Wednesday's MAC Men's Soccer Results

Western Michigan 2, Northern Illinois 1
DeKALB - The Northern Illinois men's soccer team took a 1-0 lead and controlled the majority of the first half, but allowed two second half goals in a 2-1 loss to Western Michigan Wednesday at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex.

Sophomore Brad Horton (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) scored to put Northern Illinois ahead in the 27th minute. Midfielder Luis De La Cerda (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) got the play started with a long pass to senior Ben Thomas (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) , who tried to chip the WMU goalkeeper. Bronco netminder Casey Aubil came off his line to meet Thomas, and deflected the try. But the ball went right to the feet of an active Horton, who touched it into to an open net for his sixth goal of the season.

With the result, the Huskies (10-7-1, 3-3-0 Mid-American Conference) will enter the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed. Northern Illinois will take on undefeated Akron, the consensus No. 1 team in the nation, in the conference semifinal Nov. 13.

Northern Illinois dominated the first half of play against the Broncos (6-8-1, 3-1-1 MAC), outshooting WMU 16-3 and generating multiple chances to score. Western Michigan bounced back in the second half, as Saeed Salemana Baba evened things in the 64th minute and Kai Mendes scored the game-winning tally in the 74th.

Part of Western Michigan's success on offense in the second half came from generating five corner kicks in the period. The Huskies totaled just three for match, with one in the second half.

Northern Illinois will look ahead to their match against the 16-0-0 Zips, who still have two games remaining in their regular season. The Huskies played Akron as close as anyone has this season, losing 1-0 on a late goal in mid-October.

Akron 2, Michigan State 1
AKRON, Ohio - A successful penalty kick by junior Blair Gavin in the 75th minute lifted the No. 1 University of Akron men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Michigan State Wednesday night at Lee Jackson Field.

With the game tied at 1-all, freshman midfielder Ben Speas was pulled down in the right side of the box to set up Gavin's fourth successful PK in as many tries this year. With the win, the Zips (17-0-0) stayed perfect on the season and completed a five-game sweep of the Big Ten Conference.

The Spartans, who were ranked No. 24 in the most recent Soccer America poll, fell to 10-5-2 on the season after winning the Big Ten championship a year ago.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game and, in all honesty, this is what we needed," said UA head coach Caleb Porter. "We have not faced too many opponents who have tested us - especially when we're defending.

''We haven't been through much adversity and I think you can tell a lot about a championship-level team in the moments of adversity.'

The Zips shot out of the gate and took a 1-0 lead when forward Teal Bunbury chipped in a shot from 20 yards out following a through ball from Darlington Nagbe just 3:18 into the game. It was Bunbury's team-leading 15th goal of the season and the fourth consecutive contest he has found the net at least once.

UA had a number of other scoring opportunities before halftime - out-shooting MSU, 9-5 - but couldn't capitalize. Michigan State made the Zips pay with a goal of its own in the 39th minute when Tim Granaderos put the ball into the left corner following a scramble in front of the net. Rubin Bega fed Granaderos the ball shortly after MSU's lone corner kick of the evening. 

It was the first time Akron had allowed a goal in the first half all season - snapping a string of 28 straight contests, dating back to October of 2008.

"I felt that after we scored our first goal, we went on cruise control for whatever reason," Porter said. "There have been several games this year where that has happened, but our opponents haven't been able to punish us."

The Zips turned up the intensity in the second half, however, and had MSU on their heels. With possession for the large majority of the time, UA methodically broke the Spartans down despite facing a packed backfield while also twarting MSU's numerous counterattack chances.

"I told our team at halftime that our edge will always be our ability to defend, invidually and collectively, better than the other team," Porter said. "We are a good attacking team, but we have to defend with equal intensity. There are a lot of good attacking teams out there, but there are very few attacking teams that defend like we are defend."

UA took the message to heart and didn't allow a shot on goal in the second half. For the contest, Akron owned advantages over Michigan State in shots (16-6), shots on goal (8-2) and corner kicks (3-1).

