanya Muncer.
The Falcons got on the scoreboard at the 70:38 mark, when freshman Autumn Harris' free kick from the right side found freshman Stephanie Heller just inside the penalty box on the left side. Heller's one-timer got past Muncer, who had come out to contest the cross. The goal was Heller's second of the season, with Harris drawing the only assist on the scoring play.
Seven minutes later, the Rockets extended the margin to two goals once again, converting on a 2-on-0 breakaway. BG again cut the margin to a single goal with 7:13 left in the contest. After BG's Janice Mentrup was pulled down in the box, a penalty kick was awarded, and freshman Ashley Enser converted for her first collegiate goal.
BG had just one more scoring chance, a Stefanie Sizemore drive that sailed wide at approximately the two-minute mark, and the hosts held on for the win.
The Rockets held a 28-12 advantage in shots, including a 10-6 edge in shots on goal. Gazley made four saves in her 45 minutes of action.
The crowd of 2,385 was the largest in the (eight-match) history of BGSU women's soccer.
COMEBACK KID: Freshman Stephanie Heller scored the Falcons' first goal at Toledo, making her the only BGSU player with two goals on the year. Heller tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the spring, and her 1997 playing status was questionable throughout the summer. Heller, who has seen action in six matches, starting three, is tied for the BG scoring lead with four points.
ANSWERING THE BELL: A total of seven Falcon players have started each of BGSU's eight matches. Junior Krista Shamblin, sophomores Emily Graham and Mackenzie Williams and freshmen Ashley Enser, Janice Mentrup, Stefanie Sizemore and Paige Suhay have been on the field at the start of every BGSU match.
QUICK FACTS: THIS WEEK: BGSU (2-6-0, 0-2-0) at Eastern Michigan (4-2-0, 1-1-0) Sunday, Sept. 28 - 2:00 p.m. THE COACHES: BGSU: Tom Piccirillo At BG: 2-6-0 (first season) Career: 85-65-8 (ninth season) Assistant Coach: Julie Reule Eastern Michigan: Paul Scicluna NEXT WEEK: BGSU at West Virginia Wednesday, Oct. 1 - 4:00 p.m. BGSU at Western Michigan Sunday, Oct. 5 - 2:00 p.m. LAST WEEK: Toledo 3, BGSU 2 Saturday, Sept. 20 - Toledo, Ohio THE MAC - 1997 Standings: Team (Overall) MAC Pts. Northern Ill. (4-3-1) 3-0-0 9 Western Mich. (5-3-0) 2-0-0 6 Toledo (6-1-0) 2-1-0 6 Eastern Mich. (4-2-0) 1-1-0 3 Kent (1-6-0) 1-2-0 3 Ohio (2-4-0) 0-1-0 0 Bowling Green (2-6-0) 0-2-0 0 Miami (3-5-0) 0-2-0 0 Teams earn 3 pts. for a win, 1 for a tie BGSU SCORING LEADERS: Player MP G- A= Pts. Stephanie Heller 6 2- 0= 4 Janice Mentrup 8 1- 2= 4 Michelle Lisy 5 1- 0= 2 Kerry McKee 7 1- 0= 2 Jamie Eshleman 8 1- 0= 2 Ashley Enser 8 1- 0= 2 Emily Graham 8 0- 2= 2 Krista Shamblin 8 1- 0= 2 Paige Suhay 8 1- 0= 2 Autumn Harris 4 0- 1= 1 Rachel Clark 8 0- 1= 1 BGSU GOALKEEPING: Goalie Minutes Svs. GAA Lynette Lasanen 186:15 10 1.93 Kit Gazley 494:26 46 2.91
(Sept. 15 Release)
FALCONS MEET ROCKETS IN GLASS CITY SATURDAY
First-Ever Women's Soccer Match Between Arch-Rivals Set For 7:00 p.m. at Glass Bowl
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (2-5-0 overall, 0-1-0 Mid-American Conference) makes the short drive north, heading to the Glass City to take on Toledo Saturday (Sept. 20). The first-ever meeting between the arch-rival schools in women's soccer is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Glass Bowl.
The Toledo match begins a stretch of five consecutive road contests for the Falcons. BGSU will not play another home match until Oct. 17, when Kent comes to town.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 85-64-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, '95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE OPPONENT: Toledo is 4-1-0 on the season and 1-1-0 in MAC play. The Rockets were undefeated and unscored upon before suffering a 2-0 loss to visiting Northern Illinois Saturday (Sept. 13). A year ago, the Rockets posted a 10-9-1 record. UT Head coach R.J. Anderson is 22-19-2 in his third season.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons suffered a pair of losses, falling at Indiana, 6-1, and to visiting Northern Illinois, 6-0.
