Bowling Green State University Athletics
Wednesday, August 31
Bowling Green, Ohio
6:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
vs
IPFW
Freshman Alex Bechtol and the Falcons host a pair of matches this week (photos by John Enright)
Men's Soccer Falcons Host IPFW, Cleveland State
August 30, 2011 | Men's Soccer
BGSU concludes season-opening three-game homestand this week
The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team, after opening the 2011 season with a win over a top-10 opponent, concludes a three-match homestand with a pair of games at Cochrane Field this week. First, the Falcons of head coach Eric Nichols will face IPFW in Wednesday (Aug. 31) action, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Then, the Brown and Orange will finish the homestand with a Saturday (Sept. 3) contest vs. Cleveland State University. That match is slated for a 5:00 p.m. start at Cochrane.
FALCONS vs. IPFW
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 • 6:00 p.m.
VENUE: Cochrane Field; Bowling Green, Ohio
RECORDS:
• BGSU: 1-0-0 (6-9-3, 3-3-0 Mid-American Conference in 2010)
• IPFW: 1-1-0 (2-13-2, 0-5-1 Summit League in 2010)
SERIES: BGSU leads, 5-3-2
STREAK: BGSU - 1 (BG unbeaten in last 4 meetings)
LAST MEETING: BGSU 2, at IPFW 1 (OT) (Oct. 6, 2010)
LAST MEETING AT BGSU: at BGSU 1, IPFW 1 (2-OT) (Sept. 20, 2009)
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 10-21-6 in third year at BGSU; 69-43-7 in seventh year overall
• IPFW: Mike Harper, 15-48-9 in fifth year at IPFW and overall
LIVE STATS: Available at BGSUFalcons.com
FALCONS vs. CLEVELAND STATE
Saturday, September 3, 2011 • 5:00 p.m.
VENUE: Cochrane Field; Bowling Green, Ohio
RECORDS:
• BGSU: 1-0-0 (6-9-3, 3-3-0 Mid-American Conference in 2010) – Falcons host IPFW Wednesday
• CSU: 0-1-0 (9-10-1, 5-3-1 Horizon League in 2010)
SERIES: Cleveland State leads, 13-12-1
STREAK: BGSU - 1 (BG unbeaten in last 8 meetings)
LAST MEETING: at BGSU 3, Cleveland State 1 (Oct. 26, 2005)
LAST MEETING AT BGSU: at BGSU 3, Cleveland State 1 (Oct. 26, 2005)
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 10-21-6 in third year at BGSU; 69-43-7 in seventh year overall
• CSU: Ali Kazemaini (Cleveland State, 1984), 34-49-14 in sixth year at CSU; 210-125-27 in 20th year overall
LIVE STATS: Available 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.
BIG WIN ...
The Falcons opened the 2011 season in style, posting a 2-0 win over Michigan at Cochrane Field Friday night (Aug. 26). Freshman Danny Baraldi scored what would prove to be the winning goal midway through the second half, and sophomore Ryan Snashall fired home the clinching goal with just two-and-a-half minutes remaining. Sophomore Michael Wiest, making his first collegiate start, had five saves to earn both his first win and his first shutout as a Falcon.
... BEFORE A BIG CROWD
The Falcons' win over Michigan came before a crowd of 2,133, more than triple the previous largest crowd at Cochrane Field in the last 15 years. Attendance records are incomplete prior to 1997, but to follow are the top attendance figures at Cochrane during that time.
LARGEST HOME CROWDS (Since 1997)
2,133 - vs. Michigan; Aug. 26, 2011
650 --- vs. Miami; Oct. 12, 1997
608 --- vs. Kentucky; Nov. 12, 2000
537 --- vs. Ohio State; Sept. 20, 2007
520 --- vs. Akron; Oct. 2, 1998
513 --- vs. Akron; Sept. 11, 2010
GOOD START(S)
The Falcons are undefeated in season-opening matches during the Eric Nichols Era. BGSU is now 2-0-1 in openers since Nichols arrived in Northwest Ohio. The Falcons downed Marshall, 2-0, in Nichols' first match at the school (Sept. 1, 2009). Last year, the Brown and Orange played Appalachian State to a scoreless draw in the team's first match at the Davidson adidas Classic in Davidson, N.C. (Sept. 3, 2010).
