Michigan State University
Bowling Green
Freshmen Team Up To Down Falcons, 2-1
9/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 15, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - It was another outstanding day for the freshmen for Michigan State's women's soccer team. Both goals came from rookies, including a dramatic go-ahead goal with 2:50 left from Lauren Hill (Northville, Mich./Northville) as the Spartans downed Bowling Green, 2-1, at the BGSU Soccer Complex on Friday afternoon.
Hill, who leads the Big Ten in goals (7) and points (16), was assisted on the final goal from junior Maureen Pawlak (Novi, Mich./Novi), as Pawlak got a ball at midfield, passed it forward over the defense. Hill ran it down and beat the goalie with her shot. Her shot hit the top of the goalpost and then spun in, lifting the Spartans (4-3) to the win. It was Pawlak's 10th career assist.
The Falcons (3-4) had tied the game in the 57th minute when Colleen Kordan crossed a ball to Stacey Lucas, who headed the ball past the Spartan keeper, setting up the dramatic finish.
The Spartans (4-3) cracked through in the first half, as freshman Lauren Sinacola (Rochester, Mich./Adams) scored her second goal in as many games in the 19th minute. Junior Kelley Amormino (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson) passed ahead to sophomore Kristi Timar (Novi, Mich./Novi), who found Sinacola for the goal.
The assist helped Timar reach 10 career points, as the sophomore now has three goals and four points in her career.
The Spartans, who beat Bowling Green, 4-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2006 (its first in NCAA history) dominated the first half, firing eight shots on net, while the Falcons took just three. The Spartans now have six straight wins against the Falcons.
Junior goalkeeper Nicole Galas (Sterling Heights, Mich./Bishop Foley) stopped six shots. The goal in the 57th minute ended a 277-minute shutout stretch, which began against Oklahoma State. Galas is no stranger to keeping opponents out of the net, as the junior led the Spartans to two back-to-back shutouts and also had a stretch of five straight shutouts as a sophomore.
Bowling Green's Tiffany Hanson made eight saves in the loss as the Spartans outshot the Falcons, 18-8.
The Spartans get back in action on Sunday as they travel to Ypsilanti, Mich. for a 1 p.m. game with Eastern Michigan.
