BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Vinny Worner scored the lone goal in the 10th minute to give Bowling Green a 1-0 victory over the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team on Saturday night (Nov. 9) at Cochrane Stadium in the regular season finale for both teams. 

With the result, NIU and Bowling Green are set for a rematch, at Bowling Green, on Tuesday, November 12, in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. 

"Tonight was hugely disappointing," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "We had a poor first half, Bowling Green just executed its game plan better than we did in the first half. In the second half, we didn't convert the chances that we created, and we find ourselves on the end of a 1-0 loss."

Bowling Green (11-6-1, 2-3 MAC) started the much brighter of the two side and had the first look at goal as Jensen Lukacsko took a shot from just outside the box that skipped into the hands of NIU redshirt freshman goalkeeper Martin Sanchez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) on one hop and was easily held by the NIU goalkeeper. 

The Falcons took the lead in the 10th minute on the goal by Worner. A low cross from Matt Walters found the feet of Worner whose chip from close range snuck just inside the near post to give Bowling Green a 1-0 lead. 

Neither team then generated much in the way of scoring opportunities until late in the first half as, two minutes from the intermission, a NIU corner was whipped inside the six-yard box where it pinballed around, but no one was able to get a shot away.

Just a minute later, a handball was called against the Huskies as the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Charlie Maciekewski stepped up to take the penalty for the Falcons but Sanchez dove to his right to make the save, and also stopped the rebound chance from Zach Buescher as the Falcons took a one-goal lead into halftime. 

The first chance of the second half came to the Huskies just over five minutes after the break as senior Jan Maertins (Rheinfelden, Germany/Marquette) received the ball in between the lines, moving into the box before firing a low shot that was smothered by Bowling Green goalkeeper Anthony Mwembia.

Maertins had another chance in the 54th minute as he collected a ball down the right wing and cut toward goal, firing a shot that was saved by Mwembia with his face as the Falcons maintained the 1-0 lead. 

NIU (7-9-1, 2-3-0 MAC) had another excellent chance in the 59th minute as Maertins slid a square ball to sophomore Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) inside the box but his shot was stopped by Mwembia.

Bowling Green had a great chance in the 75th minute as Chris Sullivan latched on to a low cross from the right but couldn't direct his shot on target, firing harmlessly high. 

NIU's best chance fell to redshirt freshman Enrique Banuelos (Mexico City, Mexico/Virginia) in the 81st minute as the transfer from Virginia hit the post. Banuelos found himself in space at the back post and was all alone as the ball came through the box. His shot beat Mwembia but couldn't find the back of the net as it rang off the bar. 

Banuelos had another chance in the final 90 seconds, latching on to a cross from the left but he couldn't redirect his volley on target as the home side claimed the 1-0 victory. 

Sanchez and Mwembia each finished with four saves in the contest. 

With the result, Bowling Green earns the No. 4 seed for the MAC Tournament and will host the No. 5 seed Huskies on Tuesday (Nov. 12) at Cochrane Stadium. Kickoff time for that match is still to be determined. 

"I think it is difficult for both teams," Swan said of playing again on Tuesday. "On our side we have to look at it and say that we weren't as good as we had hoped to be (tonight) so hopefully we can right some of the wrongs from tonight (on Tuesday)."