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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Wednesday, October 5
Columbus, Ohio
7:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
at
Ohio State
Senior Byard Ebling & the Falcons return to the road this week, beginning with Wednesday's match at Ohio State (photo by Galloway Photography)
BGSU Returns to the Road this Week; Falcons face OSU, UB
October 03, 2011 | Men's Soccer
The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team, after posting a pair of shutout wins at home over the weekend, will return to the road yet again. The Falcons of head coach Eric Nichols begin a three-game road swing with a Wednesday (Oct. 5) contest against The Ohio State University. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.
Then, the Brown and Orange will return to Mid-American Conference play with a Sunday (Oct. 9) match against the University at Buffalo. That game is scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. at UB Stadium. This week's matches begin a stretch in which the Falcons play six of eight games away from home to close the regular season.
FALCONS at OHIO STATE
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 • 7:00 p.m.
VENUE: Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium; Columbus, Ohio
RECORDS:
• BGSU: 7-2-1, 1-0-0 Mid-American Conference (6-9-3, 3-3-0 MAC in 2010)
• OSU: 6-4-1, 2-0-0 Big Ten Conference (11-6-3, 4-2-0 BTC in 2010)
SERIES*: BGSU leads, 24-12-2 | STREAK: OSU - 3
LAST MEETING: at Ohio State 1, BGSU 0 (Oct. 1, 2008)
LAST MEETING IN COLUMBUS: at Ohio State 1, BGSU 0 (Oct. 1, 2008)
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 16-23-7 in third year at BGSU; 75-45-8 in seventh year overall; 6-6-1 in MAC matches
• OSU: John Bluem (Hartwick, 1975), 156-105-39 in 15th year at OSU; 242-132-51 in 20th year overall; 44-31-7 in Big Ten matches
LIVE STATS: Available at OhioStateBuckeyes.com or right here at BGSUFalcons.com
LIVE STREAMING: BigTenNetwork.com (subscription required)
FALCONS at BUFFALO
Sunday, October 9, 2011 • 4:00 p.m.
VENUE: UB Stadium; Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS
• BGSU: 7-2-1, 1-0-0 MAC (6-9-3, 3-3-0 MAC in 2010)
• Buffalo: 6-5-1, 1-0-0 MAC (7-10-1, 3-3-0 MAC in 2010)
SERIES*: BGSU leads, 9-6-0 | STREAK: BGSU - 2
LAST MEETING: at BGSU 2, Buffalo 0 (Oct. 9, 2010)
LAST MEETING IN BUFFALO: BGSU 4, at Buffalo 3 (Oct. 16, 2009)
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 16-23-7 in third year at BGSU; 75-45-8 in seventh year overall; 6-6-1 in MAC matches
• UB: Interim head coach David Hesch (St. Bonaventure, 1997), 6-5-1 in first year at UB; 1-0-0 in MAC matches
LIVE STATS: Available at www.buffalobulls.com or right here at BGSUFalcons.com
LIVE STREAMING: Through www.buffalobulls.com (subscription required)
* Note: Series information can be found on page 37 of the 2011 BGSU online media guide, which is available in both PDF and flip interactive formats here at BGSUFalcons.com
LIVE STATISTICS
Again this season, all BGSU home matches, and most away contests, will have live statistics available on the web. The live stats links can be found on the front page of BGSUFalcons.com (in the 'schedule' section) or by clicking on the men's soccer schedule and choosing the corresponding match.
LIVE STREAMING
Both of this week's matches are scheduled to be streamed on the web. Wednesday's match at Ohio State will be streamed by the Big Ten Network's site, BTN.com, while Sunday's match in Western New York will be available through www.buffalobulls.com. A subscription fee will be required to view each of this week's matches.
NICHOLS RETURNS TO ALMA MATER
The Falcons' trip to Ohio State will be BGSU's first in the Eric Nichols Era. Nichols, in his third season with the Falcons, is a 2000 graduate of OSU. He played soccer for the Buckeyes under coach Gary Avedikian, and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science.
LAST WEEK
The Falcons posted a pair of shutout wins at Cochrane Field over the weekend, downing IUPUI, 1-0, on Friday (Sept. 30) before opening Mid-American Conference play with Sunday's (Oct. 2) 3-0 win over Florida Atlantic. On Friday, senior Colin Armstrong scored the lone goal of the match. with just six seconds left in the first half. Armstrong knocked home the rebound of a shot by freshman Danny Baraldi. Sophomore Michael Wiest made four saves to earn the shutout.
On Sunday, the Falcons struck quickly in the second half, scoring twice within the first four minutes to take command. BG got on the board on an own goal midway through the first period. Then, Baraldi scored just 19 seconds after halftime, and junior Rodcliff Hall added a goal just over three minutes later. Wiest was not forced to make a save, as BG did not allow a shot on goal in the entire match.
75 WINS FOR NICHOLS
The Falcons' win over Florida Atlantic was the 75th head-coaching victory for Eric Nichols. Nichols, who had a record of 59-22-1 in his four seasons at Ohio Dominican (2004-07), has an overall winning percentage of .617 as a collegiate head coach.
GREAT START
• BGSU is 7-2-1 on the year following the win over Florida Atlantic. The Falcons have topped the win total for all of last season. The 2010 team finished with an overall mark of 6-9-3. In fact, BG had not won as many as seven matches in a season since 2003.
• The Falcons are off to the program's best start in 16 years. The 2011 team's record of 7-2-1 through 10 matches is BGSU's best since the 1995 season. That year, coach Mel Mahler's Falcons were 9-1-0 through 10 matches, en route to a 16-3-2 final record.
MOST WINS SINCE 2003
The Falcons have won seven matches for the first time since the 2003 season. That '03 club went 8-9-5 overall and advanced to the championship match of the MAC Tournament in Mel Mahler's final season as BGSU coach.
FALCONS FINDING THE NET
The Falcons have scored 19 goals through 10 matches this season to date, after scoring a total of 15 goals during all of last year. BGSU is averaging 1.90 goals per game this fall, after scoring 0.83 goals per contest last year. At the other end of the pitch, the Falcons are allowing only 0.70 goals per game in 2011, as compared to 1.44 goals allowed per game last season.
BGSU ON THE OFFENSIVE
The Falcons have played just over one-half of the regular-season schedule in 2011. But, BGSU already is threatening to shatter last season's totals in several offensive categories. As mentioned, BGSU has scored 19 goals this season to date, surpassing the total for all of 2010. The 2011 club has taken 74 shots on goal, not too far off from the total of 77 last season. And, BG has had a total of 67 corner kicks this fall, after last year's team had 71.
