Saturday, April 17
Bowling Green, Ohio
7:00 PM ET
Ball State University
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Bowling Green
Photo by: Larry Clapper
Soccer Falls Just Short in MAC Championship Loss to Bowling Green
April 17, 2021 | Soccer
Long-range second-half goal lifts BG to third straight league title
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- It was hard-fought, it was physical, and it was spirited. Everything you would expect for a game of such magnitude.
There was an offensive flurry from both teams at the beginning, some flow in the middle and a frantic push at the end.
But when the final horn sounded on Saturday's MAC Championship Game, the West Division champion Ball State soccer team found itself on the short end, 2-1, against East Division champ Bowling Green at Cochrane Stadium.
The Falcons (6-1-0) claimed their third straight league title and the NCAA Tournament berth that goes along with it. Ball State (6-3-1) came agonizingly close to the automatic NCAA bid it has been so near to achieving, but the Cardinals left the field with their heads held high.
"I could not be more proud of this group," head coach Josh Rife said. "These ladies have just fought for each other, they've fought to get this season in. They've continued to make the sacrifices. I love this group, and I'm just really proud of them and their effort."
Both teams came out of the gates quickly in this one, the second title game showdown between the programs in three years. Bowling Green had a chance in the opening minute and then scored in the fourth when Kennedy White fired from close range. Mai Bravo made a play to get her hand on it, but the ball deflected into the net.
Ball State quickly regrouped, finding an equalizer just five minutes later. Shelby Kean sent a deep cross into the 6-yard box, and Tatiana Mason ran on to it, knocking it past the Bowling Green keeper.
Bravo then stood strong against a variety of Bowling Green chances in the rest of the first half to keep the Cardinals tied headed to halftime.
BSU pressured early in the second half but could not go ahead and then saw a remarkable goal from Katie Cox shift things back Bowling Green's way. Cox had the ball about 30 yards out and nearly gave it away. But it deflected off a BSU player right back to her, and she fired a perfectly placed shot into the top right corner of the net.
"I thought we definitely had a stretch in the first half where we settled in, and I felt like we were on the front foot," Rife said. "The second half really became a little more of a toss-up, and outside of the goal they scored, I think it could have gone either way."
The Cardinals then spent the rest of the evening chasing another goal. Jenna Dombrowski had perhaps the best look, but her rocket from the top of the box was just tipped over the crossbar by BG keeper Lila Berg. Mason later had a look in the closing minutes that sailed high.
When Berg came off her line and corralled a cross from Avery Fenchel in the final minute, that pretty well sealed things for the host Falcons.
Ball State fell just shy of its goal, but the Cardinals completed yet another successful campaign in this season delayed and shortened by COVID-19. BSU won another MAC West Division championship, something it has accomplished each of the past four times the league has used a divisional format.
The winningest program in the MAC over the past six seasons, Ball State will be back for more in the fall as the schedule returns to normal next academic year.
There was an offensive flurry from both teams at the beginning, some flow in the middle and a frantic push at the end.
But when the final horn sounded on Saturday's MAC Championship Game, the West Division champion Ball State soccer team found itself on the short end, 2-1, against East Division champ Bowling Green at Cochrane Stadium.
The Falcons (6-1-0) claimed their third straight league title and the NCAA Tournament berth that goes along with it. Ball State (6-3-1) came agonizingly close to the automatic NCAA bid it has been so near to achieving, but the Cardinals left the field with their heads held high.
"I could not be more proud of this group," head coach Josh Rife said. "These ladies have just fought for each other, they've fought to get this season in. They've continued to make the sacrifices. I love this group, and I'm just really proud of them and their effort."
Both teams came out of the gates quickly in this one, the second title game showdown between the programs in three years. Bowling Green had a chance in the opening minute and then scored in the fourth when Kennedy White fired from close range. Mai Bravo made a play to get her hand on it, but the ball deflected into the net.
Ball State quickly regrouped, finding an equalizer just five minutes later. Shelby Kean sent a deep cross into the 6-yard box, and Tatiana Mason ran on to it, knocking it past the Bowling Green keeper.
Peep that @shelbskean_ to #TatianaMason goal that has us knotted up at the break.#ChirpChirp | #WeFly
pic.twitter.com/6EJuXd4lG2— Ball State Soccer (@BallStateSoccer) April 17, 2021
Bravo then stood strong against a variety of Bowling Green chances in the rest of the first half to keep the Cardinals tied headed to halftime.
BSU pressured early in the second half but could not go ahead and then saw a remarkable goal from Katie Cox shift things back Bowling Green's way. Cox had the ball about 30 yards out and nearly gave it away. But it deflected off a BSU player right back to her, and she fired a perfectly placed shot into the top right corner of the net.
"I thought we definitely had a stretch in the first half where we settled in, and I felt like we were on the front foot," Rife said. "The second half really became a little more of a toss-up, and outside of the goal they scored, I think it could have gone either way."
The Cardinals then spent the rest of the evening chasing another goal. Jenna Dombrowski had perhaps the best look, but her rocket from the top of the box was just tipped over the crossbar by BG keeper Lila Berg. Mason later had a look in the closing minutes that sailed high.
When Berg came off her line and corralled a cross from Avery Fenchel in the final minute, that pretty well sealed things for the host Falcons.
Ball State fell just shy of its goal, but the Cardinals completed yet another successful campaign in this season delayed and shortened by COVID-19. BSU won another MAC West Division championship, something it has accomplished each of the past four times the league has used a divisional format.
The winningest program in the MAC over the past six seasons, Ball State will be back for more in the fall as the schedule returns to normal next academic year.
?? "I could not be more proud of this group. These ladies have fought for each other, they've fought to get this season in ... I just love this group."@BSUCoachRife after tonight's MAC Championship game. pic.twitter.com/ap0bL4rYT2— Ball State Soccer (@BallStateSoccer) April 18, 2021
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