BGSU took an early 1-0 lead under the lights at IU Friday (Sept. 12), when Krista Shamblin scored an unassisted marker with just 7:09 gone. The Falcons and Hoosiers were tied, 1-1, at the half, but the hosts broke the match open with five second-half tallies. IU outshot the Falcons, 44-2, and had a 19-1 advantage in shots on goal.
BGSU played its first-ever Mid-American Conference match Sunday (Sept. 14), hosting the "oldest" MAC squad. Northern Illinois, a fifth-year program, came to Cochrane Field and posted a 6-0 win. The Huskies scored with just over 24 minutes elapsed, and NIU added four more tallies in a 12-minute period spanning the last nine minutes of the first half and the first three minutes after intermission. The visitors outshot BG, 29-16, including a 14-3 margin in shots on goal.
UP NEXT: After the match at UT, the Falcons will head to Eastern Michigan for a MAC contest Sunday, Sept. 28. That match is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start. BG will then travel to West Virginia (Oct. 1), Western Michigan (Oct. 5) and Miami (Oct. 11) before finally returning home to face Kent Oct. 17.
FALCON NOTES: A total of 21 players saw action in the Northern Illinois match...after playing seven matches in a 17-day span to begin the season, the Falcons now play just one match in each of the next two weeks...seven different Falcons have found the back of the net for BG this year...freshman midfielder Janice Mentrup leads the team with four points, and she is tied for the assists lead with two...sophomore midfielder Emily Graham also has a pair of assists...BGSU has been outscored, 12-1, in the second half of this year's seven matches.
QUICK FACTS: THIS WEEK: BGSU (2-5-0, 0-1-0) at Toledo (4-1-0, 1-1-0) Saturday, Sept. 20 - 7:00 p.m. THE COACHES: BGSU: Tom Piccirillo At BG: 2-5-0 (first season) Career: 85-64-8 (ninth season) Assistant Coach: Julie Reule Toledo: R.J. Anderson LAST WEEK: Indiana 6, BGSU 1 Friday, Sept. 12 - Bloomington, Ind. Northern Illinois 6, BGSU 0 Sunday, Sept. 14 - Cochrane Field THE MAC - 1997 Standings: Team (Overall) MAC Pts. Northern Ill. (4-1-1) 3-0-0 9 Western Mich. (4-2-0) 2-0-0 6 Toledo (4-1-0) 1-1-0 3 Eastern Mich. (2-2-0) 1-1-0 3 Ohio (1-3-0) 0-1-0 0 Miami (2-3-0) 0-1-0 0 Bowling Green (2-5-0) 0-1-0 0 Kent (0-5-0) 0-2-0 0 Teams earn 3 pts. for a win, 1 for a tie
(Sept. 8 Release)
FALCONS (2-3) HEAD TO INDIANA, HOST NORTHERN ILLINOIS
BGSU Offense Explodes Against St. Francis; First-Ever MAC Match Set For Sunday
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (2-3-0 overall, 0-0-0 Mid-American Conference) heads to the Hoosier State to take on Indiana in a Friday night (Sept. 12) contest. The match is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m.
Following the IU contest, the Falcons will return home to play the team's first-ever MAC match. Northern Illinois will provide the opposition for a Sunday (Sept. 14) contest. Kickoff is set for noon at BGSU's Cochrane Field.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 85-62-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, '95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE OPPONENTS: Indiana is 3-1-0 on the season after a split on the left coast over the weekend. The Hoosiers lost at San Diego State, 3-1, before topping San Diego, 1-0. Head coach Joe Kelley is 42-28-1 in his fifth year. Last fall, IU finished seventh in the Big Ten Conference with a 2-5 league mark, but the Hoosiers rallied to win the league tournament and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Indiana posted an overall record of 11-11 in 1996.
Northern Illinois is 1-1-1 overall this year after a win and a tie over the weekend. The Huskies tied visiting Georgia State, 2-2, before opening MAC action with an 11-0 pasting of Kent. NIU held a 68-6 advantage in shot attempts. Coach Frank Horvat, in his fifth year with the Huskies, is 35-41-3. NIU's fifth-year women's soccer program is the oldest among the eight MAC schools that sponsor the sport.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons struggled offensively in the first two matches last week, but BG exploded in the final match. The Brown and Orange suffered road shutout losses at the hands of Dayton and Ohio State, but found the back of the net five times vs. St. Francis (Pa.).
