It’s not getting any easier for the Bowling Green men’s soccer team, which added another two tough losses this past weekend. Their losing streak was extended to eight games after falling to nationally ranked Michigan on Friday and Western Illinois on Sunday.
Friday, the struggling Falcons were unable to hold off a very tough Michigan team, losing 4-0 despite an optimistic first half. BG’s defense came ready and held strong for the majority of the half until a Michigan goal in the 39th minute carried Wolverine momentum into halftime.
“We started off very well,” head coach Fred Thompson said about the game. “We were organized in the back, and we really started to possess the ball and caught them [Michigan] off guard. We were just unable to put together a full game.”
Bowling Green’s Omari Aldridge and Gregory Hennelly led several promising attacks on offense with nine shots between them.
The Falcons still struggle to put the ball in the net this season, scoring only three times in their eight games.
Nevertheless, it was a hard fought match. Michigan however still showed to be the number nine ranked team in the country by easily out-playing the Falcons both mentally and physically.
Bowling Green faired no better in Sunday’s game.
Three early first half goals secured a victory for the visiting Western Illinois Leathernecks.
“They [Western Illinois] came out aggressive very early. We couldn’t even get focused from the start,” Thompson stated.
The Falcons did not go away in the second half, yet could not handle the three goal deficit.
With the weekend losses, the Falcons have yet to win a game this season under their first-year head coach.
Thompson, however, believes that first win will come very soon.
“We need to work on the mental things. We’re not getting on the board first, which is getting us into a spell where we’re not getting the opportunities we need.”
“If we focus on doing the right things and keep doing them harder and longer, we can play to win every time we go out there,” he added.
The first win won’t come easy though.
Thompson’s squad encounters another pair of challenging opponents this upcoming weekend as they face Ohio State in Columbus and Marshall here at Mickey Cochrane Stadium.
“I can tell we’ve got more energy and more enthusiasm than we did at the beginning [of the season],” said Thompson.
“I have a lot of faith in this team. They’ll get this win.”
Friday’s match against the Buckeyes will kick off at 5 p.m.
