No. 3 Spartan Men’s Soccer Shuts Down Bowling Green, 3-0
BOWLING GREEN,Ohio - In its first road test of the season, the No. 3 Michigan State men's soccer team shut down Bowling Green, 3-0, at rowdy Cochrane Stadium on Friday. Seniors DeJuan Jones and Ryan Sierakowski added all the offense that Michigan State needed.
The Spartans improved to 4-0-1 with the win, while Bowling Green stands 1-3-1 this season. After six-straight decision that saw MSU come up with 1-0 wins, the Spartans broke through against BGSU. The Spartans improve to 24-16-6 against the Falcons.
"We were very good defensively, and our ball movement was really good. Bowling Green is really organized, and they are hard to get behind. They are well coached," MSU head coach Damon Rensing said. "I thought we were really patient. The first goal was a great goal with the header from Sierakowski from Pimlott. I thought that really got us going."
How It Happened...
In a typical start to a Michigan State vs. Bowling Green game, the first half was tight. Senior forward Hunter Baronehad the first shot of the game in the 20th minute that was blocked. The Spartan offense began to heat up late in the first half. In the 41st minute junior midfielder Giuseppe Barone blast was saved by BGSU goalkeeper Anthony Mwembia.
MSU came out energized in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Sierakowski scored his second goal of the season with a fantastic header. Junior defender Michael Pimlott's long diagonal pass found the head of the forward to give MSU the 1-0 advantage.
Jones joined the senior assault, giving the Green and White the 2-0 lead in the 81st minute. Off the counterattack, senior forward Robbie Cort found Jones for the for the late-game score. Jones added his third goal of the season and second of the game in the 88th minute to seal the win. Once again it was Cort who delivered the well-placed ball to Jones.
The Michigan State defense was solid all game, as senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague earned his third shutout of the season. Hague tied his season-high with four saves.
What's Next?
The Spartans return to the friendly confines of DeMartin Stadium to take on another undefeated team in in-state rival Oakland on Monday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m.
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