As if to disregard their eight straight losses, the Falcons used a strong team performance to win their MAC opener, 3-0 over Buffalo.
Bowling Greenís menís soccer team stepped onto Cochrane Field yesterday to prove that the teamís main focus is to win against MAC teams. The Falcons proved just that, opening their conference season with a 3-0 win against Buffalo.
Although BG started the season with eight straight losses, the team used a slow start in non-conference games to gain experience. The Falcons showed what they learned from the losses in the opening minutes of the Buffalo match.
In one game, Bowling Green went from a team that had scored five goals all season to a team that utilized a fast start to shut down the opponent.
The fast start, the ideal start for every game, happened when the team scored two goals less than four minutes into the game.
Scoring early allowed the Falcons to relax and control the tempo of the game. BG was working from behind in most of their games this season and yesterdayís game allowed the team to focus on not having to take risky chances at scoring and allowing the offense to execute.
ìWe can accomplish anything when we play as a team,î junior Paul Dhaliwal said. ìWhen we score the first goal, itís easy for us to finish. The tempo of the game totally changes to how we want it.î
Freshman Robert Aouad ignited the Falcon offense when he scored an unassisted goal at the 2:46 mark on a rebound off of the Buffalo goalie.
Freshman Cory Stevens assisted Dhaliwal on a goal a 3:54 into the match. Dhaliwal also scored at the 75:30 mark on a pass from Francisco Sanchez.
The Falcon defense recorded its first shutout of the season in the win. Junior goal keeper David DeGraff had five saves for the Falcons in the MAC-opener.
ìIt [the win] gives our team so much more confidence,î DeGraff said. ìIt was something that we really needed. Before we were letting in three goals a game. Now that we started MAC play it helps us out a lot and gives us a lot of confidence.î
A sense of relief resonated from the players, coaches, and crowd following the victory.
ìThis was the most important game of the year for us. We wanted to make sure we got the first win out of the way and then move forward from there,î coach Mel Mahler said. ìDefensively a much better effort, anytime you shut an opponent out is indicative of a good solid defensive effort.î
Bowling Green had not played a match since they were shutout by Xavier last Sunday. The team was supposed to open MAC play against defending MAC champions Kentucky on Friday, but the game was cancelled because of rain.
The next game will be another conference match-up on Friday in DeKalb, Ill., against Northern Illinois, a team that the Falcons have not defeated in DeKalb since Northern Illinois joined the conference.
The first win of the season has helped BG gain momentum and the team will go to DeKalb looking for their first road victory of the season.
