BG Blisters Beacons Behind Brace From White

Sunday, September 11

Valparaiso, Ind.

4:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

2-2-1, 0-0-0

Valparaiso

1-5-2, 0-0-0

Bowling Green

Valparaiso

Photo by: Chad Huffman, BGSU Athletics

September 11, 2022 | Women's Soccer

Box Score BGSU-VU Stats Support Our Student-Athletes

Falcons Dominate Preseason MVC Favorites in 3-0 Win at Valpo

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team gave a 90-minute clinic on Sunday (Sept. 11), dominating all facets of the game in a 3-0 win over Valparaiso University. The non-conference match was held at Brown Field.

Kennedy White had a pair of goals, scoring roughly five minutes into each half, while Katie Cox capped the scoring with a second-half penalty kick for the Falcons (2-2-1).

BGSU outshot the Beacons, 18-2, and the Falcons had an 11-1 advantage in shots on goal and an 8-1 edge in corner kicks.

BGSU's first goal came off of one of those corners, as White headed home Mackenzie Reuber's serve. The Falcons' second goal came on a counterattack after Valpo's lone corner of the match, as White headed the ball out of the box to Lacee Bethea. Bethea beat an opponent near the sideline and – with the Falcons now on a 2-on-1 break – played a return pass to White, who raced downfield to record her second goal of the day.

The third goal came after Abby Koly stole the ball deep in Valpo territory and played the ball to Cox in the penalty area. Cox was taken down on the play, then stepped up and blasted her PK past VU goalkeeper Nikki Coryell.

Lili Berg made one save in goal as the Falcons kept a clean sheet for the second consecutive Sunday. Coryell and Georgia Henkel combined to make eight stops for the Beacons, the preseason Missouri Valley Conference favorites.

QUOTING COACH JIMMY WALKER
"It was a really solid performance from the team today. We saw a lot of players play well on the day, which is why we were able to have success in front of goal as well as the shutout."

"We competed really well, scored some good goals, and it was pleasing to get a lot of players in to the game to gain experience."

HIGHLIGHTS
• The Falcons dominated play from the outset. Less than two minutes into the match, a right-side cross by Mackenzie Reuber found the onrushing Katie Cox. Cox hit a quick shot, but it was wide of the far post.
• Under five minutes in, Kennedy White hit a diagonal ball that was just past a pair of Falcon teammates, Maya Dean and Ellie Pool, as they battled for position with a pair of Valpo defenders.
• But, just 5:23 into the contest, the Falcons got on the scoreboard. That White diagonal ball had gone out of play off of a Beacon defender, and Reuber's ensuing corner kick found the head of White at the far post. White coolly nodded the ball into the net and the Falcons had the lead.
• Jaden Frigerio hit a nifty diagonal ball just as White raced past the last line of defense as the match passed the 12-minute mark. But, the ball was just out of White's reach and spun over the line for a goal kick.
• With 15 minutes elapsed, Lacee Bethea played a ball into the box from the right side. Pool, near the far post, headed it back toward the opposite side of the net. White vied for the ball with a VU defender, and the ball wound up in the goal, but a foul was called against the Falcons.
• Frigerio was fouled in the game's 20th minute, and her resulting free kick found the onrushing Dean. Dean's well-struck header was on frame, but VU 'keeper Georgia Henkel was able to make the save.
• The 24th minute of the match marked the first time Valpo was able to put a ball into the BGSU penalty area. A cross was booted out of the box, but after a foul on the Falcons, a Kelsie James free kick curved toward the far post. But, Lili Berg made a nice diving save.
• Several minutes later, Dean came up with a steal and quickly played a ball to Brynn Gardner. Gardner found White heading down the left side, and White slid a pass toward the center of the box. But, the onrushing Cox went down near the six-yard line as the ball rolled through. The Falcons argued for a foul and a penalty kick, but to no avail. The ball was knocked out for a corner kick, and off of that corner, an Abby Koly shot was blocked and VU was eventually able to clear.
• In the 29th minute, a Reuber serve was redirected just wide by Brynn Gardner at the left post.
• In the opening minute of the second half, the Beacons worked the ball into the BG end of the pitch. Molly O'Rear poked the ball past a Falcon defender as she headed into the penalty area, but Berg came out and smothered it before O'Rear could get a shot off.
• White scored her second goal of the contest with just under five minutes gone in the second half. That goal came after Valpo's lone corner of the match. White headed the ball out of the 18-yard box to Bethea, who won a battle near midfield and raced down the sideline as her opponent went to the ground.
• With White running down the middle of the field at full speed, Bethea drew a defender toward her and played the ball into space. White ran onto it with another Valpo defender just behind her, and – as goalkeeper Nikki Coryell raced off of her line – White chipped the ball past her and into the upper half of the net to double the BG lead.
• The Falcons continued to pepper Coryell and the VU defense with shot. Pool hit a shot from a difficult angle in the 52nd minute, putting the shot on frame, but Coryell was able to make the stop.
• Two minutes later, White took the ball down the sideline and centered it to Cox. Cox took a touch and fired a low shot toward the far post, but the Valpo 'keeper made a diving save.
• Midway through the half, Pool hit a turnaround shot seemingly out of nowhere, but Coryell was there.
• In the 72nd minute, Koly stole the ball deep in the VU end, quickly passing it to Cox in the 18-yard box. As she looked to cut back past a defender, Cox was tripped and a PK was awarded. The senior stepped up and blasted her shot past Coryell to complete the scoring.
• Freshmen Koly and Alaina Uncapher each won a corner in the final 10-plus minutes of the match. Off of the latter corner, Emilie Gardner served a ball from the left side that curved just wide of the far post.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• The Falcons, as mentioned, dominated the statistical categories. BGSU had advantages of 18-2 in total shot attempts, 11-1 in shots on goal and 8-1 in corner kicks.
• BGSU, after scoring just two goals in the first four matches, scored three on Sunday. The Valpo match marked the first time the Falcons netted more than one goal in a match this season.
• Kennedy White had the first two-goal match of her BGSU career. It was the first multiple-goal contest by a Falcon since Madi Wolfbauer scored twice in a 3-1 win over Miami last Oct. 10.
• White has scored three goals in the last two matches. She leads the Falcons with six points on the season.
• White scored the game-winning goal for the second-straight Sunday. She had the lone goal of the match in last weekend's 1-0 win over Detroit Mercy at Cochrane Stadium.
• White now has seven career game-winning goals.
• She now has career totals of 18 goals and 43 points. White has moved into a tie for 11th place on the BGSU career goals list, and she is 15th in career points.
• Katie Cox now has seven career goals and 18 points as a Falcon.
• Lacee Bethea picked up her second assist of the season and the third of her career.
• Mackenzie Reuber now has career totals of eight assists and 12 points. She leads active Falcons in career assists.
• Lili Berg picked up the 13th complete-match shutout of her career.
• Jaden Frigerio made her first collegiate start on Sunday.
• A total of 21 different BGSU players saw action in the match
• BGSU now has an overall record of 60-28-12 since the start of the 2017 season. And, since the beginning of the 2018 campaign, the Falcons are now 47-21-11.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons wrap up the non-conference schedule on Friday (Sept. 16), heading to Cincinnati to face Xavier in a 6:00 p.m. start.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will return home for the Mid-American Conference opener, vs. Toledo on Thursday, Sept. 22.

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