Dayton got on the board just 35 seconds into the match Wednesday (Sept. 3), and the Flyers added two more tallies before the match was 10 minutes old. The home team added two more goals and outshot the visiting Falcons, 35-8, in the 5-0 victory. Freshman goalie Kit Gazley, the second of three Falcon 'keepers, stopped five of six UD shots on goal in 62:13 of action.
Gazley made a BG season-high 11 saves at Ohio State Saturday (Sept. 6), but the Buckeyes broke through with a goal just before the half en route to a 3-0 win. BGSU managed just two shots on goal in the match.
Freshman midfielder Janice Mentrup made sure the Falcons would not be blanked by St. Francis Sunday (Sept. 7), scoring with exactly 14 minutes gone. Three other Falcon freshmen scored goals in an 11:16 span just before halftime, giving the hosts a 4-0 lead at the break. Stephanie Heller, Paige Suhay and Jamie Eshleman had first-half goals to ensure that BGSU's three-match losing streak would come to an end.
Heller's goal came at the 33:25 mark, when she headed a Rachel Clark cross past SFC goalie Shannon Hussion. Sophomore Emily Graham also drew an assist on the play. Suhay's goal, an unassisted blast from outside the penalty area, came just 48 seconds later. Eshleman scored off a Mentrup feed with only 19 seconds left in the half.
Freshman Michelle Lisy's unassisted goal closed out the scoring with just over nine minutes remaining in the match. Gazley and Lynette Lasanen shared the shutout in goal. Each 'keeper played 45 minutes, faced four total shots and made two saves.
The Falcons enjoyed a 27-8 advantage in shots, including a 12-4 edge in shots on goal.
FRESHMEN FIND THE NET: With 17 freshmen on the 23-woman BGSU roster, it is no surprise that the majority of the Falcons' goals have been scored by the frosh. Five of the six BG goals to date have been registered by freshmen, including the first five goals of the year. Kerry McKee, Janice Mentrup, Stephanie Heller, Paige Suhay and Jamie Eshleman all have goals on the season. Sophomore Michelle Lisy also has a goal for the Brown and Orange.
FINALLY!: Freshman Janice Mentrup scored a goal 14 minutes into the St. Francis match Sunday (Sept. 7), ending a BG scoreless streak of 284:00. The Falcons had not scored since Kerry McKee's overtime tally beat Kent in the season opener (Aug. 29).
RECORD-SETTING DAY: Obviously, with the BGSU women's soccer program just five matches old, some sort of record is going to be set nearly every time the Falcons take the field. Nevertheless, several marks were set vs. St. Francis, including team records for shots on goal (12) and goals scored (5). The Falcons also set a record by holding the Red Flash to eight total shots, and SFC¹s four shots on goal matched a BG opponent low.
Individually, Janice Mentrup's three points (one goal, one assist) set a single-match scoring mark.
QUICK FACTS THIS WEEK BGSU (2-3-0) at Indiana (3-1-0) Friday, Sept. 12 - 7:00 p.m. Northern Illinois (1-1-1) at BGSU Sunday, Sept. 14 - Noon THE COACHES BGSU: Tom Piccirillo At BG: 2-3-0 (first season) Career: 85-62-8 (ninth season) Assistant Coach: Julie Reule Indiana: Joe Kelley Northern Illinois: Frank Horvat LAST WEEK Dayton 5, BGSU 0 Wednesday, Sept. 3 - Dayton, Ohio Ohio State 3, BGSU 0 Saturday, Sept. 6 - Columbus, Ohio BGSU 5, St. Francis (Pa.) 0 Sunday, Sept. 7 - Cochrane Field THE MAC 1997 Standings Team (Overall) MAC Pts. Toledo (4-0-0) 1-0-0 3 Western Mich. (3-1-0) 1-0-0 3 Northern Ill. (1-1-1) 1-0-0 3 Bowling Green (2-3-0) 0-0-0 0 Ohio (1-2-0) 0-0-0 0 Miami (1-2-0) 0-1-0 0 Eastern Mich. (0-1-0) 0-1-0 0 Kent (0-3-0) 0-1-0 0 Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie
(Sept. 2 Release)
FALCONS (1-1) SPLIT FIRST MATCHES IN SCHOOL HISTORY
BGSU on Road Twice This Week Before Hosting St. Francis Sunday
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team (1-1 overall, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) begins its second week of varsity competition by heading to Dayton for a Wednesday night (Sept. 3) match against the UD Flyers. The contest will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Following the Dayton contest, the Falcons have two weekend matches on tap. The Brown and Orange will head to Columbus to face Ohio State Saturday (Sept. 6), with kickoff set for 2:00 p.m. The next day (Sept. 7), BGSU will host St. Francis (Pa.) in a 1:00 p.m. match at Cochrane Field.
