Women’s soccer coach Andy Richards couldn’t help but have mixed emotions after this weekend’s games. The Falcons defeated Western Michigan 7-0 Friday, and then fell to Northern Illinois 3-2 yesterday, in a heartbreaking game at Cochrane Field.

First, there was Friday’s game against Western Michigan, in which everything seemed to go right for the Falcons, as they pounded the Broncos. The Falcons got two goals from Kristy Coppes, and one goal each from Britt Anderson, Jill Conover, Carrie Richards, Nikki Pucillo and Samantha Meister.

It was an afternoon in which new records were set and old ones were extended. Meister’s goal set a Bowling Green record with goals in five consecutive games. Erika Flanders also extended her record of shutouts in a single season to seven.

Coppes’ two goals gave her a school record of 22 career goals. Conover’s goal had actually put her in a three way tie for the lead in career goals with Coppes and Tracy Gleixner, before Coppes set the new record.

Yesterday against Northern Illinois, the Falcons came out quickly against a team that will not be making the Mid-American Conference postseason. BG got first-half goals from Julie Trundle and Keeley Dayton, and maintained a 2-0 lead into the middle of the second half.

Then, with under 20 minutes to go in the game, the Huskies made a comeback. They scored three goals, the last one coming when Northern Illinois’ Denise Papke’s goal scored with 2:13 left in regulation. In a matter of minutes, a game that the Falcons had seemed to have won turned into a 3-2 loss.

Richards said that the Falcons became too comfortable with their lead.

“My opinion of it is that we just relaxed,” Richards said. “If we had just gone out and played with the amount of intensity that we usually play with, we’d have scored a third goal and put the game out of reach.”

The loss came in BG’s last conference game of the season. They will have a non-conference road game Friday against Wright State. Richards said that despite the team’s frustration with the loss, there are some positives that can come from it.

“We relaxed against a team and we should never ever ever do that,” Richards said. “Maybe this was the kick in the backside we needed.”

The Falcons are now going to have to wait to see where they sit in the MAC tournament. If Ohio wins their final game, BG will come in fourth in the conference. A loss or a tie means that the Falcons will finish third. Either way, BG will host a first round game. The MAC tournament starts November 5th.