Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Announces 2009 Men's Soccer Schedule
April 19, 2009 | Men's Soccer
April 19, 2009
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSUFalcons.com) - Bowling Green State University men's soccer head coach Eric Nichols has announced the team's schedule for the 2009 season. The Falcons are slated to play a total of 18 regular-season matches, including no fewer than five games vs. NCAA Championships participants from a year ago.
The Falcons will play eight matches inside the friendly confines of Cochrane Field in Nichols' initial season, including four against current Mid-American Conference rivals and two others against former conference foes.
"This schedule is certainly challenging, but exhilarating at the same time," said Nichols, who was hired in February. "As competitors, we want to test ourselves against the very best, and we will get several chances to do just that in 2009."
That schedule includes a pair of games against Big Ten Conference opposition, as well as three contests vs. Atlantic 10 Conference members, two vs. Conference USA teams and one vs. a Big East Conference club.
After an exhibition game at Cleveland State on August 26, the Nichols Era officially gets underway with a home game vs. Marshall, a former MAC member, on Sept. 1. Following that match, BGSU hits the road for seven of the next eight games, including back-to-back tournaments to begin that stretch.
The Falcons play five consecutive games away from home, beginning with a trip to Lexington, Ky., for a two-game tournament. BGSU will meet both Louisville and host UK that weekend (Sept. 4-6). BG's first three games have a MAC flavor to them, as both Marshall and Kentucky are former league members (UK was a MAC affiliate for men's soccer only), while UL is coached by former Akron coach Ken Lolla. The Cardinals are the first of five 2009 opponents that are coming off trips to the NCAA Championships in 2008.
BGSU's second-straight tournament sees the Falcons head to Pittsburgh to face Richmond (Sept. 11) and host Duquesne (Sept. 12). The Brown and Orange will close the five-game road swing with a third-straight match against an A-10 opponent, heading to Dayton to face the Flyers on Sept. 18. UD earned its first-ever NCAA berth and posted a school-record 15 wins in 2008.
The Falcons' lone home game in a span of over a month comes on Sunday, Sept. 20, when IPFW comes to town. The Mastodons are another former MAC affiliate on the 2009 schedule. BGSU then embarks upon a road swing which sees the Brown and Orange face two NCAA tourney teams in a four-day span.
First, the Falcons make the short trip north to Ann Arbor to face Michigan on Wednesday, Sept. 23. That weekend (Sat., Sept. 26), BG will open MAC play against the defending regular-season and tournament champions, facing Akron in the Rubber City.
Following the UA game, Nichols and Company play seven of nine games at home to end the regular-season. BG begins October with four games at Cochrane Field in a five-game span, beginning with home dates vs. Western Michigan (Oct. 3) and Valparaiso (Oct. 6). Valpo is the lone first-time opponent on the Falcons' 2009 schedule.
After a trip to Buffalo (Oct. 16), BG heads to East Lansing to face defending Big Ten champion Michigan State (Oct. 21). The Falcons then come home to face Hartwick on Oct. 24. Hartwick is one of two current MAC affiliates for men's soccer. The Falcons close the month with a road game against Wright State (Oct. 28) and a home game vs. Northern Illinois on Halloween.
The NIU game begins a three-game homestand to end the regular season. BGSU will step outside of MAC play for one last time, hosting Detroit (Nov. 4), before closing the regular-season schedule against Florida Atlantic (Nov. 7). FAU, like Hartwick, is a MAC affiliate member for men's soccer.
The Falcons finished 4-13-2 overall and 0-6-0 in MAC action in 2008. BGSU had four seniors on the '08 squad.
The complete 2009 schedule follows, with teams' 2008 records listed as well ...
2009 BGSU MEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE
August
Wed., 26 - at Cleveland State (Exhibition) - 7:00 p.m.
September
Tue., 1 - MARSHALL (3-14-1, 3-5-0 C-USA) - 1:00 p.m.
Fri.-Sun., 4-6 - Kentucky Tournament (Lexington, Ky.)
Fri., 4 - vs. Louisville (11-8-2, 5-5-1 Big East) ##### - 7:00 p.m.
Sun., 6 - at Kentucky (12-4-5, 6-1-1 C-USA) - 1:00 p.m.
Fri.-Sat., 11-12 - Duquesne Tournament (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Fri., 11 - vs. Richmond (3-12-3, 2-4-3 Atlantic 10) - 5:00 p.m.
Sat., 12 - at Duquesne (5-10-4, 1-7-1 Atlantic 10) - 7:30 p.m.
Fri., 18 - at Dayton (15-4-3, 6-2-1 Atlantic 10) ##### - 7:00 p.m.
Sun., 20 - IPFW (3-11-3, 1-3-2 Summit) - 2:00 p.m.
Wed., 23 - at Michigan (13-6-3, 4-1-1 Big Ten) ##### - 7:00 p.m.
Sat., 26 - at Akron (17-2-4, 6-0-0 MAC) ##### - 7:00 p.m.
October
Sat., 3 - WESTERN MICHIGAN (3-15-1, 2-4-0 MAC) - 1:00 p.m.
Tue., 6 - VALPARAISO (6-10-3, 1-6-1 Horizon) - 3:00 p.m.
Fri., 16 - at Buffalo (12-4-4, 3-1-2 MAC) - 7:30 p.m.
Wed., 21 - at Michigan State (13-5-2, 5-1-0 Big Ten) ##### - 4:00 p.m.
Sat., 24 - HARTWICK (7-5-7, 2-2-2 MAC) - 1:00 p.m.
Wed., 28 - at Wright State (6-13-1, 3-4-1 Horizon) - 7:00 p.m.
Sat., 31 - NORTHERN ILLINOIS (11-6-4, 4-1-1 MAC) - 12:00 p.m.
November
Wed., 4 - DETROIT (4-13-3, 1-6-1 Horizon) - 2:00 p.m.
Sat., 7 - FLORIDA ATLANTIC (5-13-1, 1-4-1 MAC) - 12:00 p.m.
HOME matches held at Cochrane Field
##### - 2008 NCAA Championships participant