THE COACHES: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo (Upsala, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 84-60-8.
Julie Reule (James Madison, '95) is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE OPPONENTS: Dayton is 1-0 on the season after Sunday's 5-1 win over Miami. Head coach Mike Tucker is 23-18-1 in his third season at the helm of the Flyers. Last year, UD went 13-9-0 overall and won the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 7-1 league record.
Ohio State opened the 1997 campaign with a 1-1 tie against visiting Colgate Saturday (Aug. 30). A year ago, the Buckeyes were 14-7-0 overall and finished fifth in the Big Ten Conference with a 3-4 mark. Coach Lori Walker, who has a 13-23-2 record in her third season overall, is in her first year at OSU.
St. Francis College will open the 1997 season Wednesday (Sept. 3) vs. Bucknell, and will travel to Toledo for a Saturday (Sept. 6) match prior to coming to BG the next day. Last season, the Red Flash finished 2-15-0 and were sixth in the Northeast Conference at 1-6. Coach Mary Gibson, a 1984 BGSU graduate, is in her second year with the team.
LAST WEEK: The Falcons wrote a new page of soccer history at BGSU, playing the first three matches of varsity women's soccer at the school.
The Falcons captured a 1-0 win over visiting Findlay in a scrimmage Aug. 25. Freshman Ashley Enser converted a penalty kick with just under five minutes elapsed in the second half for the only goal of the match. Goalies Kit Gazley and Lynette Lasanen, both freshmen, combined for the shutout, with each 'keeper playing 45 minutes.
The first regular-season match in school history was not decided until overtime. With 6:43 gone in the first extra session, Falcon freshman forward Kerry McKee found the back of the net to end the contest and give the visiting Falcons a 1-0 win over Kent Friday (Aug. 29). Sophomore tri-captain Emily Graham and freshman Janice Mentrup drew assists. Graham and Mentrup began the scoring play with a give-and-go off a short corner kick. The Brown and Orange held a whopping 42-9 advantage in shots, including an 11-4 edge in shots on goal. Lasanen and Gazley again shared the shutout. Lasanen was forced to make just one save in the first half, while Gazley made two stops in the second stanza and one more in the overtime. Although both BGSU and Kent are MAC schools, the match does not count in the conference standings.
The Louisville Cardinals spoiled the first home contest in school history, scoring a late goal en route to a 1-0 win at Cochrane Field Sunday (Aug. 31). With under 10 minutes remaining in the second half, UL senior Karen Garland sent a crossing attempt into the box from the right side. As Falcon defender Mackenzie Williams and Cardinal forward Christie Altree both raced for the ball, the cross caromed off Williams' leg and into the net past Gazley. Gazley, who played the entire contest in goal, made six saves on the afternoon. BGSU held a 15-12 lead in total shots, but the home team could manage just three shots on goal.
YOUTH IS SERVED: Not surprisingly, the first-year BGSU team is laden with freshmen, as a total of 17 dot the 24-woman roster. Both of last week's regular-season contests saw the Brown and Orange take the field with eight freshmen in the 11-player lineup.
Seven frosh - Rachel Clark, Ashley Enser, Jamie Eshleman, Autumn Harris, Janice Mentrup, Stefanie Sizemore and Paige Suhay - have started both matches this year.
(August 20 Release)
FALCONS' INAUGURAL SEASON STARTS FRIDAY
BGSU Hosts Two Scrimmages Before Opening Regular-Season Play at Kent Aug. 29
THIS WEEK: The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team opens the 1997 season Friday (Aug. 22) with a scrimmage against Siena Heights. The match - the first-ever competition for BGSU's newest varsity program - is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. at Cochrane Field.
Following Friday's scrimmage, the Falcons will host a second scrimmage Monday (Aug. 25). Findlay will provide the opposition for Monday's match, which will kick-off at 6:00 p.m.
Both the Siena Heights and Findlay scrimmages may be held at the women's practice field, located southeast of Cochrane Field.
