Michigan
16-5-1, 8-2-1
Bowling Green
15-6-2, 10-1-0
Hernandez's Game-Winner Sends Michigan to NCAA Tournament Second Round
11/15/2019 10:40:00 PM | Women's Soccer
» Michigan earned a 2-1 comeback victory over Bowling Green on Friday night (Nov. 15) at U-M Soccer Stadium.
» Nicki Hernandez scored her second game-winner of the season.
» Danielle Wolfe tied the match with her fifth career goal.
» The Wolverines will play No. 15 Texas Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Soccer Stadium)
Score: Michigan 2, Bowling Green 1
Records: U-M (16-5-1), BGSU (14-6-3)
Next U-M Event: vs. No. 15 Texas Tech – NCAA Second Round, TBA
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior Nicki Hernandez scored in the 79th minute to lead the No. 19-ranked University of Michigan women's soccer team to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Bowling Green on Friday night (Nov. 15) at U-M Soccer Stadium in the opening round on the NCAA Tournament.
Hernandez scored the game-winner as she ran up and intercepted the ball from the BGSU backline and lifted the ball up and over the keeper from 26 yards out.
With the win, the Wolverines (16-5-1) advance to the NCAA Tourmanent second round to take on No. 15 Texas Tech, which defeated Pepperdine on penalty kicks on Friday night.
Michigan trailed Bowling Green, 1-0, heading into halftime but came back to score twice in the second half. Danielle Wolfe scored a goal, while Hernandez added an assist to her goal for a three-point night. Sarah Stratigakis also added an assist on Wolfe's goal.
Junior Hillary Beall made six saves, including a clutch stop in the 70th minute to keep the match tied at 1.
Michigan saw its biggest early opportunity the first four minutes of the match when it was awarded a penalty kick, but Alia Martin's shot went just wide of the net.
The Wolverines fired off back-to-back shots in the 25th minute with one blocked by the Bowling Green (14-6-3) defense and the other went out to the right.
The Falcons got on the scoreboard first in the 35th minute as a shot from Mackenzie Reuber went into the bottom-left corner of the net past a diving Beall.
Meredith Haakenson looked to get the Wolverines even in the 59th minute when she found herself open for a shot just outside the 18-yard box. She fired a shot at the goal, but it sailed high over the crossbar.
Ten minutes later, Hernandez brought the ball down the left flank and passed it up to Stratigakis, who took two quick touches and crossed it to a striking Wolfe. She buried the ball into the bottom-left corner with a defender on her back from two yards out.
Bowling Green sought the go-ahead goal in the 70th minute, but Beall came up in the box and dove to stop a shot as it left the foot of the Falcon forward to keep the match knotted at 1.
With Bowling Green allowing them shots from the outside, the Wolverines started firing long shots with one going off the crossbar and Kathleen Duwve making two big saves for the Falcons.
Bowling Green got off two more shots in the closing minutes but neither reached frame.
Michigan will take on Texas Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with the date, time and location to be announced.
Team Stats
Chelsee Washington (1)
Assisted By: Mackenzie Reuber
8 yards out into bottom middle left
34:39
Danielle Wolfe (1)
Assisted By: Sarah Stratigakis , Nicki Hernandez
2 yards out off cross into bottom middle
64:36
Nicki Hernandez (1)
26 yards out lifted over keeper
78:58
