Sunday, April 11
Bowling Green, Ohio
1:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
6-4-0, 4-2-0
1
vs
0
Akron
4-3-1, 3-3-0
1
2
3
F
Akron
0
0
0
0
Bowling Green
0
0
1
1
Vinny Worner (center) is mobbed after scoring in the 97th minute of Sunday's match
Photo by: Larry Clapper
Worner's Winner Lifts Falcons Past Akron, 1-0
April 11, 2021 | Men's Soccer
Box ScoreBGSU-Akron StatsBGSU-Akron HighlightsWorner Post-Match InterviewCoach Nichols Post-Match InterviewPhoto Gallery
Copley, Ohio native scores a 'Golden Goal' on Senior Day
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Vinny Worner's 'Golden Goal' lifted the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over the University of Akron  on Sunday afternoon (April 11). The Mid-American Conference match was held at Cochrane Stadium.
With the win, the Falcons (6-4-0, 4-2-0 MAC) move into sole possession of first place in the MAC standings. BGSU and Akron (4-3-1, 3-3-0 MAC) had entered the day tied at the top of the table.
The Falcons had significant advantages in total shots, shots on goal and corner kicks. BGSU took 25 shots to Akron's eight, and the hosts had a 9-0 margin in shots on goal. The Orange and Brown took 12 corner kicks to the Zips' four, and the winning goal came off of corner number 12.
Chris Sullivan – who along with Worner was recognized in Senior Day ceremonies prior to the match – took that corner, and served it into a crowd of players in the penalty area. The ball came out to Worner, and the Copley, Ohio, native hit a shot from just inside the 18-yard line.
For Worner, the goal was his first of the season and the fifth of his collegiate career. It also marked his second game-winning goal and his first 'Golden Goal' as a Falcon.
MAC STANDINGS
(through matches of Sunday, April 11)
School (Overall)      MAC  Pts. PPG*
1. Bowling Green (6-4-0)Â 4-2-0Â Â 12Â Â 2.00
2. West Virginia (6-3-0)Â 4-3-0Â Â 12Â Â 1.71
  Western Mich. (6-3-0) 4-3-0  12  1.71
4. Akron (4-3-1)Â Â Â Â Â 3-3-0Â Â Â 9Â Â 1.50
5. Northern Ill. (5-7-1)Â 4-5-0Â Â 12Â Â 1.33
6. SIUE (5-5-0)      2-5-0   6  0.86
* points per game             Â
NOTEWORTHY
• BGSU's win on Sunday was the Falcons' fourth shutout in MAC play this season to date, the program's highest total since 1998. That '98 club kept five clean sheets in eight MAC regular-season matches.
GOALS / KEY MOMENTS
• 13' | Playing with the wind at their backs in the first half, the Falcons kept the ball in the offensive end of the field for much of the opening 45 minutes. BG's first shot on goal came when Kale Nichols got his head on a Chris Sullivan corner kick near the far post, but the shot was hit directly at Akron goalkeeper Will Meyer, who made the first of his eight saves on the day.
• 24' | A Sullivan free kick was headed out of play by a UA defender, and moments later, a long throw-in by Joey Akpunonu sailed into the box. Nathan Masters lunged at the ball as it bounced in the six-yard box, and it glanced off of the far post before a Sullivan shot was blocked on the far side.
• 27' | Another sequence for the Falcons' in the UA end of the field saw Jensen Lukacsko hit a shot from the top of the box that was blocked out for another corner. That Masters kick was cleared away by the Zips.
• 35' | An Akron outlet pass was intercepted by Kyle Cusimano, and a shot by Masters was blocked. Jacob Erlandson corralled the ball, but his cross was blocked out for yet another corner. That corner sailed through the penalty area and out of play, just out of reach of Masters on the far side. The Falcons stole the ball right back, and won another corner just over a minute later, as BGSU had eight corner kicks in the opening half alone.
• 41' | One of Akron's top chances of the match came on a counter, as Hazem Sobhy was played through. Sobhy hit a shot from the right side of the penalty area, but his chip was wide of the far post.
• 46' | In the opening minute of the second half, an Akpunonu throw-in was knocked out of the box by the Zips. Vinny Worner popped the ball over the defensive line to the onrushing Jacob Erlandson, but Erlandson's header went over the goal.