The regular season begins Aug. 29 with a 4:00 tilt at Kent. The home opener for the Brown and Orange is Aug. 31 vs. Louisville at 2:00 p.m.
THE COACH: BGSU head coach Tom Piccirillo is in his first season at the helm of the Falcons. Piccirillo actually came to BG a full year ago and built the Falcon program from scratch. His overall record, which includes five years at Tiffin and three seasons at Keuka (N.Y.), is 83-59-8.
Julie Reule is in her first season as assistant coach under Piccirillo.
THE OPPONENTS: Siena Heights coach Aldo Zid enters his third year with a 20-17-4 record at the school. Last fall, the Saints went 8-9-2.
Findlay coach Andy Smyth is 109-30-7 in eight seasons with the Oilers. Last year, his squad posted a 20-2-2 record.
Kent, like BGSU a first-year program, is coached by Colleen Marcum. Her four-year collegiate coaching mark is 9-56.
Louisville is coached by Tony Colavecchia. The Cardinals posted a 9-9-2 record in 1996, Colavecchia's first season as head coach.
SEASON OUTLOOK: A NEW ERA DAWNS AT COCHRANE FIELD
The story is a familiar one: a new coach is hired, hopes the previous coach didn¹t leave the cupboard bare, and tries to win in the first year or two while recruiting his or her own players for the future.
In the case of Tom Piccirillo's arrival at Bowling Green State University, however, a few things were missing. There was no previous coach, and there was no cupboard at all.
Piccirillo assumed the helm of the BGSU women's soccer program a year ago, in early September of 1996. At that time, he had neither an assistant coach nor players. Since that time, he has hired an assistant, Julie Reule, and recruited an entire roster of student-athletes. The Falcon squad will include four players from BGSU's nationally ranked club team, a few transfers from other schools, and a plethora of freshmen. All are ready to make a run at the inaugural Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
Finally, Piccirillo will see his team take the field when the Falcons travel to Kent for the inaugural match August 29. BGSU hosts two preseason scrimmages prior to the Kent match.
"I think we got off to a great start," said Piccirillo. "We got to see a lot of players and a lot of (high school) games last fall, and we had a ton of visits.
"We have a good freshman class. The club team finished fifth in the country last year, and we're excited about having four players from that team. Additionally, the college transfers will help, because they have played varsity ball before."
Building a team from the ground floor is nothing new to Piccirillo, who started the program at nearby Tiffin University prior to making the short trip to BG. He arrived at Tiffin in 1991 and, after a 4-9 record that first season, the Dragons went 51-32-2 over the next four years.
"The task of forming an entire team was sizeable," said Piccirillo. "However, it really was a lot easier this time (than at Tiffin). Some of the benefits of being at BG, including the fine facilities and large number of academic majors, made my job much easier."
When the Falcons take the field at Kent, only two positions in the lineup will be set, according to Piccirillo. "I'll be the coach, and Julie will be my assistant. Beyond that, things are wide open.
"The exciting thing for the players, and for us, is that everyone enters camp in the fall with the chance to win a starting job."
Goalkeepers: There are three candidates for one of the most important jobs: guarding the goal. A sophomore, Michelle Lisy, and freshmen Kit Gazley and Lynette Lasanen will compete for the starting spot.
Lisy, a Strongsville native, joins the varsity program after a year with the club team. She may see some time in the field in addition to playing goal.
Gazley, also from the Cleveland area, helped Magnificat deep into the state playoffs last year. Lasanen, like Gazley a tall 'keeper, is one of many Southwest Ohio products. The West Carrollton native alternated starts last fall, but took over the starting spot in postseason action.
Defenders: Seven players enter camp vying for starting spots on the back line. The list includes five freshmen and two sophomores - one club-team veteran and one transfer.
The transfer, Kim Witsaman, comes to BGSU from Newberry College in South Carolina. An All-America candidate in NCAA Division II, the Holt, Mich., native played for Piccirillo on the Toledo Celtics club team prior to college. Witsaman should be in the hunt at marking back.
Mackenzie Williams played at an outside spot on the club team last fall. The Erie, Pa., product was one of the fastest players on the team.
The five frosh looking to make a mark in the back are Laura Harvey, Stephanie Lipps, Liz Robarge, Stefanie Sizemore and Amy Vukcevic.
Harvey will be in the running for a marking-back spot, as will Vukcevic. Both players are from the Dayton area, and both are big, strong backs who did not get their proper due awards-wise, according to Piccirillo.