A GREAT START
Freshman Danny Baraldi was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for the week ending Sunday (Aug. 28). The online soccer publication made the announcement on Sunday evening. Baraldi, in his first collegiate match, scored his first collegiate goal in the 64th minute, giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead in what would prove to be a 2-0 win over nationally-ranked Michigan.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE
The Falcons enter the IPFW match looking to improve to 2-0-0 on the young season. BGSU has not posted two wins in the season's first two matches since 1999. That year, the Falcons began the campaign with wins in the first three games, home contests vs. Dayton, Western Kentucky and DePaul.
STREAK BUSTERS
The Falcons' win over Michigan marked the first time the Brown and Orange had beaten a nationally-ranked team in nearly six years. U-M entered the match ranked ninth in the country in the NSCAA preseason poll. BGSU's last win over a ranked team was a 3-2, double-overtime victory over No. 11 Ohio State on Sept. 23, 2005.
STREAK BUSTERS II
For the Falcons, Friday's win snapped a six-game losing streak to Michigan. BGSU's last win over the Wolverines came in the 2001 season. U-M had scored at least four goals in each of the previous five series meetings, including 5-1 victories in Ann Arbor in each of the last two seasons.
STREAK BUSTERS III
The aforementioned 2005 win over Ohio State was also the last time the Falcons had beaten a team from the Big Ten Conference. BGSU had lost 12 consecutive games vs. Big Ten foes prior to Friday's win over the Wolverines.
ABOUT THE FALCONS.
The Falcons, as mentioned on numerous occasions already, are 1-0-0 on the young season. BGSU opened the 2011 campaign with a 2-0 victory over Michigan on Friday night (Aug. 26).
Freshman Danny Baraldi and sophomore Ryan Snashall each scored goals in the win over U-M, and are currently tied for the team scoring lead with two points apiece. Sophomores Ryan Comiskey, Sam Galloway and Zach Schewee each have one point after picking up an assist in the win.
Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wiest made his first collegiate start, and posted his first shutout as a Falcon. Wiest made five saves in the win.
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 Mid-American Conference ledger of 3-3-0. BGSU, after being picked to place sixth in the MAC in the 2010 preseason coaches poll, tied for third in the league's 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 are junior Joey D'Agostino and Comiskey, each of whom had four points on two goals. Both players scored in the match at Florida Atlantic, a 2-1 BGSU victory that clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament for the Brown and Orange.
Seniors Tanner Fink and Miguel Rosales, redshirt sophomore Brandon Silva and Schewee return after starting all 18 matches last fall. Fink tied for the team lead in minutes played, with 1675, while Silva was on the pitch for 1660 minutes.
Galloway had three assists last fall to lead the returning players, while fifth-year senior Chris Jurtovski had a pair of assists in 2010. Among the returnees, D'Agostino made 15 starts, while junior Zach Lemke started 14 matches and Galloway and fellow sophomore Matt Griesinger 12 apiece.
Senior Byard Ebling is the career scoring leader among active Falcons, with nine points in his BGSU career to date. Jurtovski has six career points, while D'Agostino has five.
All three goalkeepers from last year's club return in 2011. That group includes Rosales, Wiest and junior Dylan Schoettley. Rosales, as mentioned, started every match last fall, Prior to Friday night's win, Wiest's lone appearance had come in relief in last season's Michigan contest. Schoettley played in 10 matches in his freshman season of 2009, starting the last seven contests. Wiest and Schoettley each played 45 minutes in the Falcons' exhibition win over #21 Butler on Aug. 21.
CLEAN SHEET FOR WIEST
Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wiest, as mentioned, had a shutout against Michigan in his first collegiate start. Wiest's 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.
