Xavier Holds Off Late Falcon Surge

Friday, September 16

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

2-3-1; 0-0-0

Xavier

6-2-1; 0-0-0

Bowling Green

Xavier

Photo by: Nicki Mabry, Xavier Athletics

September 16, 2022 | Women's Soccer

Box Score BGSU-XU Stats Support Our Student-Athletes

Musketeers capture 1-0 win; BGSU now prepares for MAC opener vs. Toledo

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Xavier University got an early goal, then held off a late charge by the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team, as the Musketeers downed the Falcons by a 1-0 count on Friday evening (Sept. 16). The game, the final non-conference match for both teams, was held at Corcoran Field.

In a battle of defending conference champions, Chloe Netzel scored in the 13th minute to give XU (6-2-1) what would prove to be the winning goal. The Falcons (2-3-1) had just five shot attempts on the night, but four came in the final 15 minutes of the match as BGSU pressed for the tying goal.

Maria Galley had one save for the hosts en route to the shutout. For the Falcons, Lili Berg had a career-high 10 saves, including eight in the first half.

QUOTING HEAD COACH JIMMY WALKER
"I was really pleased with our overall performance tonight against a very competitive Xavier team! Xavier had the better of the play in the first half and I felt we had the better of the play in the second half. Xavier is a very tough place to play and I thought we competed really well, particularly in the second half.

"We wanted to play a difficult non-conference schedule to prepare us for the MAC schedule, and we feel we have done just that."

HIGHLIGHTS
• The Musketeers had a lopsided first-half advantage of 13-1 in total shot attempts. Lili Berg made three saves in the first 13-plus minutes of the match, and she had six saves in roughly the first 25 minutes and eight stops by halftime.
• BGSU's lone shot attempt of the period came just over six minutes in. Lacee Bethea hit a cross from the right side, and Kennedy White got her head on the end of that cross, but the shot was wide of goal.
• In the ninth minute, Katie Cox won the ball at midfield and found White with a quick pass. White put Brynn Gardner down the left side of the field, but as the freshman looked to poke the ball past XU goalkeeper Maria Galley, but the assistant referee's flag was in the air and an offside call was whistled on the Falcons.
• In the 13th minute, the Musketeers got on the board. Chloe Netzel split a pair of BG defenders and fired a shot from distance, with her blast finding the upper left corner of the goal. The unassisted tally would hold up to be the game winner.
• After a Xavier corner kick, Berg made a nice save on another Netzel shot, this time from point-blank range, with 21 minutes gone.
• In the final seconds of the period, after another XU corner kick, Molly McLaughlin got her head on the ball, and the soft shot glanced off the top of the crossbar before Cox cleared it out of the 18-yard box.
• Several minutes into the second half, the hosts hit the crossbar once again, this time on a relatively hard-hit shot by Emma Marcus after a BG giveaway.
• Just past the hour mark, an Emma Flick effort bounced off the top of the bar as the XU striker looked to nod home a cross.
• BGSU had managed just one shot attempt in the first 75 minutes, but the Falcons would turn up the pressure as time wound down in the match. With just under 15 minutes to go, Maya Dean played a ball to Ellie Pool, who was streaking toward the penalty area on the left side. With several defenders in pursuit, Pool was able to get a shot off, but the ball rolled just wide of the far post.
• Under nine minutes remained when, after a BG free kick, a shot by Makenzie Ortman was blocked on the left side of the box. With the Falcons pressing forward, the hosts looked to counter quickly, but Emilie Gardner broke up the play just outside the BG penalty area.
• Two minutes later, White received a pass and sent it out wide to Pool. Pool returned the favor with a cross into the box from the left side. White received the ball in traffic, and did not have room to turn and shoot, but the senior laid the ball off to Isabelle Gilmore. Gilmore's quick shot from the 18-yard line was deflected out of play by a defender.
• With just over two minutes to go, White took another pass from Pool and hit a shot from approximately 12 yards out. A lunging XU defender, however, was able to get a piece of the shot, slowing it down as it headed toward Galley.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons return home to begin Mid-American Conference play. BGSU will host Toledo on Thursday (Sept. 22), with first touch set for 7:00 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium. Admission is free.

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