Falcons Fly Past Flashes, 3-2

Sunday, October 3

Kent, OH

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

3-5-3, 2-1-1

Kent State

6-4-1, 2-1-1

Bowling Green

Kent St.

Lacee Bethea (left) scored BG's first goal, while Katie Cox was tripped in the penalty area, leading to BGSU's third goal on Sunday at KSU

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

October 03, 2021 | Women's Soccer

Box Score BGSU-KSU Stats

Wolfbauer's PK proves to be the winning goal in Kent

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

KENT, Ohio – Madi Wolfbauer's penalty kick with under 18 minutes remaining lifted the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team to a 3-2 win over Kent State University on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 3). The Mid-American Conference match was held at Zoeller Field at Dix Stadium

Lacee Bethea and Audrey Shea also scored for the Falcons (3-5-3, 2-1-1 MAC). Karly Hellstrom had a goal and an assist for the Golden Flashes (6-4-1, 2-1-1 MAC), who lost for the first time in conference play.

Lili Berg made three saves in goal for the Brown and Orange, while Sarah Melen had four stops for the hosts.

Nikki Cox had a nifty assist on the Bethea goal, while Katie Cox was tripped in the penalty area, leading to Wolfbauer's winning PK.

The win was BGSU's sixth-straight victory over Kent State.

NOTE OF THE DAY – SUCCESS VS. THE FLASHES
• BGSU now leads Kent State, 17-7-5, in the all-time series, and the Falcons have won six consecutive meetings.
• BG is now 9-5-0 in road matches vs. the Golden Flashes over the years.

BONUS NOTE OF THE DAY – SUCCESS ON THE ROAD
• With Sunday's win, BGSU is now 17-5-1 in road matches vs. MAC opponents since the start of the 2017 season.
• The Falcons are 14-2-0 in conference road contests since the start of the 2018 season, having outscored the opponents, 44-10, in those 16 games.

FALCONS REACT
"It was a hard-fought game against a very physical, organized Kent State team. We were not at our best but we competed well and found a way to win! We asked for resilience and mental toughness from our team, and we showed that today. Looking forward to the week ahead!." – Jimmy Walker

‼️Final‼️ Falcons net three goals in a hard fought match on the road!

⚽️ Lacee Bethea
⚽️ Audrey Shea
⚽️ Madi Wolfbauer#AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/Y5WdzS2Fd2
— BGSU Women's Soccer (@bgsuwsoc) October 3, 2021

