If you don’t have the ball, you cannot score. In Sunday’s contest between the Falcons of Bowling Green and the Indianapolis Jaguars, Bowling Green never let Indianapolis control the ball for long enough for anything to happen.
The University’s mens soccer team won 2-0 against the Jaguars in Bowling Green.
“We’re not that caught up in possession, we’re caught up in goals,” Falcons head coach Eric Nichols said. “Sometimes when we have possession for too long, we mess around with it too much. We have to be purposeful with our possessions. When we have it, we know they’re not going to score.”
A steal and cross by junior midfielder Peter Pugliese to sophomore forward Chris Brennan got the Falcons smelling blood 10 minutes in.
Then, 30 seconds later, junior defenseman Moe Mustafa headed one in from close quarters to score the first goal of the year for the Falcons. The ball came into the box on assists from Brennan as well as senior defenseman Alexis Souahy. Immediately after the ball went in, Mustafa got the crowd involved as he jumped into the student section to celebrate with them.
“We got our goal and then we let off a little bit,” Nichols said. “We were a little bit vulnerable at times. It got a little more dangerous than I would like to see it, but overall no complaints,”
It would take 12 minutes before Indianapolis would have a serious possession, as the Falcons were all over them.
At the 27 minute mark Pugliese looked to head one into the open net but was a tad off.
Four minutes before the end of the half, it was Brennan’s turn to put one in as this time Mustapha got the assist. Junior forward Tate Robertson also was credited with an assist on the marker.
“They’re both big time players,” Nichols said. “(Mustapha and Brennan), they’re gamers. This is when they are at their best. They train hard and when the whistle blows and its a real game, thats when they show up.”
Right before the end of the half, Robert Miller, a sophomore forward, looked to get another before time ended but came up just short as the ball got taken away.
After one half, the Falcons had two goals on two shots as Indianapolis had zero goals on zero shots.
The second half would not prove to be as eventful as the first, as Indianapolis got their first real opportunity 15 minutes in as junior forward Nick Anderson got the opportunity to score.
With Indianapolis containing the ball a little more, junior defenseman Dominic Grida had a fantastic clear at the 28 minute mark.
Sophomore goalie Anthony Mwembia did not have a great amount to do in this one, but when he did, he stood tall, especially on a free kick at the 14-minute mark.
The team will be taking on the Cleveland State Vikings Tuesday.
“I think they are going to be a different kind of an opponent,” Nichols said. “With their style of play, they will have a considerable amount more of the ball that Indianapolis did tonight. We will have to regroup and make sure we get better.”
