Buckeyes Down Women's Soccer Falcons, 2-0

Friday, August 21

Columbus, Ohio

7:30 PM

Bowling Green State University

Ohio State

August 21, 2009 | Women's Soccer

By: COLUMBUS, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Host Ohio State scored once in each half en route to a 2-0 win over the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team Friday night (Aug. 21). The game, the season opener for both teams, was held at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

OHIO STATE 2, BGSU 0 - Final Stats
OHIO STATE 2, BGSU 0 - PDF Boxscore

Paige Maxwell and Kayla Eckman scored goals for the Buckeyes, who held a commanding 27-3 margin in shot attempts on the night. Redshirt junior Alexa Arsenault, the All-Mid-American Conference First-Team goalkeeper in 2008, made eight saves on the night, several of the spectacular variety.

OSU's shot advantage included an 11-0 advantage in the first half. All three of BGSU's shot attempts came in the game's final 15 minutes, including a pair in the last two minutes of the contest.

Despite the shot disparity, Arsenault and the Falcon defense held the Buckeyes off the scoreboard for nearly all of the first half. Maxwell's goal came with just under five minutes remaining. She took a right-side cross from Danielle Scoliere in the center of the box, and redirected it into the lower left corner of the net.

With just under 15 minutes left in the match, Eckman doubled the home team's lead. She was wide open in the center of the penalty area and was able to pick her spot. Cassie Dickerson and Caitlyn Martin were credited with assists on the goal.

Not long after that goal, Falcon sophomore Katelyn Turner stole a pass near midfield, and raced toward goal ahead of three Buckeye defenders. Turner was able to get a shot off, but the shot was high.

Arsenault's save total, as mentioned, included several spectacular stops. She made a nice diving save on Lauren Granberg's turnaround shot with 15 minutes gone, and came off her line to make a great stop, smothering a shot by Lauren Steuer.

With 14 minutes left in the opening half and two Buckeyes lurking on the doorstep, Arsenault made a diving effort to break up a dangerous crossing attempt, keeping the game scoreless at that point.

OSU had some additional chances to increase the lead. In the first minute of the second half, a header by Maxwell went just wide. Caitlyn Martin rang a shot off the goalpost with 20 minutes left.

The Falcons, after going without a shot in the opening half, began to show a few signs of life offensively. Junior Katie Stephenson tried to slide a cross into the box from the right side, but OSU goalkeeper Lauren Robertson was able to corral it with approximately 38 minutes left in the match.

Midway through the half, a pass found Maxwell running free down the left side of the penalty area, but Arsenault knocked her shot out of play. The BG keeper also made a spectacular save on Steuer in the second period to keep the Bucks from increasing the lead.

The Falcons threatened to cut the lead in half in the late going, as sophomore Alyssa Zuccaro and freshman Keely Chandler each had shots from the top of the box blocked by the defense. BGSU was buzzing around Robertson and the OSU goal in the final moments, but could not put the ball in the back of the net.

OSU had advantages of 10-0 in shots on goal and 9-1 on corner kicks. The hosts committed eight fouls to the Falcons' three.

BGSU now has a week to prepare for the next game, the home opener against Indiana State next Friday (Aug. 28) at Cochrane Field.