Falcons' Five-Goal Flurry Flummoxes Flashes

Sunday, March 21

Bowling Green, Ohio

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

4-1-0, 4-1-0

Kent State

2-3-0, 2-3-0

Kent St.

Bowling Green

Katie Cox scored what proved to be the winning goal just over 30 minutes into Sunday's match

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

March 21, 2021 | Women's Soccer

Box Score BGSU-KSU Stats BGSU-KSU Highlights Coach Walker Postgame Interview Wolfbauer Postgame Interview

BGSU posts fourth shutout in five matches

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Athletics

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team exploded for four second-half goals on Sunday afternoon (March 21), and the Falcons rolled along to a 5-0 win over Kent State University. The Mid-American Conference matchup was held at Cochrane Stadium.

Madi Wolfbauer scored a pair of goals for the Falcons (4-1-0, 4-1-0 MAC), while Madison Alberty, Katie Cox and Nikki Cox also found the back of the net.

The Falcons had an 18-3 advantage over the Golden Flashes (2-3-0, 2-3-0 MAC) in total shot attempts, and BG put 14 shots on goal to KSU's one. Lili Berg played just under 72 minutes and saved the only shot she faced, while Becky Moss played the last 18-plus minutes to share the shutout with Berg.

Sarah Melen made nine saves for the Flashes.

On Senior Day, the match was scoreless for over half an hour, before Katie Cox blocked a Melen clearance attempt before knocking the ball into the vacated net. That goal proved to be the winner.

Alberty scored her first goal as a Falcon with just over four minutes gone in the second half, and Wolfbauer made it a three-goal lead just past the h our mark. Nikki Cox scored in the 82nd minute, and Wolfbauer capped the scoring just over a minute later.

NOTE OF THE DAY
• At the halfway point of the abbreviated 2020(-21) schedule, the Falcons are in first place in the MAC's East Division. BGSU is 4-1-0 on the season, and the Falcons now have four shutouts in this season's five matches.
• BG has outscored opponents, 12-2, after one round-robin swing through the East Division. The 10-game schedule sees each team play the other five divisional opponents twice each.

HIGHLIGHTS / INTERVIEWS

GOALS / KEY MOMENTS
• 5' | Kennedy White nearly gave the Falcons an early lead, as a pass sent her in on a breakaway. KSU 'keeper Sarah Melen came off of her line and was able to block the point-blank shot, with the Flashes clearing the rebound out of danger, at least momentarily.
• 6' | Just over a minute later, Katie Cox hit a shot from the left side of the box, but Melen was able to scoop it up.
• 14' | Arguably Kent State's best chance of the day came in the 14th minute, when a ball fell to Vital Kats in the box. Kats hit a shot from near the six-yard line, but her blast sailed over the crossbar.
• 18' | After a long free kick by Madi Wolfbauer sailed into the penalty area, Nikki Cox was able to direct a shot on goal, but Melen made the stop.
• 26' | Nikki Cox put a free kick of her own on frame, but Melen stopped that shot as well. Then, a minute later, Madison Alberty found Wolfbauer, who hit a hard turnaround shot in the box. But, Melen made another save to keep the match scoreless for the time being.
• 31' | GOAL | As Melen attempted to clear a ball out of the penalty area, Katie Cox blocked it with a lunging effort. Cox went to the ground to block the ball, then quickly scrambled to her feet, took a touch and knocked the ball into the vacated net.
• 43' | The Flashes controlled the ball in the BG end for several minutes late in the opening half, winning back-to-back corner kicks. But, as the latter kick sailed toward the box, a foul was called on the Flashes, giving BGSU a free kick and effectively ending the threat.
• 50' | GOAL | BGSU had three shots in the first five minutes of the second half, and the Falcons scored on the third. Katie Cox played a cross into the center of the area from the right side. The cross glanced off of a KSU player and went to Alberty on the far side of the six-yard box. Alberty tucked the ball inside the left post for her first goal as a Falcon.
• 53' | Nikki Cox slid a pass ahead to Wolfbauer on the right side of the penalty area, and Wolfbauer blasted a shot toward the near corner. Melen made a diving stop, deflecting the ball off of the post and out of play.
• 61' | GOAL | White beat her would-be defender down the right side of the pitch, playing the ball to Nikki Cox near the penalty spot. Cox took a touch in an attempt to settle the ball, and hit a shot that was saved. The ball came back toward Cox, who controlled it and laid it into the path of Wolfbauer. Wolfbauer fired a shot from just inside the 18-yard line, putting it just inside the left post for a three-goal lead.
• 67' | KSU's Karly Hellstrom played a low ball toward Kats in the box, and Kats quickly redirected it on frame. But, BGSU 'keeper Lili Berg was there to make the stop.
• 74' | Maya Dean's long free kick sailed into the box, and the ball bounced toward Nikki Cox, but Cox's shot was saved by Melen.
• 76' | Nikki Cox again had a chance. After Lacee Bethea did some nifty work to keep possession on the right side of the penalty area. the freshman slid a cross to Cox in the center. Cox cut back toward the right, and hit a curving shot that went just wide of the right post.
• 82' | GOAL | After coming close so many times, Nikki Cox would score the Falcons' fourth goal. The play began with a Zoe Hudson throw-in near the BG bench, and that throw went to Makenzie Ortman. Ortman put a diagonal ball into the penalty area, and White got a head on it. The pass went to Nikki Cox, who put her shot just inside the left post.
• 83' | GOAL | Just 1:26 after BG's fourth goal, a foul was whistled on the Flashes, and the Falcons were awarded a penalty kick. Wolfbauer's PK gave BGSU a five-goal lead, and proved to be the last shot attempt for either team.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Nikki Cox and Wolfbauer combined for 13 total shots and 10 shots on goal in Sunday's win. That duo also combined for three goals and an assist.
• Nikki Cox and her sister, Katie Cox, each had a goal and an assist in the win. Nikki had eight shots, including six on goal.
• Wolfbauer had five shots, four SOG and two goals, and she now has three goals in the last two games.
• Alberty scored her first goal as a Falcon, while Ortman and White each had an assist in the win.
• Berg and Moss have combined on a pair of shutouts this season, vs. Akron and KSU. Berg also has two complete-match shutouts (vs. Ohio and Miami) this spring, as BG has kept four clean sheets in five contests.
• Sunday was Senior Day for the Falcons. In these crazy times, 'senior year' definitely does not necessarily mean 'final year' for any of these six players, but Berg, Wolfbauer, Sophia Barnes, Nikki Cox, Nikhita Jacob and Rachel Muller were recognized in pregame ceremonies.
• The Falcons are now 45-19-7 overall, 30-7-1 in MAC regular-season matches and 36-8-3 in all games vs. conference foes since the start of the 2017 season.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons begin the second half of the MAC schedule next Sunday (March 28), heading to Athens for a 2:00 p.m. match vs. Ohio. Then, BGSU will return to Cochrane Stadium for matches vs. Akron (April 1) and Buffalo (April 4).

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.