HELPS TO SCORE EARLY
BGSU has scored 10 goals in the first half this season. Last year, in 18 matches, the Falcons scored a total of just four first-half goals.
ABOUT THE FALCONS
The Falcons, as mentioned, are 7-2-1 on the season, and BGSU is off to a 1-0-0 start in MAC play. After opening the campaign with a 2-0 victory over then ninth-ranked Michigan (Aug. 26), BG picked up a 3-0 win over IPFW (Aug. 31) before suffering a 2-1 loss to Cleveland State (Sept. 3). All three of those matches came at Cochrane Field.
BG then went on the road for five consecutive matches, going 3-1-1. The Falcons played in back-to-back tournaments, heading to Pittsburgh and posting 1-0 wins over Duquesne in double OT (Sept. 9) and Pittsburgh in regulation (Sept. 11). The following weekend, BGSU lost to Belmont (3-2; Sept. 16) and tied Lipscomb (1-1; Sept. 18) at the Hyatt Place Brentwood Invitational, but the Falcons bounced back with a 4-1 win over Detroit (Sept. 21).
Last weekend, BG picked up shutout wins vs. IUPUI (1-0, Sept. 30) and Florida Atlantic (3-0, Oct. 2). BG is now 4-1-0 at home, 2-1-1 on the road and 1-0-0 in neutral-site matches.
Freshman Danny Baraldi leads the Falcons in scoring, with 13 points. The Canton, Ohio, native has seven assists to lead the Brown and Orange, and is one of six Falcons with at least two goals on the year.
Junior Rodcliff Hall is second on the team with nine points, while redshirt sophomore Brandon Silva and redshirt junior Zach Lemke are tied for third on the Falcons with seven points apiece. Hall leads the Falcons with four goals on the year, while Lemke is second on the team with three assists.
Baraldi, Silva and senior Colin Armstrong each have three goals this season to date. Armstrong and sophomore Ryan Comiskey both have six points on the year.
Comiskey and Lemke have two goals apiece, while Comiskey, senior Tanner Fink and sophomore Ryan Snashall each have two assists to date.
Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wiest has started seven matches this season – including the first four contests of the year as well as the last three games – while redshirt senior Miguel Rosales has made three starts.
Wiest has had five shutouts in his seven matches, and has 24 saves, a save percentage of .889 and a goals-against average of just 0.42. He posted shutouts in each of his first two collegiate starts, vs. ninth-ranked Michigan and IPFW, and also kept clean sheets vs. Duquesne, IUPUI and FAU.
Rosales has eight saves, one shutout and a GAA of 1.24 to date. He posted a shutout on the road against Pittsburgh, the seventh of his BGSU career. Rosales was an All-Mid-American Conference Second-Team selection a year ago.
Third-year coach Eric Nichols and his staff, assistants Charlie Edwards and Paul Habrecht, welcomed back a total of 17 letterwinners, including eight starters, from last year's club. The 2010 Falcons finished the season with an overall record of 6-9-3 and a MAC ledger of 3-3-0. BGSU, after being picked to place sixth in the league in the 2010 preseason coaches poll, tied for third in the final regular-season standings and returned to the conference tournament after a one-year absence. BGSU doubled the overall win total from the previous fall (3-12-3).
BGSU's returning players combined for seven of the team's 15 goals and nine of the Falcons' 15 assists a year ago. The top-returning scorers from last season were junior Joey D'Agostino and Comiskey, each of whom had four points on two goals.
Two Falcon defenders, Fink and freshman Alex Bechtol, each have played all 933-plus minutes this season, while soph Zach Schewee has played 918. Lemke and Baraldi have been on the pitch for 859 and 846 minutes, respectively, this year to date.
A total of seven Falcons have started all 10 games to date. That list includes Baraldi, Bechtol, Fink, Hall, Lemke, Schewee and sophomore Sam Galloway.
HOME WINS
Before the month of August came to an end, the Falcons had matched the home win total for all of last season. BGSU now has a record of 4-1 at home this year, doubling the win total for all of last fall. The Brown and Orange went 2-4 at Cochrane Field in 2010. The Falcons had not won as many as four home matches since the 2007 team had a 4-3-2 mark at Cochrane. The 2008 team went 2-4-0 at home, while the '09 Falcons were 2-4-2.
MULTIPLE THREATS
• Head coach Eric Nichols and his staff are getting scoring from many different sources in 2011. Through 10 matches, a total of six players have scored at least two goals this year. Rodcliff Hall has a team-leading four goals, while Colin Armstrong, Danny Baraldi and Brandon Silva each have scored three times. Ryan Comiskey and Zach Lemke have two goals apiece this season to date.
• BGSU's six multi-goal scorers tops the total for all of last year. Four different Falcons had two or more goals in 2010.
• The Falcons had not had as many as six players with multiple-goal seasons since 2007, and BG has not had more than six players score two goals or more since 2003. That fall, eight different players had at least two goals on the year.
BARALDI LENDS AN ASSIST
• Freshman Danny Baraldi had an assist on the lone goal in the win over IUPUI Friday (Sept. 30). Baraldi now has seven assists on the season, and leads the team in both assists and points (13).
• Baraldi's total of seven assists is the highest by a BGSU player since Eric Duda had eight helpers in the 2003 season.
• In the latest NCAA statistics, Baraldi is tied for first in the nation in total assists. He is deadlocked for fourth in the country in assists per game (0.70).
STREAKY
Freshman Danny Baraldi has a six-game point-scoring streak. Unfortunately, BGSU game-by-game records are not readily available for every contest, but Baraldi's point streak is the longest by a Falcon player since at least the 2000 season.
HELPS TO SCORE FIRST
• BG has scored first in eight of this year's 10 games to date. Last year, the Falcons scored first only six times in 18 matches.
• Not surprisingly, it helps to score the opening goal of the match. In 2011, the Falcons are 7-0-1 when scoring first, and BGSU is 0-2-0 when the opponent scores the first goal. Last fall, BG was 5-1-0 when scoring first, and 1-8-1 when the opposition scored first.
THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS
While many of the previous notes highlighted the Falcons' offensive success, BGSU has been getting it done at the defensive end of the pitch as well. For example ...
• In Sunday's (Oct. 2) win over Florida Atlantic, BGSU did not allow a single shot on goal, as the home team enjoyed a 6-0 margin in that column.
• In the second half of that match, the Owls did not have a single shot of any kind, as BGSU had an 11-0 advantage in shots, including a 4-0 edge in shots on goal.
