The Bowling Green State University women’s soccer team rallied from an early deficit, posting a 2-1 win over the University of Toledo on Sunday afternoon in a Mid-American Conference match at Cochrane Stadium.
After conceding a goal just 79 seconds into the first half, the Falcons (5-2-1 overall, 2-0 MAC) got the tying goal only 143 seconds into the second stanza, before finding the winner in the 84th minute.
Lexi Czerwien scored the tying goal for the Falcons, with Emma Stransky collecting the winner.
The Rockets (3-5-1, 0-2 MAC) drew first blood as Dalaney Ranallo scored off of a corner kick, before the Falcons rallied.
Madison Vukas made four saves in goal for the Falcons, while Agnes Stenlund had five stops for the Rockets.
The Rockets got on the board early, with a goal just over a minute into the match. Grace Turski put a corner kick into the box, with Dalaney Ranallo redirecting it into the upper right corner of the net with her right foot. With just 1:19 gone, the visitors had a 1-0 lead.
With nearly eight minutes gone, Emma Stransky put a hard diagonal ball toward the far side of the goal, with a teammate making a run. But, the ball sailed over the Falcon forward and just wide of the left post.
UT nearly doubled the lead via a fortuitous bounce in the 26th minute. A long free kick by the Rockets’ Tori Lyncha sailed into the box, where it glanced off of the head of a leaping Falcon defender. The ball hit off of the crossbar and bounced back into play, and Kaema Amacree crossed it back across the box. But, the cross was headed away by Emme Butera.
Ranallo’s goal was the Rockets’ only shot attempt of the first half. The Falcons had several shots on goal from distance in the first 44 minutes of play, and an Alaina Uncapher header off of Haley Wolf’s cross in the final minute of the half popped into the air, with UT ‘keeper Agnes Stenlund grabbing it to end the threat.
After allowing a goal to the Rockets early in the first half, the Falcons equalized early in the second. Michelle Hochstadt fired a hard shot on frame from the 18-yard line on the right side. Stenlund made a diving save of the shot, but the rebound was knocked home by Lexi Czerwien from approximately 10 yards out. That goal came at the 47:23 mark.
The Rockets had a chance to retake the lead after a BGSU giveaway just over four minutes later. Turski stole the ball from a Falcon defender and was in all alone, but her shot from the 18-yard line was hit directly at goalkeeper Madison Vukas, who easily collected it.
Just over two minutes after that, Turski’s corner kick again found Ranallo. This time, however, Ranallo’s shot was grabbed by Vukas off of a bounce.
As the match neared the hour mark, Christine Erdman took a pass from Lilly Boebel and hit a curving shot on frame from distance. But, Stenlund grabbed the ball just under the crossbar.
Under 20 minutes remained when Emily Hollar ran onto a long pass from Butera. Hollar hit a shot that was blocked by the charging Stenlund. Hollar was first to the rebound, but as she turned and fired a shot, it was blocked by a lunging UT defender.
BGSU had another dangerous-looking chance with just over 13 minutes to go. Jaden Frigerio put a ball over the top, and Hollar won a challenge from a UT defender. Hollar slid a cross toward Uncapher at the far post. But, the ball was deflected by Stenlund, and a UT defender cleared the ball away just before Czerwien arrived.
With under seven minutes to go, the Falcons got what would prove to be the winning goal. Hochstadt won a throw-in in the Rockets’ defensive end of the field. She threw the ball to Butera, who played a right-side diagonal ball into the box. Stransky and Ranallo vied for the ball, which glanced off of a noggin, went over the onrushing Stenlund and found the center of the net.
The Rockets looked to equalize, but Vukas went high into the air to grab a shot from distance off of the boot of Cameron Cole with 2:20 to go. The Falcons did not allow any more shot attempts, and locked down the win.
The Falcons return to Cochrane Stadium on Thursday night (Sept. 26), facing Ohio University. First touch is set for 7 p.m., and admission is free. Then, the Falcons will hit the road for a Sunday (Sept. 29) matchup at Miami. That contest begins at 1 p.m. in Oxford.
