A trip to the Mid-American Conference championship game or a trip to the NCAA tournament would be fitting endings to the careers of the seniors on the Bowling Green men’s soccer teams, but the seniors are going to take one game at a time. They are focusing on today’s match-up with defending champion, Kentucky.
The team’s two seniors, Damion Bennett and Matt Leardini, have a substantial amount of MAC tournament experience. This year’s tournament will be the fourth for Leardini,the second for Bennett.
Their experience at the tournament could help the young Falcon team advance to the championship round of the tournament.
“It’s a totally different level of intensity,” Leardini said. “For the seniors playing on all the teams of the past, if you lose, your career is done and nobody wants to end their career on a losing note.
Everybody wants to win the tournament and go to the NCAA’s. Just being in that type of environment before, you know the level of competition and you know it’s going to be a different level of intensity.”
In the eight-year history of the MAC post-season tournament two teams have dominated the championship game. Bowling Green won three consecutive titles between 1995 and 1997 while Kentucky has won the last three league titles.
The rivalry is annually revived in the latter rounds of the tournament and this year the teams will play each other a game earlier than usual, which could make for a championship-like atmosphere at Mickey Cochrane Field today.
“It’s going to be a very tough game for us. I know they’re looking to knock us off,” said Kentucky head coach Ian Collins. “I think it’s a great rivalry. I really respect the way Coach Mahler has built the program and I think it’ll be a good game for the fans.”
Leardini has played against Kentucky numerous times throughout his career and is looking to bring the title of MAC Champions back to Bowling Green. The Falcons lost to Kentucky last season in the semifinals, and two seasons ago lost to the Wildcats in the championship at Cochrane Field. Leardini played in that game and knows the best redemption would be a win today.
“It would make it a little bit sweeter to get back at them and beat them, especially on our home field,” Leardini said.
The Falcons admitted that this will be their toughest game of the season and cannot overlook Kentucky despite the Wildcats’ No. 5 seed in the tournament.
“We’ve got to come out ready and be on our toes. From the first whistle we have to just go all out,” Bennett said.
The two seniors are hoping for an increased amount of fan support, which they have said has helped them in the past.
“Being at home is definitely an advantage to us,” Bennett continued. “That’s where we won most of our games this year in the MAC. Having people here to support us will pump us up. It should be interesting playing at home with these guys.”
Today’s game will start at 2:30 at Mickey Cochrane Field.