HOW IT HAPPENED
• With under two minutes gone, a Mackenzie Reuber corner kick was punched by KSU goalkeeper Sarah Melen in the goalmouth. The ball dropped to the ground, but in a crowded six-yard box, no BGSU player could get a foot on it, and the Golden Flashes were able to clear it away.
• The Flashes, and Cameron Shedenhelm in particular, had a good scoring chance in game's early stages. Lili Berg came off of her line to attempt to clear a bouncing ball away, as Shedenhelm was attempting to get behind the BG defense. Shedenhelm deflected Berg's ball and attempted a header, but that ball was blocked on the line by Audrey Shea.
• GOAL | 15:35 | Karly Hellstrom gained possession of the ball near midfield after a BG player slipped. Hellstrom made a long run and hit a perfectly-placed shot that sailed over Berg and into the far side of the net.
• Nikki Cox played a nice ball to Kennedy White, who crossed it into the box from the right side. Lacee Bethea, battling for possession with a defender, couldn't get a shot off, but the ball was deflected to Cox, who hit a hard shot that was blocked. Reuber's follow-up try was deflected out for a corner kick.
• That corner, taken by Jasmijn Dijsselhof, was punched by Melen, but the ball did not clear the crossbar, and a KSU defender was forced to head it off of the line.
• Nikki Cox headed a diagonal ball by Reuber just wide. BGSU stole the ensuing goal kick right back, but Madi Wolfbauer's turnaround shot was saved.
• Off of a Dijsselhof serve, Katie Cox got her head on the ball, but her shot glanced off of the top of the crossbar.
• GOAL | 30:46 | Nikki Cox stole the ball just over midfield, made a run forward, and split two defenders with a perfectly-placed through ball toward the onrushing Lacee Bethea. Bethea ran behind the back line, settled the ball and neatly tucked her shot past the flailing Melen and just inside the far post.
• Wolfbauer hit a pair of hard shots from distance, but one went just wide left, and the other sailed just over the bar in the latter stages of the half.
• GOAL | 49:17 | After a KSU foul, Shea took a long free kick that sailed into the box. Nikki Cox was surrounded by three KSU defenders as all four vied for the ball. The free kick glanced off the head of one of those defenders and went into the goal, hitting the far-side netting.
• GOAL | 55:44 | The Flashes came right back, scoring off of a free kick of their own. Hellstrom took that free kick, putting it onto the head of Shedenhelm, who redirected it into the net to tie the score.
• Soon after the ensuing kickoff, a Nikki Cox shot from distance forced Melen into a leaping save.
• GOAL | 72:44 | Maya Dean's pass put Katie Cox behind the KSU defense, and as she entered the penalty area, Cox was taken down from behind and a penalty kick was awarded. Wolfbauer took that free kick, and blasted it into the net, giving Melen no chance to make the save.
• Wolfbauer hit a hard volley off of the short-hop, and the shot, which came seemingly out of nowhere, was on target, but Melen was able to make the stop.
• The Falcons did not allow the Golden Flashes to take a single shot over the game's final 19 minutes.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• The Falcons had a 13-10 advantage in total shot attempts, and BGSU had a 7-5 lead in shots on goal. Nikki Cox and Madi Wolfbauer each were credited with four total shots, including two on frame. Cameron Shedenhelm had four shots, including three on frame, for the Flashes.
• BGSU had an 8-2 lead in corner kicks, taking seven corners in the first half.
• Lili Berg made three saves to earn the win for the Falcons. Sarah Melen had four stops for the hosts.
• Wolfbauer now has team-leading totals of five goals, 11 points and two game-winning goals on the season.
• Nikki Cox now has nine points on the year, including a BG-best five assists.
• Lacee Bethea has four goals and eight points this fall, ranking second on the team in the former category and third in the latter.
• Audrey Shea is now fourth on the Falcons with six points, including two goals and two assists.
• Since the start of the 2017 season, BGSU now has a record of 45-1-1 when scoring at least two goals in a match.
• The Falcons, as mentioned, are 14-2-0 in MAC road matches since the start of the 2018 season. BGSU has scored at least two goals in 13 of those 16 matches, and the Falcons have put at least three goals on the board in 10 of those 16 contests.
• BGSU now has an overall record of 50-24-11 since the start of the 2017 season. The Falcons are 33-8-2 in MAC regular-season matches and 40-9-4 in all games vs. conference foes in that time.
• And, since the beginning of the 2018 campaign, the Falcons are now 37-17-10 overall, 27-4-1 in MAC regular-season action and 32-4-3 in all games vs. league opposition.

AROUND THE MAC
Sunday's Results
Bowling Green 3, at Kent State 2
Central Michigan 1, at Western Michigan 0 (2-OT)
at Buffalo 2, Miami 1
at Ohio 1, Toledo 0
at Ball State 3, Akron 1
Eastern Michigan 2, at Northern Illinois 1

MAC STANDINGS
School (Overall)    MAC   Pts.
1. Ohio (7-3-1)   3-0-1   10
2. Miami (6-3-3)   3-1-0   9
3. Bowling Green (3-5-3) 2-1-1   7
    Ball State (4-5-1) 2-1-1 7
    Kent State (6-4-1)   2-1-1   7
    Buffalo (8-2-1)   2-1-1   7
7. Toledo (7-2-2) 2-2-0   6
Central Mich. (5-5-0) 2-2-0   6
9. Eastern Mich. (2-7-2) 1-2-1   4
10. Northern Ill. (4-8-0) 1-3-0   3
Western Mich. (3-8-0) 1-3-0   3
12. Akron (2-10-0) 0-4-0   0

UP NEXT
• The Falcons return to the road on Thursday (Oct. 7), taking on Ball State in a rematch of the 2020(-21) MAC Championship. That contest will begin at 4:00 p.m. at Briner Sports Complex in Muncie, Ind.
• Then, BGSU will host Miami next Sunday (Oct. 10), on 'Senior Day' at Cochrane Stadium. That match is set to get get underway at 1:00 p.m.

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