BG Picks Up First Win of the Season at WIU
Sunday’s Scoreboard
Bowling Green 3, Western Illinois 2
Texas Rio-Grande 3, Northern Illinois 2
Stories Courtesy of MAC Sports Information
Bowling Green 3, Western Illinois 2
Box Score
MACOMB, ILL -- The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team broke into the win column on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 2), picking up a 3-2 victory at Western Illinois University. The non-conference match was held at John MacKenzie Alumni Stadium.
Sophomores Vinny Worner and Chris Sullivan and senior Moe Mustafa scored the Falcons' (1-2-1) goals. Worner's goal was his first collegiate marker, while Sullivan had the second three-point game of his BG career, with an assist along with the goal.
Junior Anthony Mwembia made two saves in goal for the Falcons.
QUOTING COACH NICHOLS
"Our guys were tested on a number of levels today. At times our soccer was quite good, but today wasn't about soccer, it was about a desire to win and our guys delivered a really gutsy performance."
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Sophomore Vinny Worner got the Falcons on the board at the 18:19 mark, beating WIU goalkeeper Tim Trilk off an assist from junior Charlie Maciejewski.
• Chris Sullivan doubled the BG lead with 35:20 gone, as the sophomore entered the box and placed the ball into the back left corner of the net.
• The Falcons took that 2-0 lead into the intermission. BG outshot WIU by a 7-3 count in the first half, including a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal.
• Midway through the second half, Sullivan found senior Moe Mustafa in the box, and Mustafa's header gave the Brown and Orange a three-goal lead.
• But, the Leathernecks would rally. Paul Kirdorf put the hosts on the board with an unassisted goal at the 78:48 mark.
• Then, WIU was awarded a penalty kick, and Kirdorf converted the shot to cut BG's lead to 3-2 with 7:18 left in the second half.
• The hosts had one more shot attempt, but that effort by Daniel Kadima was wide left with just under two minutes to go, and the Falcons were able to close out the road win.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
• For the fourth time in as many matches this season to date, BGSU held advantages in both shots and corner kicks. The Falcons had a 12-10 lead in total shots, including a 9-4 advantage in shots on goal, and BG took five corners to Western's two.
• Junior Anthony Mwembia, as mentioned, made a pair of saves, both in the first half, en route to the win. WIU's Tim Trilk had six stops on the afternoon.
• Sophomores Vinny Worner and Chris Sullivan and senior Moe Mustafa, as mentioned, all found the back of the net in Sunday's win. For each of the three players, the goal was his first of the season.
• For Worner, it was his first collegiate goal. The sophomore has started all four matches this season after playing in just two contests last fall.
• Sullivan's goal was the third of his career, and he now has eight points on those three goals and a pair of assists.
• Sullivan had three points on Sunday, with an assist in addition to his goal. The three-point match was the second of his young career. He also had a goal and an assist in a win over Cleveland State just over a year ago (Aug. 29, 2017).
• Mustafa's goal was his sixth as a Falcon. He scored one goal in 2016 and four more last season. Three of those six goals, including Sunday's have been game-winning goals.
• Mustafa now has 14 career points on those six goals and a pair of assists.
• Junior Charlie Maciejewski's assist on Worner's goal was his first point of the young season and the second assist of his BG career. He now has four career points as a Falcon.
• Sophomore Erik Horvath saw his first action of the season on Sunday, while three Falcons -- freshman Colin McCort and Kale Nichols and sophomore Sam Pugliese -- made their collegiate debuts vs. WIU.
• In all, 19 different Falcons saw action in Sunday's win.
Texas Rio-Grande 3, Northern Illinois 2
Box Score
EDINBURG, Texas -- Three goals in six minutes in the second half helped Texas Rio Grande Valley to a 3-2 victory over the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team on Sunday afternoon at the UTRGV Soccer Complex. Sophomore Alex Welch (Carmarthen, Wales/King's College Madrid) and senior Noah Brodie (Scottsdale, Ariz./Carbondale Community) each tallied for the Huskies.
"We were in control for the first half and even (early) in the second half," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "They came out and played more direct and more physical but I thought we were pretty comfortable. We had a mix-up between center back and goalkeeper (on the first goal), maybe a lack of composure immediately after (for the second goal). After we went behind maybe we panicked a little bit
"We are still figuring things out a little bit from a maturity perspective, we have a young team and we have made some mistakes that have cost us games."
In very warm conditions where the temperatures reached triple digits, NIU (2-2) opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Senior Kevin Rodriguez (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) sprung Welch into the penalty area with a pass from midfield and the Huskie sophomore calmly slotted a shot past UTRGV goalkeeper Andy Rios to give the Huskies an early lead.
Neither goalkeeper was tested against until the final minute of the opening half when freshman Pierce Ugarte (Oak Lawn, Ill./Oak Lawn) leaped highest to head a corner from senior Max Voss (Herten, Germany/Staedtisches Gymnasium Herten) on goal, but Rios made the save as NIU took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
UTRGV pulled level in the 60th minute on a goal my Angel Lopez. Matt Beaulaurier and William Akio connected passes before a cross found Lopez all alone as he scored to even the match, 1-1.
Just 44 seconds later the Vaqueros were in front as Kyle Edwards scored. Akio one again provided an assist as he played a one-touch pass to Edwards for the finish to give UTRGV a 2-1 lead in the 61st minute.
Three minutes later, NIU had a chance through junior Irvin Dominguez (Frisco, Texas/Richland College) that was saved by Rios.
The Vaqueros added a third goal in the 66th minute as Lopez scored his second of the contest. Isaiah Hinds played a pass to Lopez into the box and Lopez fired a shot into the far corner of the goal as UTRGV took a 3-1 advantage.
NIU pulled a goal back in the 71st minute as Brodie brought the Huskies back within a goal. Brodie pounced on a loose ball and unleashed a shot from the top of the box past Rios for his first goal of the season, the third of his NIU career.
Pushing for an equalizing goal, freshman Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) flashed a header wide off a corner in the 82nd minute and Brodie got on the end of a cross in the 86th minute, but sent the header high as the Vaqueros claimed the victory.
The Huskies will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 7, when the Huskies welcome Purdue Fort Wayne to DeKalb for the regular season home opener. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., following the NIU women's soccer match against Green Bay.
"It is tough to be on the road for four games (to start the season) but we are excited to get home in front of our crowd," said Swan. "It will be a tough game, Purdue Fort Wayne was down here and won the tournament, they beat both UTRGV and Houston Baptist, so we know it will be a tough one but we are excited to get back home."
