Gardner's Goal Gives Falcons Draw with UC

Thursday, August 25

Bowling Green, Ohio

5:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

0-1-1, 0-0-0

Cincinnati

1-0-2, 0-0-0

Cincinnati

Bowling Green

Brynn Gardner Lacee Bethea - Aug 25 2022

Photo by: Larry Clapper

August 25, 2022 | Women's Soccer

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By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Freshman Brynn Gardner's first collegiate goal midway through the second half gave the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team a 1-1 tie with the University of Cincinnati Thursday evening (Aug. 25). The non-conference matchup was held at Cochrane Stadium.

With the result, the Falcons are now 0-1-1 on the young season, while the Bearcats are 1-0-2.

Vanessa DiNardo had given UC the lead with a goal in the 37th minute, before Gardner knotted the score in the 71st minute of the match.

The Falcons' scoring play began when Lauren Milner won the ball near midfield and played it ahead to Lacee Bethea on the left side of the field. Bethea made a long run, beating a defender and taking the ball into the penalty area. She slid a pass to Gardner, who made a run toward the far post.

Gardner – who made her first collegiate start – redirected Bethea's pass into the net for her first collegiate goal.

The Falcons had advantages of 18-12 in total shot attempts, 5-4 in shots on goal and 9-3 in corner kicks.

Lili Berg made three saves in goal for the Brown and Orange, while UC's Anna Rexford had four stops.

QUOTING COACH WALKER
"I'm just so pleased with our team's performance today against a really good Cincinnati team. I am proud of the entire team -- the starting 11, the players that came off the bench, the players that were cheering them on. We talked a lot about how disappointed we were about our start against Michigan State. We needed to come out and compete, right from the start, and we did a great job of that today."

HIGHLIGHTS
• The Falcons started the game off on the front foot. Just three minutes into the contest, Lacee Bethea stole a UC pass, took the ball into the penalty area and fired a shot that hit the post.
• In the 16th minute, Maya Dean got onto the end of Ellie Pool's right-side cross and hit a shot that went just high. Dean led the Falcons with five shots on the evening.
• After a BGSU giveaway in the penalty area, UC's Vanessa DiNardo hit a quick shot that was blocked by a Falcon defender with just under 14 minutes left before halftime.
• Several minutes later, however, DiNardo found the back of the net, as UC took the lead against the run of play. DiNardo took a pass from Brandi Thomsen, then lofted a shot from the right side of the box that found the far upper corner of the net. The Bearcats took that 1-0 lead into the half.
• Just under three minutes into the second half, DiNardo nearly struck again. This time, after receiving a pass from Paige Miller, she fired a shot from the top of the box that hit the crossbar and spun over the goal and out of play. DiNardo, like Dean, had five shots on the night.
• In the 57th minute, a Jasmijn Dijsselhof corner kick found the head of Kennedy White near the far post. White's resulting header glanced off of the post.
• The Falcons equalized in the 71st minute. Bethea took a pass from Lauren Milner, made a long run into the box and slid a pass to a wide-open Brynn Gardner. Gardner redirected Bethea's pass into the far side of the goal to tie the score.
• Just under 14 minutes remained when Dean hit a shot from distance that forced UC 'keeper Anna Rexford to tip the ball over the crossbar for a corner kick.
• With three and a half minutes to go, Pool struck a shot off of a BG corner kick, but the ball was deflected out of play for another Falcon corner.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• As mentioned, BGSU had advantages of 18-12 in total shots, 5-4 in shots on goal and 9-3 in corner kicks. Lili Berg made three stops for the Falcons, while Anna Rexford had four saves for the Bearcats.
• Brynn Gardner made her first collegiate start, and scored her first collegiate goal in the match.
• Alaina Uncapher, Gardner's high-school teammate at nearby Anthony Wayne H.S., made er BGSU debut in the match, playing 31 minutes off the bench.
• Maya Dean had five shot attempts, while four teammates – Gardner, Lacee Bethea, Ellie Pool and Kennedy White – had two apiece.
• Bethea picked up her first assist of the season and the second of her BGSU career. She now has 18 career points as a Falcon.
• BGSU has an overall record of 58-27-12 since the start of the 2017 season. And, since the beginning of the 2018 campaign, the Falcons are now 45-20-11.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons will hit the road for the first time in the 2022 regular season, facing nationally-ranked Tennessee on Wednesday (Aug. 31).

Gallery: (8-25-2022) WSOC v Cincinnati - Aug 25 2022-1

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 at BGSUFalcons.com.