In the late minutes of the men's soccer game against the Bowling Green State Falcons (6-2-0 overall), MSU (5-1-1 overall, 1-0-0 conference) broke a scoreless tie to steal a nail-biter from the Falcons on their home field on Wednesday, 1-0.
The game had a very slow start with neither team really doing much on offense in the first half. The Spartans we're especially lackluster on offense, managing to only muster up two shots in the first 45, compared to the Falcons still-low total of five.
It wasn't until the second half that the Spartans became aggressive, managing to outshoot BGSU ten to four in the half.
The game saw the return of senior forward Adam Montague after being sidelined since Sept. 11 with an injury he suffered in the team's 1-0 loss to Valparaiso. The team surely welcomed the return of their captain, but it was another senior forward that played hero for the Spartans on Wednesday night.
The barrage of shots from MSU eventually led to a goal from senior forward Tim Kreutz, his first of the season after leading the Spartans in total goals in the 2013 season with nine. Montague in his return to the team did not score but did put up two shots in the game.
The goal came late at the 79:38 mark after a shot by freshman midfielder Ken Krolicki, was saved by Falcons sophomore goalkeeper Nick Landsberger and rebounded before being scored by Kreutz, with the assist coming from Krolicki.
The win gives MSU three straight shutout 1-0 wins. The shutout brings the Spartans total to six shutouts in seven games this season.
When goals come few and far between for the MSU offense the defense has consistently kept the team from getting behind allowing the Spartans to sneak away with one goal wins.
The defense held the leading scorer in the nation sophomore forward Pat Flynn, to only two shots in the game. This is only the second time this season Flynn has been held scoreless the other time coming in the team's only other loss to Duquesne on Sept. 7.
The team will attempt to keep the streak going Sept. 28 when they play conference foe and new addition to the Big Ten the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-4-0 overall, 2-1-0 conference), after two straight away games the Spartans will play the Scarlet Knights at home in DeMartin Stadium.
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