A FEW MORE NOTES ABOUT MICHAEL WIEST
To apply a hockey term, sophomore Michael Wiest has a plus/minus of +3 in his career. He entered last year's match against Michigan with the Falcons trailing by a 5-0 score, and BGSU scored a late goal to make the final 5-1. Friday night, of course, Wiest played all 90 minutes in the 2-0 win.
Wiest's first collegiate save came 29 minutes into Friday's match, when he deflected a hard shot by the Wolverines' Latif Alashe over the crossbar.
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 IPFW match with a record of 10-21-6 with the Falcons and a 69-43-7 mark in his seventh season as a collegiate head coach.
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.
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, the result of voting by the league's seven head coaches, was released by the conference office on Aug. 23. Akron, the defending national champion, was picked to capture the 2011 MAC title. The Zips received 49 points in the voting, and also garned 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 OPPONENTS
IPFW enters Wednesday's match with a record of 1-1-0. The Mastodons opened the season with a decisive 4-1 victory at Milwaukee Friday (Aug. 26), before falling to Bradley by a 1-0 count Sunday (Aug. 28). Senior Max Touloute has figured in the scoring of all four of his team's goals to date, as he had a hat trick and an assist for seven points in the opener. Ryan Bristol has played both games in goal and has 16 saves and a 1.00 GAA. Touloute and Bristol swept the Summit League's player-of-the-week honors on Monday, doing so for the first time in program history. Coach Mike Harper's club is already halfway to last year's win total, having gone 2-13-2 overall and 0-5-1 in the Summit League in 2010. A total of 11 letterwinners, including five starters, returned from that team. The school's athletics web site is www.gomastodons.com.
Cleveland State is 0-1-0 on the season, after suffering a 5-0 road loss to defending national champion Akron on Saturday night (Aug. 27). Last year, the Vikings were the only team to defeat the Zips during their national title run. A year ago, CSU went 9-10-1 overall and 5-3-1 in Horizon League play. Head coach Ali Kazemaini welcomes back nine of the 2010 team's top-10 scorers. The school's athletics web site is www.csuvikings.com.
THE SERIES
The Falcons lead IPFW, 5-3-2, in the all-time series between the teams, and BGSU is unbeaten in the last four meetings. Wednesday's game will mark the 10th consecutive year that the schools have played. The Falcons have a record of 2-2-2 in series meetings played in BG. Three of the last four games have required overtime, including last year's 2-1 Falcon win in Fort Wayne (Oct. 6, 2010). In the last meeting at Cochrane Field, the Falcons and 'Dons battled to a 1-1 draw two years ago (Sept. 20, 2009). The 'Dons were a MAC affiliate member for men's soccer in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
THE BGSU-IPFW SERIES
(BGSU leads, 5-3-2)
Sept. 13, 1982 BGSU 5, at IPFW 0
Oct. 25, 2002 IPFW 2, at BGSU 1
Oct. 10, 2003 BGSU 2, at IPFW 1 (OT)
Oct. 28, 2004 IPFW 7, at BGSU 3
Oct. 30, 2005 at BGSU 2, IPFW 1
Oct. 22, 2006 at IPFW 2, BGSU 1
Oct. 7, 2007 at BGSU 0, IPFW 0 (2-OT)
Sept. 19, 2008 at BGSU 2, IPFW 0
Sept. 20, 2009 at BGSU 1, IPFW 1 (2-OT)
Oct. 6, 2010 BGSU 2, at IPFW 1 (OT)
The Falcons trail Cleveland State by a slim 13-12-1 margin in that series, but BG won the last meeting between the schools. In fact, the Falcons are unbeaten in the last eight matchups, having gone 7-0-1 in that time. BGSU played the Vikings every year for over two decades, from 1973-94. Since 1994, however, the teams have met just four times, with the last coming in 2005. In that most recent meeting, the Brown and Orange picked up a 3-1 win at Cochrane Field (Oct. 26, 2005). BG has a record of 8-5-0 in home games vs. CSU, and the Falcons have won the last six meetings in Bowling Green.