Speas delivered the big blow by streaking down the right side of the field and drawing contact in the box. The true freshman was starting in place of third-year sophomore Michael Nanchoff, who was held out of the game due to an injury.

"We're a deep team and we don't revolve around one player," Porter said. "We missed Mikey and his playmaking ability tonight but I thought Ben came in and did a tremendous job helping us win this game."

The Zips will conclude the regular season at home Saturday night against Hartwick at 7:30 p.m. UA's four seniors C.J. Kaufman, Stefan Ostergren, Ivan Sandoval and Ben Zemanski will be recognized prior to the match as part of Senior Night.

Detroit 3, Bowling Green 2
Ken Simon scored 7:45 into overtime, giving the University of Detroit Mercy a 3-2 win over the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 4).  The non-conference match was held at Cochrane Field.

Simon's goal capped UDM's comeback from a two-nil deficit.  The Falcons had taken the lead in the first half, as seniors Cameron Hepple and Jacob Lawrence scored just 21 seconds apart.

But, the Titans' Nick Dreshaj had a brace in a span of just 1:38 to tie the match in the 74th minute, setting the stage for Simon's heroics.

The Falcons fired a total of 26 shots, but UDM goalkeeper Martin Robertson made a total of nine saves to pick up the win.  For the Falcons, Dylan Schoettley had five stops.

The match was delayed just prior to 2:00 p.m., the scheduled start time.  The teams changed into their jerseys and prepared for the World Cup-style entrance for the starting lineups and National Anthem.  However, with the Falcons sporting orange shirts and the Titans wearing red, it was decided that the colors were too similar, and several individuals were dispatched to Perry Stadium to get BGSU's white jerseys.  BGSU changed into the alternate unis, and the match kicked off at 2:13 p.m. Eastern Time.

Early on, the Falcons controlled the bulk of the play, with six of the game's first seven shots.  With just under five minutes gone, Lawrence played a centering ball toward fellow senior co-captain Hunter Van Houten.  Van Houten was able to get a toe on the ball, but could not control it as Robertson scooped it up.

Seconds later, however, Zach Lemke worked a give-and-go play with Hepple in the offensive third of the Cochrane Field pitch.  Lemke took the return pass and hit a shot that sailed just wide of the far post.  A few minutes later, Hepple fired a low shot of his own, but it went just wide of the other goalpost.

Detroit's first shot came with over 18 minutes gone, but was a grade-A opportunity.  After a Falcon turnover, Simon picked up the ball and played a forward pass to Sam Seppo.  Seppo drilled a half volley, but the shot was wide.

Nearly 21 minutes remained in the first half when a foul was called on the Titans just outside the penalty area.  From approximately 20 yards out, Hepple drilled a free kick on target, but Robertson tipped the shot over the bar and out of play.  Two minutes later, however, Hepple would get the Falcons on the scoreboard.

Junior Dusko Topolic played a pass ahead to Hepple, on the right side of the field.  Hepple eluded one defender, then cut to his left and eluded the onrushing Robertson.  The Falcon senior rolled the ball into the vacated net.  Topolic picked up the lone assist on the play, which came at the 26:48 mark.

Seconds after the goal, Lawrence and BGSU had the ball back.  Lawrence dribbled through a host of UDM players and hit a shot from approximately five yards out.  The ball nestled into the right corner of the goal with 27:09 gone in the match.

The Titans threatened with 13 minutes remaining before halftime, but back-to-back shots by Ali Youssef and Seppo were blocked.

At the other end, the Falcons looked to increase the lead, but redshirt sophomore Max Weston's shot went just high, and a long Topolic effort was slightly off target.

The final chance of the half came after a Falcon giveaway, but Otieno Victor's shot from the top of the box was blocked by a BG defender.

Early in the second half, Victor picked a BGSU player's pocket deep in the Falcons' defensive end.  Victor slid a centering ball to Pat Lepera, but Lepera's shot was saved by Schoettley at the near post.

The Falcons were able to string together several passes, but Lawrence's shot was saved by Robertson.  Seconds later, the home team had the ball back, and Hepple's pass led to a blast by Topolic.  But, Robertson again was equal to the task.