• 48' | Less than two minutes later, Erlandson again raced past a would-be Akron defender and met Lukacsko's serve in the box. This time, his header was on target, but it was hit directly at Meyer, who made the save.
• 51' | After BGSU pressured Meyer into kicking the ball out of bounds, an Akpunonu throw-in found the head of Achille Robin in the box. Robin's flick-on was met by Sullivan on the right side of the six-yard box, and he headed the ball to Masters, who quickly nodded it into the left side of the net. But, the assistant referee's flag was raised, indicating an offside call against the Falcons.
• 57' | Akron won a corner kick, as Robin knocked the ball away from the Zips' Jason Shokalook and over the end line. Off of that corner, both Sam Tojaga and Carlo Ritaccio hit shots that were blocked by BGSU defenders. Tojaga's effort from outside the box deflected into the path of Ritaccio on the left side of the penalty area, but Ritaccio's shot was smothered by Masters.
• 60' | The Falcons played the ball down the left side of the pitch, and Sullivan made a nifty spin move to elude a defender as he received a pass from Erlandson. He took two dribbles and uncorked a hard shot from distance that forced Meyer into a leaping save, as the UA 'keeper tipped the ball wide of the far post.
• 61' | Off of the ensuing corner, Abdi Faqi took a pass from Akpunonu and hit a dangerous-looking cross into the box from the right side. But, the ball went through the area and out the other side.
• 72' | Masters drew several defenders toward him and found Sullivan on the right side of the box. Sullivan's cross, however, was plucked out of the air by Meyer, as a BG striker lurked near the far post.
• 75' | The Falcons stole the ball near midfield, and worked the ball into the UA end with several lightning-quick passes. Sullivan, at the circle at the top of the 18, slid a pass to Erlandson who in turn found Lukacsko. But, Lukacsko's blast sailed just high.
• 76' | BGSU stole the ball right back after Akron's goal kick, and Akpunonu's diagonal ball was just out of reach of a Falcon forward near the left post.
• 78' | Zach Buescher took a pass from Masters and served the ball into the six-yard box from the left side, and Sullivan hit the ball in stride, but his one-time effort went wide.
• 84' | Roberto Fernandez Garrido played only a few minutes on Sunday, but made his presence known. Akpunonu played a diagonal ball from the right side, and Fernandez Garrido ran onto the ball and headed it on target from the center of the box. Meyer was somehow able to make the save, blocking the shot out for a corner kick.
• 85' | Less than a minute later, Lukacsko's right-side cross was redirected on goal by Robin, who was facing away from goal yet somehow redirected the ball on frame. But, Meyer made the stop.
• 90' | In the final seconds of regulation, Nichols played a ball to Sullivan from the right side, but Sullivan's shot went wide of the right post as time expired in the half.
• 96' | Cusimano received a pass from Sullivan on the right side of the box, cut back and hit a left-footed shot that seemed ticketed for the upper-left-hand corner of the net, but Meyer made a spectacular leaping save to tip the ball wide of the far post.
• 97' | GOAL | Off of the ensuing corner, though, Worner's shot found the left side of the net.
STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• The Falcons had advantages of 25-8 in total shot attempts and 9-0 in shots on goal. BGSU had a 12-4 lead in corner kicks.
• Ten of BGSU's 11 starters – every starter except goalkeeper Logan Kowalczyk – had at least one shot attempt in the win.
• BG had an 11-2 lead in shots and an 8-0 advantage in corners in the first half alone.
• The Falcons are now 4-2-0 in MAC play. BGSU has recorded four conference wins for the first time since 2002, when the Brown and Orange went 4-1-0 in league action and tied for the MAC's regular-season title.
• BGSU is now undefeated in the last three home matches vs. Akron, and all three have gone to overtime. The Falcons and Zips played to a 2-2 draw in October of 2016, then had a scoreless tie two years later.
• The Falcons have now won two of the last three overall meetings with the Zips after going winless in the previous 22 contests.
• Sunday's win was BGSU's first victory over Akron at Cochrane Stadium since October of 2002.
• The Falcons now have a record of 24-13-3 over the last 40 matches, dating to late in the 2018 season. Nine of the 13 setbacks have come by a single goal.