THE BGSU-CLEVELAND STATE SERIES
(CSU leads, 13-12-1)
Oct. 20, 1973 at BGSU 5, Cleveland State 1
Oct. 19, 1974 BGSU 2, at Cleveland State 1
Oct. 18, 1975 Cleveland State 8, at BGSU 1
Oct. 9, 1976 at Cleveland State 2, BGSU 1
Oct. 8, 1977 Cleveland State 2, at BGSU 0
Oct. 18, 1978 at Cleveland State 3, BGSU 2
Oct. 17, 1979 Cleveland State 3, at BGSU 1
Oct. 29, 1980 at Cleveland State 3, BGSU 0
Oct. 27, 1981 Cleveland State 3, at BGSU 2
Oct. 26, 1982 at Cleveland State 5, BGSU 1
Oct. 26, 1983 at BGSU 2, Cleveland State 0
Oct. 24, 1984 at Cleveland State 1, BGSU 0
Oct. 23, 1985 Cleveland State 2, at BGSU 0
Nov. 5, 1986 at Cleveland State 4, BGSU 0
Oct. 9, 1987 at BGSU 1, Cleveland State 0 (OT)
Nov. 2, 1988 at Cleveland State 1, BGSU 0
Nov. 3, 1989 at BGSU 4, Cleveland State 2
Nov. 4, 1990 at Cleveland State 2, BGSU 1
Nov. 3, 1991 BGSU 3, at Cleveland State 0
Oct. 4, 1992 at BGSU 4, Cleveland State 2
Oct. 27, 1993 BGSU 2, at Cleveland State 1
Oct. 26, 1994 at BGSU 2, Cleveland State 1 (OT)
Oct. 26, 2001 BGSU 2, at Cleveland State 0
Nov. 3, 2002 at BGSU 3, Cleveland State 2
Oct. 16, 2003 BGSU 2, at Cleveland State 2 (2-OT)
Oct. 26, 2005 at BGSU 3, Cleveland State 1
FALCON FIRSTS
Friday night's match vs. Michigan marked the first collegiate start for several Falcons, including freshmen Danny Baraldi and Alex Bechtol and sophomore Michael Wiest. Additionally, junior Rodcliff Hall made his first start at BGSU. Hall is in his first season with the Falcons after playing the previous two years at Owens CC.
Baraldi's goal vs. the Wolverines was his first collegiate goal, and also was the first match-winning goal of his BGSU career. Sophomore Ryan Snashall also scored the first goal of his BG tenure, while Wiest kept his first clean sheet.
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 this week's two home matches, the Falcons will hit the road for five consecutive contests. The odyssey begins with a trip to Pittsburgh for a pair of games in the Pitt/Nike Invitational. BGSU will meet Duquesne on Friday, Sept. 9, before taking on Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 11.
FALCONS vs. IPFW
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 • 6:00 p.m.
VENUE: Cochrane Field; Bowling Green, Ohio
RECORDS:
• BGSU: 1-0-0 (6-9-3, 3-3-0 Mid-American Conference in 2010)
• IPFW: 1-1-0 (2-13-2, 0-5-1 Summit League in 2010)
SERIES: BGSU leads, 5-3-2
STREAK: BGSU - 1 (BG unbeaten in last 4 meetings)
LAST MEETING: BGSU 2, at IPFW 1 (OT) (Oct. 6, 2010)
LAST MEETING AT BGSU: at BGSU 1, IPFW 1 (2-OT) (Sept. 20, 2009)
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 10-21-6 in third year at BGSU; 69-43-7 in seventh year overall
• IPFW: Mike Harper, 15-48-9 in fifth year at IPFW and overall
LIVE STATS: Available at BGSUFalcons.com
FALCONS vs. CLEVELAND STATE
Saturday, September 3, 2011 • 5:00 p.m.