• Things were relatively quiet for sophomore Michael Wiest during the second half of that match. Wiest's back line of seniors Byard Ebling and Tanner Fink, sophomore Zach Schewee and freshman Alex Bechtol kept the Owls at bay to help Wiest post his fifth shutout.
• As a team, BGSU has a total of six shutouts, matching the total for all of last year. The Falcons have not had more shutouts in a season since goalkeeper Dave DeGraff and the 2001 club had seven.
A FEW MORE NOTES ABOUT MICHAEL WIEST
• As mentioned, Falcon sophomore Michael Wiest has posted five shutouts in seven starts, both this season and in his career. Wiest has a goals-against average of just 0.42, to go along with a save percentage of .889 this year.
• Wiest currently ranks among the top-10 'keepers in the nation in both save percentage (T-fifth) and goals-against average (T-seventh). As a team, BGSU is eighth in the land in shutout pct., 21st in GAA and 28th in save pct.
• Wiest has played over 643 minutes in net in 2011, after his only match action of the 2010 regular season came in a relief appearance against U-M. Wiest played 29:16 in that match and did not face a shot.
FALCON COACH ERIC NICHOLS
BGSU coach Eric Nichols is in his third season at the Falcon helm. Nichols, who was hired on Feb. 17, 2009, is just the fifth head coach in the history of the program, now in its 47th season. He enters the OSU match with a record of 16-23-7 with the Falcons and a 75-45-8 mark in his seventh season as a collegiate head coach. Nichols is 6-6-1 all-time in MAC matches after Sunday's win over Florida Atlantic.
Nichols guided the 2010 team to a 6-9-3 overall mark and a MAC ledger of 3-3-0. BGSU, after being picked to place sixth in the league in the preseason coaches poll, tied for third in the final regular-season standings and participated in the semifinals of the league tournament.
Nichols came to BGSU after spending the 2008 season as assistant coach at Davidson College. Prior to his stint at Davidson, Nichols was the head men's soccer coach at Ohio Dominican for four seasons (2004-07), guiding the Panthers to a record of 59-22-1 (.728), including a final ranking of fourth in 2007. That team advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament. Nichols played collegiately at Ohio State, and also played five years of professional soccer for several teams, including the Columbus Xoggz and Indiana Blast of the USISL.
ERIC NICHOLS YEAR BY YEAR AT BGSU
2009 -- 3-12-3 overall (2-3-1 MAC)
2010 -- 6-9-3 overall (3-3-0 MAC)
2011 -- 7-2-1 overall (1-0-0 MAC)
LEADERS OF THE MAC ...
The Falcons are ranked among the Mid-American Conference statistical leaders in several team and individual categories. As a team, BGSU leads the MAC in shots per game, with 16.10, total assists (21), corner kicks (67), corner kicks per game (6.70), and the Falcons are tied for first in shutouts (six). BG is second in the league in points (59), points per game (5.90), goals (19), goals per game (1.90) and assists per game (2.10).
Individually, freshman Danny Baraldi is tied for the MAC lead in assists (seven), and is second in assists per game (0.70). Baraldi and junior Rodcliff Hall are tied for first in the MAC with two game-winning goals apiece.
Baraldi is tied for third in the MAC in points (13) and deadlocked for fourth in points per game (1.30). Hall is sixth in points (nine) and seventh in ppg (0.90). Hall is also tied for fourth in goals and deadlocked for fifth in goals per game.
Sophomore Michael Wiest leads the league in both save percentage (.889) and shutouts per game (0.71; five in seven starts). He is tied for second in total shutouts and ranks fourth in saves per game. Redshirt senior Miguel Rosales is tied for sixth in the conference in shutouts per game (0.33) and ranks ninth in total saves.
... AND THE NATION
The Falcons are ranked near the top of several national stats lists as well. According to the latest NCAA men's soccer rankings, BGSU is eighth in shutout percentage, 19th in winning percentage, 21st in goals-against average, 24th in total goals, 28th in save pct. and 30th in scoring offense. Individually, freshman Danny Baraldi is tied for first in the nation in total assists per game and is deadlocked for fourth in assists per game. Sophomore Michael Wiest is tied fifth in the country in save pct. and seventh in GAA.
THE OPPONENTS
Ohio State enters Friday's match with an overall record of 6-4-1, and the Buckeyes are off to a 2-0-0 start in Big Ten Conference play. Last week, OSU split a pair of road matches against future Falcon foes, dropping a 3-1 decision to Akron on Wednesday night (Sept. 28) before winning, 2-1, at Michigan State Sunday afternoon (Oct. 2). The Buckeyes are 4-1-0 at home this season, with the lone loss coming to then fifth-ranked Louisville (1-0 on Sept. 21). Chris Hegngi leads the team with six goals and 12 points, while Sebastian Rivas has four goals and nine points on the season to date. Matt Lampson has played all 11 matches in goal, and has 47 saves, one shutout and a goals-against average of 1.34. John Bluem is in his 15th season as head coach of the Buckeyes. He welcomed back 16 letterwinners, including eight starters, from last year's club. The 2010 Bucks posted an overall record of 11-6-3 and a Big Ten ledger of 4-2-0. The school's athletics web site is OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Buffalo is 6-5-1 this season to date, and the Bulls will bring a 1-0-0 MAC mark into Sunday's match vs. BGSU. Last weekend, UB got only two shots on goal, but scored on both in a 2-1 overtime victory against #18 Northern Illinois on the road. The Bulls are 2-1-0 in home games this fall. Andy Tiedt paces the Bulls with four goals and nine points, while Maksym Kowal and Nate Woods have six points apiece. In goal, Jonathan Viscosi has started 11 of the team's 12 matches, and has 57 saves and a GAA of 1.25. David Hesch, who spent the last 11 seasons on the UB staff, is serving as interim head coach in 2011. The Bulls returned 11 letterwinners, including just two starters, from the 2010 club. Last year, the Bulls went 7-10-1 overall and 3-3-0 in the MAC. The school's athletics web site is http://www.buffalobulls.com.
THE SERIES
The Falcons lead Ohio State, 24-12-2, in the all-time series between the teams, but the Buckeyes have captured each of the last three matches. OSU posted 1-0 wins in each of the last two matchups, in Bowling Green four years ago (Sept. 20, 2007) and Columbus the following year (Oct. 1, 2008). BGSU is 9-8-2 vs. the Buckeyes in road games, but OSU has a four-game winning streak and a five-match unbeaten streak vs. the Falcons in Columbus. BGSU's last road win in the series came in 1995.