Lipps, the only Michigan native on the team other than Witsaman, was a three-time all-city selection in Battle Creek. Robarge hails from Perrysburg and is one of several players termed "destroyers" by her new coach. Sizemore is a versatile player who helped Medina to the state championship match last fall. She could see time up front in addition to on the back line.
Midfielders: Eight candidates on the pre-season roster are listed as midfielders, including two who spent last year on the BGSU campus. One of those players - Emily Graham - played on the club team. Graham prepped at Perrysburg where Robarge was a teammate. The other "veteran" is Fernanda Medeiros, a native of Brazil. Medeiros, who came to BG in January, did not play organized soccer last fall.
Sophomore Kelly Thompson earned all-state honors at Westerville North. She played club ball on the Ohio Premier squad.
Four frosh join Graham, Medeiros and Thompson in the hunt to patrol the midfield.
Ashley Enser, a versatile player from the Toledo area, could see time at sweeper or as a flank midfielder. Another product from the northwest quadrant of the state is Autumn Harris. The Findlay native brings good playmaking ability to the Falcon fold.
Jamie Eshleman is a creative player who could play central midfield. She completed her high school career in California after spending her freshman year in Illinois.
Paige Suhay, another central midfielder, brings great credentials to BG. A regional team alternate for the Olympic Development Program, the Revere product is a versatile player with vast club experience.
Freshman Janice Mentrup is one of the many Cincinnati-area standouts to come to BGSU. Mentrup is a steady player who was her conference's "Player of the Year" last fall at Oak Hills.
Forwards: There should be no shortage of players able to put the ball in the back of the net. The seven forwards should be a source of leadership - and a source of firepower - for the Falcons, as a senior and a junior will battle five freshmen for spots.
The senior, Michelle Dorman, comes to the varsity squad with three years of experience on the BGSU club team. She was an all-star in the Youngstown area in high school.
The junior has already made an impact on the collegiate level. Krista Shamblin, a Cincinnati native, joins the Falcon program after two seasons at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. Last fall, Shamblin ranked seventh in the nation in NCAA Division II scoring.
Four additional Southwest Ohio products are featured among the five freshman forwards.
Rachel Clark was one of the top goal-scorers in the Cincinnati area. A player who wants the ball at that critical time, Clark could see action on the right side.
Another Rachel, Rachel Short, is a blue-collar player with great athleticism. The Reading native was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball.
Fairfield product Kerry McKee, an all-city striker, should be a proficient finisher for the Falcons. She helped her high school squad to two district titles in as many years.
Stephanie Heller, a Loveland native with great potential, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the spring. She has spent the summer rehabilitating the injury with the hope of playing this season.
A Columbus-area player will look to see time up front. Christa Garver has extensive club-team and ODP experience. The Dublin product is a hard-working, technical player.
The MAC: Beginning this fall, women's soccer is a MAC-sponsored sport, and eight teams will gear up for the title. The Falcons join three other first-year programs - Kent, Miami and Ohio - looking to compete with veteran squads Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan.
The NIU program enters its fifth year, while UT and EMU are third-year squads. WMU competed at the varsity level for the first time last fall.
The teams will play a seven-match, single-round-robin league schedule, with the top four schools qualifying for the league tournament. The tourney will be held Nov. 7-9 at the site of the regular-season champion.
In addition to the MAC schedule, the Falcons' 18-match slate features three contests against Big Ten schools. BG's home opener, Aug. 31 vs. Louisville, is the first of eight regular-season matches at Cochrane Field this fall.
The Falcons' inaugural MAC match will be a home tilt, against Northern Illinois Sept. 14. (The Aug. 29 BGSU-Kent match will not count in the conference standings.)
As with his own starting lineup, Piccirillo sees the MAC race as being wide open.
"Our goal is to make a run at the MAC title during this first year. We do not want to use our youth as a crutch. Yes, we are young, but we have some great players.
"Our feeling is not that we want to end up with a .500 record and say, 'but we were young.' Our goal is to make a run, win the MAC title and say, '...and we were young. Deal with us in the years to come.'"
POSSIBLE CHANGES: Although the BGSU women's soccer team has yet to play its first match, there could be some changes to the Falcon roster in the next week. A few players could be added at the conclusion of the team's walk-on tryouts, which will be Aug. 23-25.