VENUE: Cochrane Field; Bowling Green, Ohio
RECORDS:
• BGSU: 1-0-0 (6-9-3, 3-3-0 Mid-American Conference in 2010) – Falcons host IPFW Wednesday
• CSU: 0-1-0 (9-10-1, 5-3-1 Horizon League in 2010)
SERIES: Cleveland State leads, 13-12-1
STREAK: BGSU - 1 (BG unbeaten in last 8 meetings)
LAST MEETING: at BGSU 3, Cleveland State 1 (Oct. 26, 2005)
LAST MEETING AT BGSU: at BGSU 3, Cleveland State 1 (Oct. 26, 2005)
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 10-21-6 in third year at BGSU; 69-43-7 in seventh year overall
• CSU: Ali Kazemaini (Cleveland State, 1984), 34-49-14 in sixth year at CSU; 210-125-27 in 20th year overall
LIVE STATS: Available 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.
BIG WIN ...
The Falcons opened the 2011 season in style, posting a 2-0 win over Michigan at Cochrane Field Friday night (Aug. 26). Freshman Danny Baraldi scored what would prove to be the winning goal midway through the second half, and sophomore Ryan Snashall fired home the clinching goal with just two-and-a-half minutes remaining. Sophomore Michael Wiest, making his first collegiate start, had five saves to earn both his first win and his first shutout as a Falcon.
... BEFORE A BIG CROWD
The Falcons' win over Michigan came before a crowd of 2,133, more than triple the previous largest crowd at Cochrane Field in the last 15 years. Attendance records are incomplete prior to 1997, but to follow are the top attendance figures at Cochrane during that time.
LARGEST HOME CROWDS (Since 1997)
2,133 - vs. Michigan; Aug. 26, 2011
650 --- vs. Miami; Oct. 12, 1997
608 --- vs. Kentucky; Nov. 12, 2000
537 --- vs. Ohio State; Sept. 20, 2007
520 --- vs. Akron; Oct. 2, 1998
513 --- vs. Akron; Sept. 11, 2010
GOOD START(S)
The Falcons are undefeated in season-opening matches during the Eric Nichols Era. BGSU is now 2-0-1 in openers since Nichols arrived in Northwest Ohio. The Falcons downed Marshall, 2-0, in Nichols' first match at the school (Sept. 1, 2009). Last year, the Brown and Orange played Appalachian State to a scoreless draw in the team's first match at the Davidson adidas Classic in Davidson, N.C. (Sept. 3, 2010).
A GREAT START
Freshman Danny Baraldi was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for the week ending Sunday (Aug. 28). The online soccer publication made the announcement on Sunday evening. Baraldi, in his first collegiate match, scored his first collegiate goal in the 64th minute, giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead in what would prove to be a 2-0 win over nationally-ranked Michigan.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE
The Falcons enter the IPFW match looking to improve to 2-0-0 on the young season. BGSU has not posted two wins in the season's first two matches since 1999. That year, the Falcons began the campaign with wins in the first three games, home contests vs. Dayton, Western Kentucky and DePaul.
STREAK BUSTERS
The Falcons' win over Michigan marked the first time the Brown and Orange had beaten a nationally-ranked team in nearly six years. U-M entered the match ranked ninth in the country in the NSCAA preseason poll. BGSU's last win over a ranked team was a 3-2, double-overtime victory over No. 11 Ohio State on Sept. 23, 2005.
STREAK BUSTERS II
For the Falcons, Friday's win snapped a six-game losing streak to Michigan. BGSU's last win over the Wolverines came in the 2001 season. U-M had scored at least four goals in each of the previous five series meetings, including 5-1 victories in Ann Arbor in each of the last two seasons.
STREAK BUSTERS III
The aforementioned 2005 win over Ohio State was also the last time the Falcons had beaten a team from the Big Ten Conference. BGSU had lost 12 consecutive games vs. Big Ten foes prior to Friday's win over the Wolverines.