Twenty-seven minutes remained when senior Tyler Deal was on the other end of a Van Houten corner kick.  Deal had a great deal of force behind his shot, but the ball was hit directly at Robertson.  Several minutes later, sophomore Colin Armstrong's entry pass was just out of the reach of classmate Byard Ebling, rolling to the UDM 'keeper.

Suddenly, with just under 18 minutes left in the second half, the Titans struck.  A long free kick from Youssef sailed into the box, where Dreshaj -- one of several onrushing UDM players -- headed it home.  Youssef drew the lone assist on the play.

Only 98 seconds later, Dreshaj scored again.  This time, Victor picked up the assist, sliding a right-side cross into the box.  Dreshaj hit a shot that glanced off the underside of the crossbar and landed across the goal line.  With 16:10 remaining in regulation, the match was tied.

The final 14 minutes of the half, believe it or not, would see the Falcons fire a total of 10 shots.  Two of those shots hit the woodwork, while several others were well-struck shots, but were directly at Robertson.

The first of those 10 shots came from Robert Barker.  John Barr crossed the ball from right to left, and Barker's header was on target, but was stopped by the 'keeper.

At the other end, Nate Robinson saw his bid for the go-ahead goal denied by Schoettley with 11:30 remaining.  Thirty seconds later, Barr's pass to Hepple gave the Falcons' leading scorer an opportunity.  Hepple turnstiled two UDM defenders and hit a hard shot in traffic, but Robertson made the stop.

With just under five minutes remaining, Barr nearly put the home team ahead.  The sophomore blasted a half-volley that required a Herculean effort by Robertson.  The UDM GK, however, was able to get a hand on the shot, and the ball deflected off the crossbar, leaving the match knotted at 2-2.

BGSU maintained control of the ball, though, stringing five or six passes together.  Barr, Van Houten, Lawrence, true sophomore Tanner Fink and redshirt soph Chris Jurtovski all were involved in the buildup of the play, which resulted in a shot from Van Houten just outside the 18-yard box.  But, the shot was blocked by a lunging UDM backliner.

Lightning nearly struck twice for Lawrence in the final minute of regulation.  The Falcons won a corner kick at the northeast corner of the field, and Van Houten's kick sailed past the Cochrane Field scoreboard and toward the six-yard box.  Lawrence got his head on the ball, and drilled a shot at Robertson.  The UDM 'keeper happened to be in the perfect spot to block the shot on the goal line, almost in self defense, and the ball bounded away.

Again, however, the Falcons maintained possession, and Lawrence got another chance.  This time, his hard shot caromed off the bar with just 29 seconds left.  The teams headed to overtime.

Just over two minutes into to the OT period, freshman Joey D'Agostino played a right-side cross through the box, a cross that was just barely out of reach of the lunging Lawrence and Lemke.

With nearly seven minutes gone in the period, another corner kick by Van Houten resulted in another well-struck ball off the noggin of Lawrence, but the shot was directly at Robertson.

Less than a minute later, the Titans had the ball at the south end of the Cochrane complex.  Robinson's shot was saved by Schoettley near the left post, but the ball deflected off the BG goalie and out of play.

Robinson took the ensuing corner kick, directing it into the penalty area.  On the left side of the box, Victor got a boot on the ball, redirecting it to Simon in the center of the box.  Simon quickly shot and scored, giving the Titans the victory.

BGSU had a 26-17 margin in shot attempts, setting a season high.  And, the Falcons had 11 shots on goal (tying the season best) to the Titans' eight.  The Brown and Orange set a 2009 best in corner kicks, holding a 9-5 lead in that category.

The Falcons will close the 2009 season on Saturday (Nov. 7), hosting Mid-American Conference affiliate member Florida Atlantic University.  That match is scheduled to begin at noon, with BGSU's six-member senior class recognized in pregame ceremonies.  The class includes Deal, Hepple, Lawrence, Van Houten, Gavin Dozier and Chuko Evwaraye.