WEB SITE: BGSU women's soccer information is available via the Internet. The Falcon athletics address is: www.bgsu.edu/offices/athletics/
FAX-ON-DEMAND: BGSU women's soccer releases and statistics are available via the MAC's FAX-on-demand system. To access the latest BG release and statistics, dial (770) 399-3066 from the handset of your FAX machine and follow the voice prompts. The MAC passcode is 622, and the BGSU women's soccer code is 1491. A reminder that THIS SERVICE IS INTENDED FOR MEDIA MEMBERS ONLY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information regarding the Bowling Green women's soccer team, please contact BGSU assistant SID Mike Cihon by phone (419-372-0474), FAX (419-372-6015) or E-mail (mjcihon@bgnet.bgsu.edu).
1997 MAC COACHES' PRESEASON POLL:
School (first-place votes) Points
1. Northern Illinois (6) 58
2. Eastern Michigan (1) 53
3. Toledo 50
4. Western Michigan 35
5. Bowling Green (1) 29
Miami 29
7. Ohio 21
8. Kent 13
(August 13 Release)
FALCONS ANNOUNCE FIRST WOMEN'S SOCCER SIGNEES, SCHEDULE
BGSU's First-Ever Schedule Includes 10 Home Matches; Home Opener Set For Aug. 22
The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team has completed its first recruiting class, head coach Tom Piccirillo and assistant coach Julie Reule have announced. A total of 25 players make up the preseason roster.
Of the roster members, 20 hail from the state of Ohio. The group includes two transfers who played collegiately at the NCAA Division II level last fall, along with four players who played for the BGSU club team.
The task of assembling an entire team from scratch was nothing new to Piccirillo. Prior to coming to BGSU nearly a year ago, he served as the head coach at nearby Tiffin University for five seasons (1991-95). The first coach in TU history, Piccirillo built the Dragon team from the ground up.
The following is a brief synopsis of the Falcon squad:
RACHEL CLARK * Fr. * F * West Chester, Ohio (Summit Country Day)
* Helped the Knights to four Miami Valley Conference titles
* 57 career goals including 19 her senior year
MICHELLE DORMAN * Sr. * F * Boardman, Ohio (Boardman)
* The only senior on the Falcon roster
* Captained the BGSU club team, which finished fifth in the nation last year
ASHLEY ENSER * Fr. * M * Toledo, Ohio (Sylvania Northview)
* As a sweeper, scored four goals and added eight assists as a senior
* Four-time member of the All-Great Lakes League team
JAMIE ESHLEMAN * Fr. * M * Vacaville, Calif. (Vacaville)
* Two-time team MVP at Vacaville
* As a freshman, ranked in the top-10 in district scoring at O'Fallon (Ill.) H.S.
CHRISTA GARVER * Fr. * F * Dublin, Ohio (Dublin Coffman)
* Olympic Development Program participant
* Dublin Coffman was ranked third in the state last year
KIT GAZLEY * Fr. * GK * Lakewood, Ohio (Magnificat)
* Posted 12 shutouts as the Blue Streaks earned a district runner-up finish
* Earned All-Greater Cleveland First-Team honors
EMILY GRAHAM * So. * M * Perrysburg, Ohio (Perrysburg)
* Played for the BGSU club team a year ago
* Had 44 goals and 21 assists in helping PHS to three league titles
AUTUMN HARRIS * Fr. * M * Findlay, Ohio (Findlay)
* Scored 15 goals and added five assists as a senior
* Helped team to a combined 41-14-4 record her last three years
LAURA HARVEY * Fr. * D * Englewood, Ohio (Northmont)
* Had four career goals and 23 assists from her defender spot
* Helped team to three league titles and two district crowns
STEPHANIE HELLER * Fr. * F * Loveland, Ohio (Milford)
* Had 20 career goals to go with 11 assists
* As a senior captain, was her team's offensive MVP
LYNETTE LASANEN * Fr. * GK * West Carrollton, Ohio (West Carrollton)
* Helped team to two Greater Miami Valley Conference titles
* Team alternated goalkeepers, but Lasanen was the starter during playoffs
STEPHANIE LIPPS * Fr. * D * Battle Creek, Mich. (Lakeview)
* Co-defensive player of the year for team which advanced to districts
* Named to all-city team
MICHELLE LISY * So. * GK * Strongsville, Ohio (Strongsville)
* Played for the BGSU club team last year