THE BGSU-OSU SERIES
(BGSU leads, 24-12-2)
Oct. 21, 1967 -- at Ohio State 3, BGSU 1
Oct. 26, 1968 -- Ohio State 3, at BGSU 0
Nov. 1, 1969 -- BGSU 4, at Ohio State 2
Oct. 31, 1970 -- at BGSU 4, Ohio State 1
Oct. 30, 1971 -- BGSU 0, at Ohio State 0 (OT)
Oct. 25, 1972 -- at BGSU 5, Ohio State 0
Oct. 27, 1973 -- BGSU 4, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 26, 1974 -- at BGSU 3, Ohio State 1
Oct. 25, 1975 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 22, 1976 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 0
Oct. 22, 1977 -- at Ohio State 2, BGSU 0
Oct. 11, 1978 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 1
Oct. 7, 1979 -- BGSU 4, Ohio State 0 ^
Oct. 23, 1980 -- at BGSU 1, Ohio State 0
Oct. 21, 1981 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 23, 1982 -- Ohio State 2, at BGSU 1
Oct. 22, 1983 -- BGSU 4, at Ohio State 3
Oct. 21, 1984 -- at BGSU 4, Ohio State 0
Oct. 20, 1985 -- at Ohio State 3, BGSU 2
Oct. 19, 1986 -- at BGSU 3, Ohio State 0
Sept. 23, 1987 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 8, 1988 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 0
Oct. 18, 1989 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Sept. 8, 1990 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 1
Sept. 25, 1991 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Sept. 23, 1992 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 0
Sept. 22, 1993 -- at Ohio State 2, BGSU 1
Sept. 14, 1994 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 0
Sept. 20, 1995 -- BGSU 2, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 23, 1996 -- at BGSU 3, Ohio State 0
Sept. 13, 1998 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 1 (2-OT)
Sept. 9, 2001 -- at Ohio State 4, BGSU 0
Sept. 20, 2002 -- Ohio State 3, at BGSU 2 (OT)
Sept. 24, 2004 -- at Ohio State 7, BGSU 4
Sept. 23, 2005 -- at BGSU 3, Ohio State 2 (2-OT)
Sept. 14, 2006 -- at Ohio State 2, BGSU 0
Sept. 20, 2007 -- Ohio State 1, at BGSU 0
Oct. 1, 2008 -- at Ohio State 1, BGSU 0
^ Akron Tournament
BGSU leads Buffalo, 3-1-0, in that series, and the Falcons hold a two-game winning streak against the Bulls. Last year – exactly one year prior to this season's meeting, in fact – the Falcons scored early in each half en route to a 2-0 win at Cochrane Field (Oct. 9, 2010). Zach Lemke headed home a cross less than five minutes in, and the Falcons added a goal with under four minutes gone in the second half. Miguel Rosales made six saves to earn the shutout. In the Falcons' last trip to Buffalo, Jacob Lawrence and Cameron Hepple each scored twice as the Falcons won a wild match, 4-3, two years ago (Oct. 16, 2009). Dylan Schoettley picked up his first collegiate win in that contest. That victory snapped a five-match series winning streak for the Bulls. The Falcons are 3-4-0 in home games, 5-2-0 in road contests and 1-0-0 in neutral-site meetings against UB. Seven of the 15 meetings have required overtime.
THE BGSU-BUFFALO SERIES
(BGSU leads, 9-6-0)
Oct. 4, 1998 -- Buffalo 2, at BGSU 1 (OT)
Oct. 24, 1999 -- BGSU 3, at Buffalo 2 (OT)
Oct. 27, 2000 -- at BGSU 3, Buffalo 0
Nov. 5, 2000 -- BGSU 1, at Buffalo 0 $
Sept. 30, 2001 -- BGSU 1, at Buffalo 0 (OT)
Nov. 9, 2001 -- BGSU 1, Buffalo 0 (3-OT) !
Sept. 29, 2002 -- at BGSU 3, Buffalo 0
Oct. 3, 2003 -- BGSU 1, at Buffalo 0 (2-OT)
Oct. 10, 2004 -- Buffalo 2, at BGSU 1 (OT)
Oct. 14, 2005 -- at Buffalo 4, BGSU 0
Oct. 6, 2006 -- Buffalo 2, at BGSU 1
Sept. 28, 2007 -- at Buffalo 3, BGSU 2 (OT)
Nov. 1, 2008 -- Buffalo 2, at BGSU 0
Oct. 16, 2009 -- BGSU 4, at Buffalo 3
Oct. 9, 2010 -- at BGSU 2, Buffalo 0
! MAC Tournament Quarterfinal (Akron, Ohio)
$ MAC Tournament Semifinal
FALCONS PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN MAC RACE
The Falcons have been picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference race in 2011. The preseason coaches poll was the result of voting by the league's seven head coaches. Akron, the defending national champion, was picked to capture the 2011 MAC title. The Zips received 49 points in the voting, and also garnered all seven votes to win the MAC Tournament.
Northern Illinois was tabbed to finish second with 36 points, followed closely by Western Michigan (35 points). The Falcons received 25 points, while Buffalo received 24 points, Hartwick 14 and Florida Atlantic 13.
Last fall, BG was predicted to place sixth, but the Falcons wound up in a tie for third place in the regular-season standings.
2011 MAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Akron (49 points)
2. Northern Illinois (35)
3. Western Michigan (34)
4. Bowling Green (25)
5. Buffalo (24)
6. Hartwick (14)
7. Florida Atlantic (13)
Predicted MAC Tournament Champion: Akron (7 votes)
THE 89TH MINUTE (A FEW FINAL FALCON NOTES)
Senior Colin Armstrong's goal in the win over IUPUI was the first game-winning strike of his BGSU career ... Armstrong is now tied for second on the team with three goals this year, and he has four goals in his Falcon career • Redshirt junior Zach Lemke had an assist in each of last weekend's home matches, against IUPUI and Florida Atlantic ... Lemke now has three assists and seven points this fall ... he has four helpers and 10 points in his career • Senior tri-captain Tanner Fink's assist vs. FAU was his second of the season and the third of his BGSU career ... he had one assist last fall, and has had two assists in the last three matches • The Falcons scored a total of six goals and allowed eight in home games last season ... this year, in five matches at Cochrane Field, BGSU has scored 10 goals and surrendered just two.
THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Tanner Fink and Miguel Rosales and redshirt sophomore Brandon Silva are the tri-captains of the 2011 men's soccer Falcons.
UP NEXT
Following the OSU and UB matches, the Falcons will be idle for a week and a half. BGSU then will head to East Lansing, Mich., to face Michigan State on Wednesday, Oct. 19, with kickoff set for 4:00 p.m.
