Ohio State goalkeeper Drew Czekanski made a season-high eight saves to post his third shutout this season as the Buckeyes men's soccer team edged the Bowling Green Falcons 1-0.
"It's about being in the right position," Czekanski said.
One remarkable save came in the 14th minute when a poor clearance created a one-on-one opportunity for Bowling Green defender Dusko Topolic. He attempted to slot the ball into the near-post pass but the junior goalkeeper deflected the ball out of danger.
"I came out and read it well and forced him into a tougher shot," Czekanski said.
Czekanski has started every game in goal this season except last Saturday's loss to Northwestern, in which he was held out due to a temporary ineligibility.
"He is a very solid goalkeeper … he deserved the shutout," coach John Bleum said.
The goal came in the 20th minute as Buckeyes junior forward Andrew Magill received a thrown ball on the right flank from senior midfielder Geoff Marsh and fired a shot past Falcons goalkeeper Paul Shoemaker. Magill's tally was his second of the year.
"It was a very good goal by Andrew Magill," Bleum said.
Bowling Green almost netted an equalizer in the 72nd minute when Falcons midfielder Jacob Lawrence got his head on a long free kick inside the box. Buckeyes senior defender Patrick Roan was able to head the ball off the line to preserve the clean sheet.
Despite winning the shots battle 18-15, Bluem felt the team controlled a lot of the possession but could have done a better job finishing several chances to score.
"We had a lot of opportunities that we missed," Bleum said.
The Buckeyes were able to finish strong as sophomore forward Konrad Warzycha continued to apply pressure to the Falcon's defense in the final 20 minutes with several shots including a diving header that hit off the right post. Bluem was pleased to get out of this game with a win.
"We got the result and that's what we needed," he said.
Before heading out on a three-game road trip, the Buckeyes (6-2-1) will be at home this weekend to face Eastern Illinois (5-2-1) on Sunday at Noon. Bleum stressed the importance of picking up victories at home.
"You have to win your home games because it's really difficult to win on the road," he said.
Tyler Gillespie can be reached at Gillespie.113@osu.edu
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