* Also played midfield in high school, scoring seven goals as a junior
FERNANDA MEDEIROS * So. * M * Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Our Lady of Mercy)
* Helped team to league title as a senior
* Was enrolled at BGSU during spring 1997 semester
JANICE MENTRUP * Fr. * M * Cincinnati, Ohio (Oak Hills)
* Set a school record with 27 career assists
* League player of the year as a senior; helped team to second straight title
LIZ ROBARGE * Fr. * D * Perrysburg, Ohio (Perrysburg)
* Helped PHS to a 19-2-2 record and Northern Lakes League title as a senior
* Team also captured district title, after three consecutive runner-up finishes
KRISTA SHAMBLIN * Jr. * F * Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Bernard)(Lincoln Memorial)
* Was fourth in the nation in scoring (54 pts.) in NCAA Division II last year
* Her 23 goals for Lincoln Memorial ranked fourth in the nation in 1996
RACHEL SHORT * Fr. * F * Reading, Ohio (Reading)
* Scored 81 goals with 31 assists during her career
* A three-time all-league first-teamer and four-time team offensive MVP
STEFANIE SIZEMORE * Fr. * D * Medina, Ohio (Medina)
* Had 33 career goals and a school-record 44 assists
* Team was state runner-up last year after advancing to semifinals in 1995
PAIGE SUHAY * Fr. * M * Akron, Ohio (Revere)
* Had 47 career goals along with 54 assists
* Played on the Olympic Development Program state team
KELLY THOMPSON * So. * F * Westerville, Ohio (North)
* An all-state forward for Westerville North
* Played club ball for Ohio Premier
AMY VUKCEVIC * Fr. * D * Beavercreek, Ohio (Carroll)
* Helped Patriots to back-to-back Mid-Miami League championships
* Team's co-defensive MVP as a senior; scored five career goals
KASSEY WAGNER * Fr. * M * Milford, Ohio (Purcell Marian)
* Earned all-league and all-city honors as a senior
* As a sweeper, led her team in scoring with 12 goals last year
MACKENZIE WILLIAMS * So. * D * Erie, Pa. (Mercyhurst Prep)
* Member of the BGSU club team last year
* Helped high school team to a combined 50-16-1 record
KIM WITSAMAN * So. * D * Holt, Mich. (Holt Senior)(Newberry College)
* Was an All-America nominee for NCAA Division II team
* Twice earned first-team all-area honors in high school
In addition to the current 25, several more players could be added to the roster when the team holds walk-on tryouts Aug. 23-26.
The Falcons' schedule includes a total of 10 matches (including two scrimmages) at Mickey Cochrane Field. The 18-match regular-season slate includes seven Mid-American Conference contests, and the top-four teams in the final MAC standings will advance to the MAC Tournament Nov. 7-9 at the site of the regular-season champion.
BGSU's first-ever match will be a scrimmage against Siena Heights at Cochrane Field on Friday, Aug. 22. Start time is set for 3:00 p.m. After a home scrimmage the following Monday (Aug. 25, 6:00 p.m.) vs. Findlay, the Falcons will open the regular season with a match at Kent on Aug. 29. BGSU will open the home portion of the regular-season schedule two days later, facing Louisville in a 2:00 p.m. start.
The Falcons' inaugural MAC match will be a home tilt, against Northern Illinois on Sept. 14. Kent is a MAC member, but the BGSU-KSU Aug. 29 match will not count in the conference standings.
BGSU WOMEN'S SOCCER - 1997 SCHEDULE
AUGUST 22 SIENA HEIGHTS # 3:00 pm 25 FINDLAY # 6:00 pm 29 at Kent 4:00 pm 31 LOUISVILLE 2:00 pm SEPTEMBER 3 at Dayton 7:30 pm 6 at Ohio State 2:00 pm 7 ST. FRANCIS (PA) 1:00 pm 12 at Indiana 7:00 pm 14 NORTHERN ILLINOIS * Noon 20 at Toledo * 7:00 pm 28 at Eastern Michigan * 2:00 pm OCTOBER 1 at West Virginia 4:00 pm 5 at Western Michigan * 2:00 pm 11 at Miami * 1:00 pm 17 KENT * 4:00 pm 24 BUFFALO 1:30 pm 26 OHIO * 3:00 pm 29 MICHIGAN STATE 3:00 pm 31 at Robert Morris 3:00 pm NOVEMBER 2 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 1:00 pm 7 MAC Tournament Semifinals & 9 MAC Tournament Championship & * MAC match # Scrimmage Home matches in CAPS All times are local to site & at site of regular-season champion
97-11-03 / Disclaimer
