Team looks to improve road record against BGSU

Deanna Stevens

Just as the Kent State soccer team got used to the comforts of winning at home, the Flashes have to go back on the road.

Last weekend, the Flashes knocked the Mid-American Conference leading Western Michigan Broncos down to second place and took care of business against Northern Illinois, winning 1-0. Now, the Flashes are looking to keep the streak going against last seasons’ MAC tournament champions later today.

The Flashes (6-6-2, 3-2-1 MAC) head to Bowling Green today to play the Falcons (8-6, 4-2 MAC) at 3 p.m.

They end their road stint at Toledo on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Flashes have only one more road game during the regular season.

So far the Flashes are 1-3-2 away from home. Their last road win came in Youngstown, against Youngstown State in September.

Today’s game is a rematch of last season’s MAC quarterfinal, in which the Falcons defeated the Flashes 2-1 in overtime. The Falcons scored the season-ending goal with one minute left in the second overtime.

The Falcons were the underdogs as the No. 8 seed, while the Flashes were leading the pack as the No. 1 seed. Bowling Green then moved on to be the MAC champions.

The loss spawned the Flashes’ first back-to-back defeat of last season.

But that was the second time the Flashes and the Falcons went head to head. During the regular season, the Flashes were victorious with a score of 4-2.

Currently, the Falcons and the Flashes are in fourth and fifth place, respectively, in the MAC standings. A win today will move Kent State into fourth place.

On Sunday, the Flashes play seventh-place Toledo (8-5, 3-3 MAC).

In last season’s effort, they tied the Rockets 1-1. The tie moved them into sole possession of third place in the MAC. The Flashes are 6-2-1 against Toledo all time.

Both Bowling Green and Toledo are also on winning streaks of their own. The Falcons have won their last three games, defeating Miami, Akron and Ohio.

Toledo is on a two-game winning streak, like Kent State. Like Bowling Green, the Rockets beat Akron and Ohio last weekend as well.

Contact soccer reporter Deanna Stevens at [email protected].