Cheripko Scores Two Goals In 3-0 Shutout Victory Friday Night

Friday, October 2

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

5-5-1, 1-2-0MAC

Akron

4-6-1, 1-2-0MAC

Akron

Bowling Green

October 02, 2015 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: By Alexx Klein, BGSU Athletic Communications

Box Score (PDF)
Box Score (HTML)
Season Stats (PDF)
Season Stats (HTML)
Post game interview: Lindsay Basalyga & Alexa Cheripko

Bowling Green, Ohio – In a 3-0 victory over the Akron Zips Friday night at Cochrane Stadium, junior Alexa Cheripko scored two goals for the Bowling Green State University women's soccer. This was BGSU's first conference win, and its fourth shutout win out of seven home matches this season.

"We are in a good place coming away with a shutout and three goals," said head coach Lindsay Basalyga. "We definitely weathered the wind, as did Akron, and I think we are gaining confidence that we can compete on both sides of the ball and have success throughout a 90-minute game."

This is the second time this season a Falcon has scored two goals in a contest. The first came against Findlay on Sept. 8 when Erica Hubert netted a pair of goals in BGSU's 4-0 win.

The last time the Falcons won by three or more goals in MAC play came on Sept. 24, 2010 against Buffalo in a 4-0 win. Oct. 10 of the same season was the last time BGSU scored three goals in conference play, coming in a 3-3 double overtime tie against Ball State.

The Falcons played aggressive from the opening touch, with Skylar Fleak heading a shot just wide in the second minute of play. Akron was then able to get six shots off in the ensuing five minutes, two of which Lauren Cadel was able to corral. Madison Schupbach recorded the team's first shot on goal in the 15th minute, but the Zips' goalkeeper Annabelle Hegeman made the save. Hegeman did not receive a break as the Falcon offense looking to go up 1-0 midway through the first half. Following Schupbach's attempt, BGSU had five straight shot attempts miss wide or high, but continued to pressure the Akron backline. Juli Knapp sent a corner kick into the box where Paige Amodio headed a shot that nearly snuck by Hegeman in the 23rd minute.

Just over 10 minutes later, off another corner kick by Knapp, Hubert found Cheripko who fought through a crowded box to launch a shot past Hegeman, putting BGSU up 1-0 in the 34th minute. The goal was her second of the season.
Cadel finished the half with four saves and Akron took an 11-9 shot advantage into the half, despite giving up a goal.

The Zips were able to keep the ball on the Falcon side of the field for the opening four minutes of the second period, but a steal in the midfield by senior Haley Parkinson set Cheripko up for her second score of the night to put BGSU up two on Akron. Parkinson passed the ball to Cheripko, who then shot from the left of the box for her third goal of 2015.

In the 69th minute, Cadel tallied huge back-to-back saves on two Akron shots. Both shots came in high, requiring Cadel to fully extend upward, blocking the ball over the top of the crossbar.

Late in regulation, Hubert added an insurance goal for the Falcons with five minutes to play as she dribbled across the top of the box and capitalized on shot in the lower left corner. The goal was a team-high sixth of the season and the assist went to Jip Van Haaster.

Cadel recorded nine saves in the shutout win.

"Lauren Cadel came up absolutely huge tonight and I think that gave us a lot of confidence," said Basalyga. "In a young team, we need big moments, and I think we saw those moments when we scored. Those moments when Lauren kept us in the game it really helped us reenergize and it gave our backline a little more confidence."

Akron led the Falcons in the shot and corner kick columns 23-14 and 7-5, respectively.

The Falcons improve to 5-5-1 overall and 1-2-0 in the MAC, while Akron drops to 4-6-1 overall and 1-2-0 in the conference.

"In the MAC, it's always hard playing Friday Sunday," said Cheripko. "You have to turn around and be the best you can be on Sunday again, so that's what we're going to do. We are going to take tomorrow to recover and we're going to come out and give everything we have on Sunday and try to get another three points."

Bowling Green faces Buffalo on Sunday at 1:00 pm at Cochrane Stadium. The team will then make a short drive down I-75 to face Toledo on Oct. 9 at 4:00 pm.