Then, the Brown and Orange will return to Mid-American Conference play with a Sunday (Oct. 9) match against the University at Buffalo. That game is scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. at UB Stadium. This week's matches begin a stretch in which the Falcons play six of eight games away from home to close the regular season.
FALCONS at OHIO STATE
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 • 7:00 p.m.
VENUE: Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium; Columbus, Ohio
RECORDS:
• BGSU: 7-2-1, 1-0-0 Mid-American Conference (6-9-3, 3-3-0 MAC in 2010)
• OSU: 6-4-1, 2-0-0 Big Ten Conference (11-6-3, 4-2-0 BTC in 2010)
SERIES*: BGSU leads, 24-12-2 | STREAK: OSU - 3
LAST MEETING: at Ohio State 1, BGSU 0 (Oct. 1, 2008)
LAST MEETING IN COLUMBUS: at Ohio State 1, BGSU 0 (Oct. 1, 2008)
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 16-23-7 in third year at BGSU; 75-45-8 in seventh year overall; 6-6-1 in MAC matches
• OSU: John Bluem (Hartwick, 1975), 156-105-39 in 15th year at OSU; 242-132-51 in 20th year overall; 44-31-7 in Big Ten matches
LIVE STATS: Available at OhioStateBuckeyes.com or right here at BGSUFalcons.com
LIVE STREAMING: BigTenNetwork.com (subscription required)
FALCONS at BUFFALO
Sunday, October 9, 2011 • 4:00 p.m.
VENUE: UB Stadium; Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS
• BGSU: 7-2-1, 1-0-0 MAC (6-9-3, 3-3-0 MAC in 2010)
• Buffalo: 6-5-1, 1-0-0 MAC (7-10-1, 3-3-0 MAC in 2010)
SERIES*: BGSU leads, 9-6-0 | STREAK: BGSU - 2
LAST MEETING: at BGSU 2, Buffalo 0 (Oct. 9, 2010)
LAST MEETING IN BUFFALO: BGSU 4, at Buffalo 3 (Oct. 16, 2009)
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 16-23-7 in third year at BGSU; 75-45-8 in seventh year overall; 6-6-1 in MAC matches
• UB: Interim head coach David Hesch (St. Bonaventure, 1997), 6-5-1 in first year at UB; 1-0-0 in MAC matches
LIVE STATS: Available at www.buffalobulls.com or right here at BGSUFalcons.com
LIVE STREAMING: Through www.buffalobulls.com (subscription required)
* Note: Series information can be found on page 37 of the 2011 BGSU online media guide, which is available in both PDF and flip interactive formats here at BGSUFalcons.com
LIVE STATISTICS
Again this season, all BGSU home matches, and most away contests, will have live statistics available on the web. The live stats links can be found on the front page of BGSUFalcons.com (in the 'schedule' section) or by clicking on the men's soccer schedule and choosing the corresponding match.
LIVE STREAMING
Both of this week's matches are scheduled to be streamed on the web. Wednesday's match at Ohio State will be streamed by the Big Ten Network's site, BTN.com, while Sunday's match in Western New York will be available through www.buffalobulls.com. A subscription fee will be required to view each of this week's matches.
NICHOLS RETURNS TO ALMA MATER
The Falcons' trip to Ohio State will be BGSU's first in the Eric Nichols Era. Nichols, in his third season with the Falcons, is a 2000 graduate of OSU. He played soccer for the Buckeyes under coach Gary Avedikian, and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science.
LAST WEEK
The Falcons posted a pair of shutout wins at Cochrane Field over the weekend, downing IUPUI, 1-0, on Friday (Sept. 30) before opening Mid-American Conference play with Sunday's (Oct. 2) 3-0 win over Florida Atlantic. On Friday, senior Colin Armstrong scored the lone goal of the match. with just six seconds left in the first half. Armstrong knocked home the rebound of a shot by freshman Danny Baraldi. Sophomore Michael Wiest made four saves to earn the shutout.
On Sunday, the Falcons struck quickly in the second half, scoring twice within the first four minutes to take command. BG got on the board on an own goal midway through the first period. Then, Baraldi scored just 19 seconds after halftime, and junior Rodcliff Hall added a goal just over three minutes later. Wiest was not forced to make a save, as BG did not allow a shot on goal in the entire match.
75 WINS FOR NICHOLS
The Falcons' win over Florida Atlantic was the 75th head-coaching victory for Eric Nichols. Nichols, who had a record of 59-22-1 in his four seasons at Ohio Dominican (2004-07), has an overall winning percentage of .617 as a collegiate head coach.
GREAT START
• BGSU is 7-2-1 on the year following the win over Florida Atlantic. The Falcons have topped the win total for all of last season. The 2010 team finished with an overall mark of 6-9-3. In fact, BG had not won as many as seven matches in a season since 2003.
• The Falcons are off to the program's best start in 16 years. The 2011 team's record of 7-2-1 through 10 matches is BGSU's best since the 1995 season. That year, coach Mel Mahler's Falcons were 9-1-0 through 10 matches, en route to a 16-3-2 final record.
MOST WINS SINCE 2003
The Falcons have won seven matches for the first time since the 2003 season. That '03 club went 8-9-5 overall and advanced to the championship match of the MAC Tournament in Mel Mahler's final season as BGSU coach.
FALCONS FINDING THE NET
The Falcons have scored 19 goals through 10 matches this season to date, after scoring a total of 15 goals during all of last year. BGSU is averaging 1.90 goals per game this fall, after scoring 0.83 goals per contest last year. At the other end of the pitch, the Falcons are allowing only 0.70 goals per game in 2011, as compared to 1.44 goals allowed per game last season.
BGSU ON THE OFFENSIVE
The Falcons have played just over one-half of the regular-season schedule in 2011. But, BGSU already is threatening to shatter last season's totals in several offensive categories. As mentioned, BGSU has scored 19 goals this season to date, surpassing the total for all of 2010. The 2011 club has taken 74 shots on goal, not too far off from the total of 77 last season. And, BG has had a total of 67 corner kicks this fall, after last year's team had 71.
HELPS TO SCORE EARLY
BGSU has scored 10 goals in the first half this season. Last year, in 18 matches, the Falcons scored a total of just four first-half goals.
ABOUT THE FALCONS
The Falcons, as mentioned, are 7-2-1 on the season, and BGSU is off to a 1-0-0 start in MAC play. After opening the campaign with a 2-0 victory over then ninth-ranked Michigan (Aug. 26), BG picked up a 3-0 win over IPFW (Aug. 31) before suffering a 2-1 loss to Cleveland State (Sept. 3). All three of those matches came at Cochrane Field.
