Falcons Fly Past Findlay to Move to 2-0 on Young Season

Thursday, August 22

Bowling Green, Ohio

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

2-0-0, 0-0-0

Findlay

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Findlay	0	0	0
Bowling Green	1	2	3

Photo by: Lauren Laudato, BGSU Athletics

August 22, 2024 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Final Stats (PDF)Support BGSU Women's Soccer Photo Gallery

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team moved to 2-0 on the young season with a 3-0 victory over the University of Findlay Thursday night (Aug. 22) at Cochrane Stadium.

Lexi Czerwien gave the Falcons the only goal they would need in the seventh minute, heading home a Michelle Hochstadt serve. Although BGSU had the lion's share of the possession, the score remained the same until the Falcons scored two goals less than a minute apart in the latter stages of the match.

After a Taylor Green shot on goal began a flurry in the penalty area, a BG pass was blocked and went toward sophomore Emme Butera just outside the box. Butera's blast found the low left corner of the net to double the Falcons' advantage.

Only 32 seconds after Butera's banger, Lizzie Bultynck was taken down in the penalty area. Redshirt sophomore Emily Hollar stepped up and converted the ensuing penalty kick to cap the scoring.

The Falcons had advantages of 17-5 in total shots, 9-1 in shots on goal and 6-0 in corner kicks. Madison Vukas made one save en route to the shutout.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• The Falcons are off to a 2-0-0 start for the eighth time in the history of the program, now in its 28th season.
• BGSU has begun the season with a 3-0-0 record only once, in 1998. That year, the Falcons' second ever season, began with a road win over Valparaiso followed by home victories against Western Illinois and Robert Morris.

A banger from Butera!#AyZiggy | 🟠⚽️🟤 pic.twitter.com/wtQz1aXtu6
— BGSU Women's Soccer (@BGSU_WSoccer) August 23, 2024

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons took the lead on just the second shot attempt of the match, at the 6:29 mark. Michelle Hochstadt received a Christine Erdman throw-in on the left side of the field. Hochstadt took one touch and served a ball into the penalty area. Lexi Czerwien was there to head the ball back the other way, over the outstretched arms of Findlay goalkeeper Audrey Gibson-Zweifel and into the upper-left-hand corner of the net.
• The game would remain 1-0 for nearly 80 minutes, as the Falcons possessed the ball for seemingly the entire match, but could not add to the one-goal advantage.
• Findlay's lone shot on goal of the match came nine minutes into the second half on a counterattack, as Sydney Noble cut to her right and hit a hard shot from just outside the penalty area. But, the ball was hit directly at BGSU 'keeper Madison Vukas, who made the save.
• Midway through the second half, the Falcons threatened, as a Lauren Mahoney pass put Lizzie Bultynck through on the right side. Bultynck headed into the penalty area and put a hard shot on target, but Maria White, Findlay's third of four goalkeepers to see action on the night, made the save.
• With just under 19 minutes to go and BG on the front foot, Lexi White laid the ball into the path of Emme Butera, who lofted a short diagonal ball into the box. Emma Stransky got her head on it, but the shot went just over the crossbar.
• Less than two minutes later, Alexis Tsaprailis made a long run into the box on the left side. As the freshman neared the end line, she put a low cross into the box. Emily Hollar and a defender vied for the ball, and it caromed to White, who fired a quick turnaround shot, but goalkeeper Peyton Delongchamp was in perfect position to make a point-blank stop.
• Under five minutes remained when Brynn Gardner took the ball down the right side and hit a crossing ball. The cross was blocked and rolled out to Hollar. She made a quick move to her right and fired a shot from just outside the 18-yard line, but Delongchamp was able to tip the ball wide. But, BG would score less than a minute later.
• The Falcons doubled the lead with 3:45 to go. Bultynck ran down a long corner kick on the far side and played a pass to Taylor Green. Green hit a shot that went through the legs of a defender, but the UF 'keeper made the stop. The rebound went just past Gardner at the far post. Tsaprailis attempted to center the ball back into the six-yard box, but her pass was blocked. The ball rolled out to Butera, who ran onto it and uncorked a hard shot that whizzed past a host of players and found the far side of the net. The golazo gave the Falcons a 2-0 lead.
• Less than a minute later, BG scored again. Tsaprailis played a ball between two defenders, into the path of Bultnyck, but Bultynck was taken down by a sliding defender in the penalty area. Hollar stepped up and produced perfect placement on her PK, capping the scoring with 3:10 on the clock.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• BGSU, as mentioned, had advantages of 17-5 in total shots, 9-1 in shots on goal and 6-0 in corner kicks.
• Madison Vukas made one save in picking up the first complete-match shutout of her career. Vukas combined on seven shutouts a year ago, playing 45 minutes in each match.
• Four Findlay goalkeepers combined to make six saves.
• Several Falcons made their 2024 debuts, with redshirt freshman Kaley Simqu making her collegiate debut. Simqu, a transfer from Pittsburgh, did not see action for the Panthers in 2023. On Thursday night, however, she played 57 minutes, the highest total among BGSU's 10 substitutes.
• Lizzie Bultnyck, who missed the season opener due to injury, played 44 minutes and was fouled in the penalty area to lead to BG's final goal.
• Jayden Bayes made her 2024 debut, playing 29 minutes off the bench.
• Emme Butera's goal was the first of her BGSU career.
• Lexi Czerwien scored her third goal as a Falcon, and it was her second career game-winning goal.
• Michelle Hochstadt had the primary assist on the Czerwien goal, for Hochstadt's first point as a Falcon. Hochstadt, a transfer from Morehead State, had a goal and two assists for the Eagles in 2023.
• Christine Erdman had the second assist on the Czerwien goal, picking up her first collegiate assist.
• Emily Hollar's goal was the second of her career. She scored in a win at Eastern Michigan during the 2022 campaign.
• Hollar's sister, Megan, is a freshman on the Findlay women's soccer team, and played 23 minutes off the bench on Thursday night.

Gallery: (8-22-2024) 082224 wsoc v Findlay - Lauren Laudato

UP NEXT
• BGSU hits the road for the first time this weekend, heading to Pittsburgh for a Sunday (Aug. 25) match against Duquesne. That contest begins at ~~3:00 p.m.~~ 4:00 p.m. and will be streamed via ESPN+

• That DU match is the first of three consecutive road contests on as many Sundays for the Orange and Brown, who will also meet Loyola Chicago (Sept. 1) and Cleveland State (Sept. 8) before closing the non-conference portion of the schedule by hosting Oakland on Sept. 12.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...
• For more information on the women's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSU_WSoccer) and Instagram (bgsu_wsoccer), as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.