UP NEXT
• BGSU will be home again on Wednesday (April 14), as West Virginia comes to town for another key MAC matchup. The Falcons and Mountaineers will meet in a 3:00 p.m. start at Cochrane.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on the men's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUmenssoccer), Instagram (bgsumenssoccer) and Facebook (BGMensSoccer) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
With the win, the Falcons (6-4-0, 4-2-0 MAC) move into sole possession of first place in the MAC standings. BGSU and Akron (4-3-1, 3-3-0 MAC) had entered the day tied at the top of the table.
The Falcons had significant advantages in total shots, shots on goal and corner kicks. BGSU took 25 shots to Akron's eight, and the hosts had a 9-0 margin in shots on goal. The Orange and Brown took 12 corner kicks to the Zips' four, and the winning goal came off of corner number 12.
Chris Sullivan – who along with Worner was recognized in Senior Day ceremonies prior to the match – took that corner, and served it into a crowd of players in the penalty area. The ball came out to Worner, and the Copley, Ohio, native hit a shot from just inside the 18-yard line.
For Worner, the goal was his first of the season and the fifth of his collegiate career. It also marked his second game-winning goal and his first 'Golden Goal' as a Falcon.
MAC STANDINGS
(through matches of Sunday, April 11)
School (Overall)      MAC  Pts. PPG*
1. Bowling Green (6-4-0)Â 4-2-0Â Â 12Â Â 2.00
2. West Virginia (6-3-0)Â 4-3-0Â Â 12Â Â 1.71
  Western Mich. (6-3-0) 4-3-0  12  1.71
4. Akron (4-3-1)Â Â Â Â Â 3-3-0Â Â Â 9Â Â 1.50
5. Northern Ill. (5-7-1)Â 4-5-0Â Â 12Â Â 1.33
6. SIUE (5-5-0)      2-5-0   6  0.86
* points per game             Â
NOTEWORTHY
• BGSU's win on Sunday was the Falcons' fourth shutout in MAC play this season to date, the program's highest total since 1998. That '98 club kept five clean sheets in eight MAC regular-season matches.
GOALS / KEY MOMENTS
• 13' | Playing with the wind at their backs in the first half, the Falcons kept the ball in the offensive end of the field for much of the opening 45 minutes. BG's first shot on goal came when Kale Nichols got his head on a Chris Sullivan corner kick near the far post, but the shot was hit directly at Akron goalkeeper Will Meyer, who made the first of his eight saves on the day.
• 24' | A Sullivan free kick was headed out of play by a UA defender, and moments later, a long throw-in by Joey Akpunonu sailed into the box. Nathan Masters lunged at the ball as it bounced in the six-yard box, and it glanced off of the far post before a Sullivan shot was blocked on the far side.
• 27' | Another sequence for the Falcons' in the UA end of the field saw Jensen Lukacsko hit a shot from the top of the box that was blocked out for another corner. That Masters kick was cleared away by the Zips.
• 35' | An Akron outlet pass was intercepted by Kyle Cusimano, and a shot by Masters was blocked. Jacob Erlandson corralled the ball, but his cross was blocked out for yet another corner. That corner sailed through the penalty area and out of play, just out of reach of Masters on the far side. The Falcons stole the ball right back, and won another corner just over a minute later, as BGSU had eight corner kicks in the opening half alone.
• 41' | One of Akron's top chances of the match came on a counter, as Hazem Sobhy was played through. Sobhy hit a shot from the right side of the penalty area, but his chip was wide of the far post.
• 46' | In the opening minute of the second half, an Akpunonu throw-in was knocked out of the box by the Zips. Vinny Worner popped the ball over the defensive line to the onrushing Jacob Erlandson, but Erlandson's header went over the goal.
• 48' | Less than two minutes later, Erlandson again raced past a would-be Akron defender and met Lukacsko's serve in the box. This time, his header was on target, but it was hit directly at Meyer, who made the save.
• 51' | After BGSU pressured Meyer into kicking the ball out of bounds, an Akpunonu throw-in found the head of Achille Robin in the box. Robin's flick-on was met by Sullivan on the right side of the six-yard box, and he headed the ball to Masters, who quickly nodded it into the left side of the net. But, the assistant referee's flag was raised, indicating an offside call against the Falcons.