BG then went on the road for five consecutive matches, going 3-1-1. The Falcons played in back-to-back tournaments, heading to Pittsburgh and posting 1-0 wins over Duquesne in double OT (Sept. 9) and Pittsburgh in regulation (Sept. 11). The following weekend, BGSU lost to Belmont (3-2; Sept. 16) and tied Lipscomb (1-1; Sept. 18) at the Hyatt Place Brentwood Invitational, but the Falcons bounced back with a 4-1 win over Detroit (Sept. 21).
Last weekend, BG picked up shutout wins vs. IUPUI (1-0, Sept. 30) and Florida Atlantic (3-0, Oct. 2). BG is now 4-1-0 at home, 2-1-1 on the road and 1-0-0 in neutral-site matches.
Freshman Danny Baraldi leads the Falcons in scoring, with 13 points. The Canton, Ohio, native has seven assists to lead the Brown and Orange, and is one of six Falcons with at least two goals on the year.
Junior Rodcliff Hall is second on the team with nine points, while redshirt sophomore Brandon Silva and redshirt junior Zach Lemke are tied for third on the Falcons with seven points apiece. Hall leads the Falcons with four goals on the year, while Lemke is second on the team with three assists.
Baraldi, Silva and senior Colin Armstrong each have three goals this season to date. Armstrong and sophomore Ryan Comiskey both have six points on the year.
Comiskey and Lemke have two goals apiece, while Comiskey, senior Tanner Fink and sophomore Ryan Snashall each have two assists to date.
Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wiest has started seven matches this season – including the first four contests of the year as well as the last three games – while redshirt senior Miguel Rosales has made three starts.
Wiest has had five shutouts in his seven matches, and has 24 saves, a save percentage of .889 and a goals-against average of just 0.42. He posted shutouts in each of his first two collegiate starts, vs. ninth-ranked Michigan and IPFW, and also kept clean sheets vs. Duquesne, IUPUI and FAU.
Rosales has eight saves, one shutout and a GAA of 1.24 to date. He posted a shutout on the road against Pittsburgh, the seventh of his BGSU career. Rosales was an All-Mid-American Conference Second-Team selection a year ago.
Third-year coach Eric Nichols and his staff, assistants Charlie Edwards and Paul Habrecht, welcomed back a total of 17 letterwinners, including eight starters, from last year's club. The 2010 Falcons finished the season with an overall record of 6-9-3 and a MAC ledger of 3-3-0. BGSU, after being picked to place sixth in the league in the 2010 preseason coaches poll, tied for third in the final regular-season standings and returned to the conference tournament after a one-year absence. BGSU doubled the overall win total from the previous fall (3-12-3).
BGSU's returning players combined for seven of the team's 15 goals and nine of the Falcons' 15 assists a year ago. The top-returning scorers from last season were junior Joey D'Agostino and Comiskey, each of whom had four points on two goals.
Two Falcon defenders, Fink and freshman Alex Bechtol, each have played all 933-plus minutes this season, while soph Zach Schewee has played 918. Lemke and Baraldi have been on the pitch for 859 and 846 minutes, respectively, this year to date.
A total of seven Falcons have started all 10 games to date. That list includes Baraldi, Bechtol, Fink, Hall, Lemke, Schewee and sophomore Sam Galloway.
HOME WINS
Before the month of August came to an end, the Falcons had matched the home win total for all of last season. BGSU now has a record of 4-1 at home this year, doubling the win total for all of last fall. The Brown and Orange went 2-4 at Cochrane Field in 2010. The Falcons had not won as many as four home matches since the 2007 team had a 4-3-2 mark at Cochrane. The 2008 team went 2-4-0 at home, while the '09 Falcons were 2-4-2.
MULTIPLE THREATS
• Head coach Eric Nichols and his staff are getting scoring from many different sources in 2011. Through 10 matches, a total of six players have scored at least two goals this year. Rodcliff Hall has a team-leading four goals, while Colin Armstrong, Danny Baraldi and Brandon Silva each have scored three times. Ryan Comiskey and Zach Lemke have two goals apiece this season to date.
• BGSU's six multi-goal scorers tops the total for all of last year. Four different Falcons had two or more goals in 2010.
• The Falcons had not had as many as six players with multiple-goal seasons since 2007, and BG has not had more than six players score two goals or more since 2003. That fall, eight different players had at least two goals on the year.
BARALDI LENDS AN ASSIST
• Freshman Danny Baraldi had an assist on the lone goal in the win over IUPUI Friday (Sept. 30). Baraldi now has seven assists on the season, and leads the team in both assists and points (13).
• Baraldi's total of seven assists is the highest by a BGSU player since Eric Duda had eight helpers in the 2003 season.
• In the latest NCAA statistics, Baraldi is tied for first in the nation in total assists. He is deadlocked for fourth in the country in assists per game (0.70).
STREAKY
Freshman Danny Baraldi has a six-game point-scoring streak. Unfortunately, BGSU game-by-game records are not readily available for every contest, but Baraldi's point streak is the longest by a Falcon player since at least the 2000 season.
HELPS TO SCORE FIRST
• BG has scored first in eight of this year's 10 games to date. Last year, the Falcons scored first only six times in 18 matches.
• Not surprisingly, it helps to score the opening goal of the match. In 2011, the Falcons are 7-0-1 when scoring first, and BGSU is 0-2-0 when the opponent scores the first goal. Last fall, BG was 5-1-0 when scoring first, and 1-8-1 when the opposition scored first.
THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS
While many of the previous notes highlighted the Falcons' offensive success, BGSU has been getting it done at the defensive end of the pitch as well. For example ...
• In Sunday's (Oct. 2) win over Florida Atlantic, BGSU did not allow a single shot on goal, as the home team enjoyed a 6-0 margin in that column.
• In the second half of that match, the Owls did not have a single shot of any kind, as BGSU had an 11-0 advantage in shots, including a 4-0 edge in shots on goal.
• Things were relatively quiet for sophomore Michael Wiest during the second half of that match. Wiest's back line of seniors Byard Ebling and Tanner Fink, sophomore Zach Schewee and freshman Alex Bechtol kept the Owls at bay to help Wiest post his fifth shutout.
• As a team, BGSU has a total of six shutouts, matching the total for all of last year. The Falcons have not had more shutouts in a season since goalkeeper Dave DeGraff and the 2001 club had seven.
