Cincinnati Works OT to Down Falcons, 2-1

Sunday, August 22

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

0-1-0

Cincinnati

2-0-0

OT 1

OT 2

Cincinnati

Bowling Green

Junior Courtney Beinlich made her first collegiate start in Sunday's match

August 22, 2010 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Zuccaro nets BG's goal late in regulation

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Logan Ballinger's goal with 2:18 gone in the second overtime period gave the University of Cincinnati a 2-1 victory over the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team Sunday afternoon (Aug. 22). The non-conference match was held at Cochrane Field on the BGSU campus.

BOXSCORE - PDF | FINAL STATS - HTML | PHOTO GALLERY | MORE PHOTOS

With the win, the Bearcats improve to 2-0-0 on the young season, while the Falcons drop to 0-1-0.

"Although we are disappointed with the result, the performance today was much improved," said Falcon head coach Andy RIchards. "I was impressed with a number of things, including the way the team prepared for the game yesterday in practice and the way they carried out the game plan today.

"We had a number of freshmen give us quality minutes, and some injured players -- notably Jenny Fowler -- are coming back in and playing very well. The goalkeepers are creating a huge problem for us right now, because all three are doing so well that it makes it difficult to decide who to play."

Junior Alyssa Zuccaro scored the Falcons' goal, knotting the contest at 1-1 late in the second half. Sophomore Sarah VonderBrink and freshman Madeline Wideman picked up assists on Zuccaro's goal.

On a very pleasant August day, with temperatures in the 70s, the Bearcats struck first. The goal, which came 12:52 into the match, was an own goal, as a corner kick by UC's Emily Hebbeler deflected off a Falcon defender in the center of the six-yard box and sailed into the net.

Several minutes later, Hebbeler -- who had scored both UC goals in the Bearcats' season-opening win over Morehead State Friday -- threatened again, but BGSU starting goalkeeper Alexa Arsenault just beat Hebbeler to the ball in the penalty area.

Midway through the half, the ball found its way to UC's Julie Morrissey, who struck a hard shot. The ball sailed high of the target, however.

Another hard shot, this time from Ballinger, was on target approximately five minutes later. This time, Arsenault made a diving block of the shot, and the ball rolled wide of the net.

UC had one more solid chance in the first half, as Evi Ranson got her head on a corner kick off the foot of Hebbeler. Ranson's header glanced off the top of the crossbar and went out of play.

The Falcons had arguably their best chance of the first half in the final minute. Senior Katie Stephenson began the play, winning the ball on her own side of midfield. She spotted junior Megan Amann on the left side of the field. Amann dribbled the ball downfield, past her team's bench, and hit a crossing ball that was chested down by freshman Tracy Togba.

The ball went to the onrushing Kailey Paszko, but the Falcon freshman could not get a great deal of force behind her shot, and UC 'keeper Rachel Barnette was able to make the save and keep her team in the lead at the half.

Early in the second half, VonderBrink and a defender got tangled up and fell in the corner of the penalty area as the ball rolled over the touch line. The BGSU bench called for a penalty kick, but the referee awarded a BGSU corner kick.

That corner found the head of freshman Morgan Burgner, but her shot was blocked by a UC defender and ultimately cleared out of danger.

A third of the way through the half, Morrissey hit a soft shot that was just out of the reach of diving BGSU 'keeper Becca Ison. The ball just eluded Ison's fingertips, but also eluded the left post, rolling just wide.

Hebbeler threatened again midway through the half. After a crossing ball was deflected toward the top of the box, Hebbeler fired a shot that went just high.

With 15 minutes left, senior Alicia Almond played a ball toward Zuccaro in the UC end. The junior, facing away from the goal, flicked the ball behind her and into the penalty area, but Barnette was able to grab the ball just before Togba reached it.

The Falcons, playing with some urgency at the offensive end, had several more chances in the next 10 minutes. Barnette broke up a dangerous cross off the foot of Wideman with 11 minutes left in the half. Then, with eight minutes on the clock, Stephenson stole the ball and played it forward to junior Katelyn Turner. Turner got a little bit of separation between her and her defender and was able to fire a shot from about 18 yards out, but the ball went just high of the target.

Finally, with five minutes remaining in regulation, the Falcons broke through. Wideman hit a low shot from 20 yards out that beat the diving Barnette, but hit the left post. The ball bounded toward the left corner, where VonderBrink tracked it down and played a crossing ball to Zuccaro. The Falcon junior redirected the ball into the vacated net to tie the score with 5:01 on the clock.

Neither team was able to muster a shot in the final 301 seconds of regulation, and the match went to overtime.

The only shot attempt of the entire 12-plus minutes of OT was Ballinger's goal. Early in the second overtime period, a foul was whistled against the Falcons deep in the BG end. Kelli Pawelko took the ensuing free kick for the Bearcats, and chipped a ball into the box.

The ball hit off a BG defender and caromed to Ballinger, stationed just outside the 18-yard area. She took one dribble and hit a low shot that went through the maze of bodies in the penalty area and wound up just inside the right post.

On the day, the Bearcats had an 18-8 advantage in total shot attempts and a 5-3 margin in shots on goal. Barnette was credited with two saves in the complete-match victory.

For the Falcons, Arsenault played the first half in net, making two stops, while Ison played the final 57:18 of the contest. Ison made just one official save, but broke up numerous crosses and scoring chances.

"I am impressed with the hard work and the character of the team," said Richards. "Today, we just came out on the wrong side of a few things. We had some bad luck on their first goal, and a few calls that happened to go against us. Overall, though, I am pleased with the progress we are making. We have two difficult games next weekend, and the preparations for those games will begin this week."

BGSU continues a three-game homestand next weekend, facing West Virginia on Friday (Aug. 27) and Xavier Sunday (Aug. 29) at Cochrane Field.

BGSU NOTES
* Junior Alyssa Zuccaro's goal was the eighth of her career ... she is the Falcons' active career leader in that department ... Zuccaro now has 20 career points, ranking her second behind classmate Megan Amann (21 points) on that BGSU active career list.

* Sophomore Sarah VonderBrink and freshman Madeline Wideman each drew assists on Zuccaro's goal ... it marked the first career assist for both players.

* No fewer than eight Falcons made their collegiate debuts in the match ... that list included redshirt freshman Jenny Fowler and true frosh Wideman, Kylie Briem, Morgan Burgner, Alyssa Carmack, Kailey Paszko, Tracy Togba and Kaitlyn Tobin.

* Fowler, Tobin and Wideman were in the starting lineup, marking (obviously) their first collegiate starts ... junior Courtney Beinlich also was making the first start of her Falcon career.

* Three of BGSU's four defenders in the starting 11 were making their first starts.

* Redshirt sophomore Becca Ison played a total of 57:18 in the Cincinnati match, the longest stint of her career ... Ison played in a total of four matches last fall, seeing 45 minutes of work in three contests and just under 24 minutes in the other.