• 57' | Akron won a corner kick, as Robin knocked the ball away from the Zips' Jason Shokalook and over the end line. Off of that corner, both Sam Tojaga and Carlo Ritaccio hit shots that were blocked by BGSU defenders. Tojaga's effort from outside the box deflected into the path of Ritaccio on the left side of the penalty area, but Ritaccio's shot was smothered by Masters.
• 60' | The Falcons played the ball down the left side of the pitch, and Sullivan made a nifty spin move to elude a defender as he received a pass from Erlandson. He took two dribbles and uncorked a hard shot from distance that forced Meyer into a leaping save, as the UA 'keeper tipped the ball wide of the far post.
• 61' | Off of the ensuing corner, Abdi Faqi took a pass from Akpunonu and hit a dangerous-looking cross into the box from the right side. But, the ball went through the area and out the other side.
• 72' | Masters drew several defenders toward him and found Sullivan on the right side of the box. Sullivan's cross, however, was plucked out of the air by Meyer, as a BG striker lurked near the far post.
• 75' | The Falcons stole the ball near midfield, and worked the ball into the UA end with several lightning-quick passes. Sullivan, at the circle at the top of the 18, slid a pass to Erlandson who in turn found Lukacsko. But, Lukacsko's blast sailed just high.
• 76' | BGSU stole the ball right back after Akron's goal kick, and Akpunonu's diagonal ball was just out of reach of a Falcon forward near the left post.
• 78' | Zach Buescher took a pass from Masters and served the ball into the six-yard box from the left side, and Sullivan hit the ball in stride, but his one-time effort went wide.
• 84' | Roberto Fernandez Garrido played only a few minutes on Sunday, but made his presence known. Akpunonu played a diagonal ball from the right side, and Fernandez Garrido ran onto the ball and headed it on target from the center of the box. Meyer was somehow able to make the save, blocking the shot out for a corner kick.
• 85' | Less than a minute later, Lukacsko's right-side cross was redirected on goal by Robin, who was facing away from goal yet somehow redirected the ball on frame. But, Meyer made the stop.
• 90' | In the final seconds of regulation, Nichols played a ball to Sullivan from the right side, but Sullivan's shot went wide of the right post as time expired in the half.
• 96' | Cusimano received a pass from Sullivan on the right side of the box, cut back and hit a left-footed shot that seemed ticketed for the upper-left-hand corner of the net, but Meyer made a spectacular leaping save to tip the ball wide of the far post.
• 97' | GOAL | Off of the ensuing corner, though, Worner's shot found the left side of the net.
STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• The Falcons had advantages of 25-8 in total shot attempts and 9-0 in shots on goal. BGSU had a 12-4 lead in corner kicks.
• Ten of BGSU's 11 starters – every starter except goalkeeper Logan Kowalczyk – had at least one shot attempt in the win.
• BG had an 11-2 lead in shots and an 8-0 advantage in corners in the first half alone.
• The Falcons are now 4-2-0 in MAC play. BGSU has recorded four conference wins for the first time since 2002, when the Brown and Orange went 4-1-0 in league action and tied for the MAC's regular-season title.
• BGSU is now undefeated in the last three home matches vs. Akron, and all three have gone to overtime. The Falcons and Zips played to a 2-2 draw in October of 2016, then had a scoreless tie two years later.
• The Falcons have now won two of the last three overall meetings with the Zips after going winless in the previous 22 contests.
• Sunday's win was BGSU's first victory over Akron at Cochrane Stadium since October of 2002.
• The Falcons now have a record of 24-13-3 over the last 40 matches, dating to late in the 2018 season. Nine of the 13 setbacks have come by a single goal.
UP NEXT
• BGSU will be home again on Wednesday (April 14), as West Virginia comes to town for another key MAC matchup. The Falcons and Mountaineers will meet in a 3:00 p.m. start at Cochrane.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on the men's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUmenssoccer), Instagram (bgsumenssoccer) and Facebook (BGMensSoccer) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
Team Stats
Akron
BGSU
Goals
0
1
Shots
8
25
Shots on Goal
0
9
Saves
8
0
Corners
4
12
Fouls
17
8
Scoring Plays
Vinny Worner (1)
Assisted By: Kyle Cusimano , Chris Sullivan
GOAL by BGSU Worner, Vinny Assist by Cusimano, Kyle and Sullivan, Chris.
96:11
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
4
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
5
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
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