A FEW MORE NOTES ABOUT MICHAEL WIEST
• As mentioned, Falcon sophomore Michael Wiest has posted five shutouts in seven starts, both this season and in his career. Wiest has a goals-against average of just 0.42, to go along with a save percentage of .889 this year.
• Wiest currently ranks among the top-10 'keepers in the nation in both save percentage (T-fifth) and goals-against average (T-seventh). As a team, BGSU is eighth in the land in shutout pct., 21st in GAA and 28th in save pct.
• Wiest has played over 643 minutes in net in 2011, after his only match action of the 2010 regular season came in a relief appearance against U-M. Wiest played 29:16 in that match and did not face a shot.
FALCON COACH ERIC NICHOLS
BGSU coach Eric Nichols is in his third season at the Falcon helm. Nichols, who was hired on Feb. 17, 2009, is just the fifth head coach in the history of the program, now in its 47th season. He enters the OSU match with a record of 16-23-7 with the Falcons and a 75-45-8 mark in his seventh season as a collegiate head coach. Nichols is 6-6-1 all-time in MAC matches after Sunday's win over Florida Atlantic.
Nichols guided the 2010 team to a 6-9-3 overall mark and a MAC ledger of 3-3-0. BGSU, after being picked to place sixth in the league in the preseason coaches poll, tied for third in the final regular-season standings and participated in the semifinals of the league tournament.
Nichols came to BGSU after spending the 2008 season as assistant coach at Davidson College. Prior to his stint at Davidson, Nichols was the head men's soccer coach at Ohio Dominican for four seasons (2004-07), guiding the Panthers to a record of 59-22-1 (.728), including a final ranking of fourth in 2007. That team advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament. Nichols played collegiately at Ohio State, and also played five years of professional soccer for several teams, including the Columbus Xoggz and Indiana Blast of the USISL.
ERIC NICHOLS YEAR BY YEAR AT BGSU
2009 -- 3-12-3 overall (2-3-1 MAC)
2010 -- 6-9-3 overall (3-3-0 MAC)
2011 -- 7-2-1 overall (1-0-0 MAC)
LEADERS OF THE MAC ...
The Falcons are ranked among the Mid-American Conference statistical leaders in several team and individual categories. As a team, BGSU leads the MAC in shots per game, with 16.10, total assists (21), corner kicks (67), corner kicks per game (6.70), and the Falcons are tied for first in shutouts (six). BG is second in the league in points (59), points per game (5.90), goals (19), goals per game (1.90) and assists per game (2.10).
Individually, freshman Danny Baraldi is tied for the MAC lead in assists (seven), and is second in assists per game (0.70). Baraldi and junior Rodcliff Hall are tied for first in the MAC with two game-winning goals apiece.
Baraldi is tied for third in the MAC in points (13) and deadlocked for fourth in points per game (1.30). Hall is sixth in points (nine) and seventh in ppg (0.90). Hall is also tied for fourth in goals and deadlocked for fifth in goals per game.
Sophomore Michael Wiest leads the league in both save percentage (.889) and shutouts per game (0.71; five in seven starts). He is tied for second in total shutouts and ranks fourth in saves per game. Redshirt senior Miguel Rosales is tied for sixth in the conference in shutouts per game (0.33) and ranks ninth in total saves.
... AND THE NATION
The Falcons are ranked near the top of several national stats lists as well. According to the latest NCAA men's soccer rankings, BGSU is eighth in shutout percentage, 19th in winning percentage, 21st in goals-against average, 24th in total goals, 28th in save pct. and 30th in scoring offense. Individually, freshman Danny Baraldi is tied for first in the nation in total assists per game and is deadlocked for fourth in assists per game. Sophomore Michael Wiest is tied fifth in the country in save pct. and seventh in GAA.
THE OPPONENTS
Ohio State enters Friday's match with an overall record of 6-4-1, and the Buckeyes are off to a 2-0-0 start in Big Ten Conference play. Last week, OSU split a pair of road matches against future Falcon foes, dropping a 3-1 decision to Akron on Wednesday night (Sept. 28) before winning, 2-1, at Michigan State Sunday afternoon (Oct. 2). The Buckeyes are 4-1-0 at home this season, with the lone loss coming to then fifth-ranked Louisville (1-0 on Sept. 21). Chris Hegngi leads the team with six goals and 12 points, while Sebastian Rivas has four goals and nine points on the season to date. Matt Lampson has played all 11 matches in goal, and has 47 saves, one shutout and a goals-against average of 1.34. John Bluem is in his 15th season as head coach of the Buckeyes. He welcomed back 16 letterwinners, including eight starters, from last year's club. The 2010 Bucks posted an overall record of 11-6-3 and a Big Ten ledger of 4-2-0. The school's athletics web site is OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Buffalo is 6-5-1 this season to date, and the Bulls will bring a 1-0-0 MAC mark into Sunday's match vs. BGSU. Last weekend, UB got only two shots on goal, but scored on both in a 2-1 overtime victory against #18 Northern Illinois on the road. The Bulls are 2-1-0 in home games this fall. Andy Tiedt paces the Bulls with four goals and nine points, while Maksym Kowal and Nate Woods have six points apiece. In goal, Jonathan Viscosi has started 11 of the team's 12 matches, and has 57 saves and a GAA of 1.25. David Hesch, who spent the last 11 seasons on the UB staff, is serving as interim head coach in 2011. The Bulls returned 11 letterwinners, including just two starters, from the 2010 club. Last year, the Bulls went 7-10-1 overall and 3-3-0 in the MAC. The school's athletics web site is http://www.buffalobulls.com.
THE SERIES
The Falcons lead Ohio State, 24-12-2, in the all-time series between the teams, but the Buckeyes have captured each of the last three matches. OSU posted 1-0 wins in each of the last two matchups, in Bowling Green four years ago (Sept. 20, 2007) and Columbus the following year (Oct. 1, 2008). BGSU is 9-8-2 vs. the Buckeyes in road games, but OSU has a four-game winning streak and a five-match unbeaten streak vs. the Falcons in Columbus. BGSU's last road win in the series came in 1995.
THE BGSU-OSU SERIES
(BGSU leads, 24-12-2)
Oct. 21, 1967 -- at Ohio State 3, BGSU 1
Oct. 26, 1968 -- Ohio State 3, at BGSU 0
Nov. 1, 1969 -- BGSU 4, at Ohio State 2
Oct. 31, 1970 -- at BGSU 4, Ohio State 1
Oct. 30, 1971 -- BGSU 0, at Ohio State 0 (OT)
Oct. 25, 1972 -- at BGSU 5, Ohio State 0
Oct. 27, 1973 -- BGSU 4, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 26, 1974 -- at BGSU 3, Ohio State 1
Oct. 25, 1975 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 22, 1976 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 0
Oct. 22, 1977 -- at Ohio State 2, BGSU 0
Oct. 11, 1978 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 1
Oct. 7, 1979 -- BGSU 4, Ohio State 0 ^
Oct. 23, 1980 -- at BGSU 1, Ohio State 0
Oct. 21, 1981 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 23, 1982 -- Ohio State 2, at BGSU 1
Oct. 22, 1983 -- BGSU 4, at Ohio State 3
Oct. 21, 1984 -- at BGSU 4, Ohio State 0
Oct. 20, 1985 -- at Ohio State 3, BGSU 2
Oct. 19, 1986 -- at BGSU 3, Ohio State 0
Sept. 23, 1987 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 8, 1988 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 0
Oct. 18, 1989 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Sept. 8, 1990 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 1
Sept. 25, 1991 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 0
Sept. 23, 1992 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 0
Sept. 22, 1993 -- at Ohio State 2, BGSU 1
Sept. 14, 1994 -- at BGSU 2, Ohio State 0
Sept. 20, 1995 -- BGSU 2, at Ohio State 0
Oct. 23, 1996 -- at BGSU 3, Ohio State 0
Sept. 13, 1998 -- BGSU 1, at Ohio State 1 (2-OT)
Sept. 9, 2001 -- at Ohio State 4, BGSU 0
Sept. 20, 2002 -- Ohio State 3, at BGSU 2 (OT)
Sept. 24, 2004 -- at Ohio State 7, BGSU 4
Sept. 23, 2005 -- at BGSU 3, Ohio State 2 (2-OT)
Sept. 14, 2006 -- at Ohio State 2, BGSU 0
Sept. 20, 2007 -- Ohio State 1, at BGSU 0
Oct. 1, 2008 -- at Ohio State 1, BGSU 0
^ Akron Tournament
BGSU leads Buffalo, 3-1-0, in that series, and the Falcons hold a two-game winning streak against the Bulls. Last year – exactly one year prior to this season's meeting, in fact – the Falcons scored early in each half en route to a 2-0 win at Cochrane Field (Oct. 9, 2010). Zach Lemke headed home a cross less than five minutes in, and the Falcons added a goal with under four minutes gone in the second half. Miguel Rosales made six saves to earn the shutout. In the Falcons' last trip to Buffalo, Jacob Lawrence and Cameron Hepple each scored twice as the Falcons won a wild match, 4-3, two years ago (Oct. 16, 2009). Dylan Schoettley picked up his first collegiate win in that contest. That victory snapped a five-match series winning streak for the Bulls. The Falcons are 3-4-0 in home games, 5-2-0 in road contests and 1-0-0 in neutral-site meetings against UB. Seven of the 15 meetings have required overtime.
THE BGSU-BUFFALO SERIES
(BGSU leads, 9-6-0)
Oct. 4, 1998 -- Buffalo 2, at BGSU 1 (OT)
Oct. 24, 1999 -- BGSU 3, at Buffalo 2 (OT)
Oct. 27, 2000 -- at BGSU 3, Buffalo 0
Nov. 5, 2000 -- BGSU 1, at Buffalo 0 $
Sept. 30, 2001 -- BGSU 1, at Buffalo 0 (OT)
Nov. 9, 2001 -- BGSU 1, Buffalo 0 (3-OT) !
Sept. 29, 2002 -- at BGSU 3, Buffalo 0
Oct. 3, 2003 -- BGSU 1, at Buffalo 0 (2-OT)
Oct. 10, 2004 -- Buffalo 2, at BGSU 1 (OT)
Oct. 14, 2005 -- at Buffalo 4, BGSU 0
Oct. 6, 2006 -- Buffalo 2, at BGSU 1
Sept. 28, 2007 -- at Buffalo 3, BGSU 2 (OT)
Nov. 1, 2008 -- Buffalo 2, at BGSU 0
Oct. 16, 2009 -- BGSU 4, at Buffalo 3
Oct. 9, 2010 -- at BGSU 2, Buffalo 0
! MAC Tournament Quarterfinal (Akron, Ohio)
$ MAC Tournament Semifinal
FALCONS PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN MAC RACE
The Falcons have been picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference race in 2011. The preseason coaches poll was the result of voting by the league's seven head coaches. Akron, the defending national champion, was picked to capture the 2011 MAC title. The Zips received 49 points in the voting, and also garnered all seven votes to win the MAC Tournament.
Northern Illinois was tabbed to finish second with 36 points, followed closely by Western Michigan (35 points). The Falcons received 25 points, while Buffalo received 24 points, Hartwick 14 and Florida Atlantic 13.
Last fall, BG was predicted to place sixth, but the Falcons wound up in a tie for third place in the regular-season standings.
2011 MAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Akron (49 points)
2. Northern Illinois (35)
3. Western Michigan (34)
4. Bowling Green (25)
5. Buffalo (24)
6. Hartwick (14)
7. Florida Atlantic (13)
Predicted MAC Tournament Champion: Akron (7 votes)
THE 89TH MINUTE (A FEW FINAL FALCON NOTES)
Senior Colin Armstrong's goal in the win over IUPUI was the first game-winning strike of his BGSU career ... Armstrong is now tied for second on the team with three goals this year, and he has four goals in his Falcon career • Redshirt junior Zach Lemke had an assist in each of last weekend's home matches, against IUPUI and Florida Atlantic ... Lemke now has three assists and seven points this fall ... he has four helpers and 10 points in his career • Senior tri-captain Tanner Fink's assist vs. FAU was his second of the season and the third of his BGSU career ... he had one assist last fall, and has had two assists in the last three matches • The Falcons scored a total of six goals and allowed eight in home games last season ... this year, in five matches at Cochrane Field, BGSU has scored 10 goals and surrendered just two.
THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Tanner Fink and Miguel Rosales and redshirt sophomore Brandon Silva are the tri-captains of the 2011 men's soccer Falcons.
UP NEXT
Following the OSU and UB matches, the Falcons will be idle for a week and a half. BGSU then will head to East Lansing, Mich., to face Michigan State on Wednesday, Oct. 19, with kickoff set for 4:00 p.m.
Off The Pitch: Gonzalo Carranza (Oct. 30, 2025)
Thursday, October 30
Off The Pitch: Jack Bennett (Oct. 22, 2025)
Thursday, October 23
Off The Pitch: Ryko Bodurov (Oct. 16, 2025)
Friday, October 17
Eric Nichols Post-Match Interview (Oct. 10, 2025)
Saturday, October 11