ABOUT THE FALCONS.
The Falcons, as mentioned on numerous occasions already, are 1-0-0 on the young season. BGSU opened the 2011 campaign with a 2-0 victory over Michigan on Friday night (Aug. 26).
Freshman Danny Baraldi and sophomore Ryan Snashall each scored goals in the win over U-M, and are currently tied for the team scoring lead with two points apiece. Sophomores Ryan Comiskey, Sam Galloway and Zach Schewee each have one point after picking up an assist in the win.
Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wiest made his first collegiate start, and posted his first shutout as a Falcon. Wiest made five saves in the win.
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 Mid-American Conference ledger of 3-3-0. BGSU, after being picked to place sixth in the MAC in the 2010 preseason coaches poll, tied for third in the league's 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 are junior Joey D'Agostino and Comiskey, each of whom had four points on two goals. Both players scored in the match at Florida Atlantic, a 2-1 BGSU victory that clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament for the Brown and Orange.
Seniors Tanner Fink and Miguel Rosales, redshirt sophomore Brandon Silva and Schewee return after starting all 18 matches last fall. Fink tied for the team lead in minutes played, with 1675, while Silva was on the pitch for 1660 minutes.
Galloway had three assists last fall to lead the returning players, while fifth-year senior Chris Jurtovski had a pair of assists in 2010. Among the returnees, D'Agostino made 15 starts, while junior Zach Lemke started 14 matches and Galloway and fellow sophomore Matt Griesinger 12 apiece.
Senior Byard Ebling is the career scoring leader among active Falcons, with nine points in his BGSU career to date. Jurtovski has six career points, while D'Agostino has five.
All three goalkeepers from last year's club return in 2011. That group includes Rosales, Wiest and junior Dylan Schoettley. Rosales, as mentioned, started every match last fall, Prior to Friday night's win, Wiest's lone appearance had come in relief in last season's Michigan contest. Schoettley played in 10 matches in his freshman season of 2009, starting the last seven contests. Wiest and Schoettley each played 45 minutes in the Falcons' exhibition win over #21 Butler on Aug. 21.
CLEAN SHEET FOR WIEST
Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wiest, as mentioned, had a shutout against Michigan in his first collegiate start. Wiest's 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.
A FEW MORE NOTES ABOUT MICHAEL WIEST
To apply a hockey term, sophomore Michael Wiest has a plus/minus of +3 in his career. He entered last year's match against Michigan with the Falcons trailing by a 5-0 score, and BGSU scored a late goal to make the final 5-1. Friday night, of course, Wiest played all 90 minutes in the 2-0 win.
Wiest's first collegiate save came 29 minutes into Friday's match, when he deflected a hard shot by the Wolverines' Latif Alashe over the crossbar.
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 IPFW match with a record of 10-21-6 with the Falcons and a 69-43-7 mark in his seventh season as a collegiate head coach.
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.
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, the result of voting by the league's seven head coaches, was released by the conference office on Aug. 23. Akron, the defending national champion, was picked to capture the 2011 MAC title. The Zips received 49 points in the voting, and also garned 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 OPPONENTS
IPFW enters Wednesday's match with a record of 1-1-0. The Mastodons opened the season with a decisive 4-1 victory at Milwaukee Friday (Aug. 26), before falling to Bradley by a 1-0 count Sunday (Aug. 28). Senior Max Touloute has figured in the scoring of all four of his team's goals to date, as he had a hat trick and an assist for seven points in the opener. Ryan Bristol has played both games in goal and has 16 saves and a 1.00 GAA. Touloute and Bristol swept the Summit League's player-of-the-week honors on Monday, doing so for the first time in program history. Coach Mike Harper's club is already halfway to last year's win total, having gone 2-13-2 overall and 0-5-1 in the Summit League in 2010. A total of 11 letterwinners, including five starters, returned from that team. The school's athletics web site is www.gomastodons.com.
Cleveland State is 0-1-0 on the season, after suffering a 5-0 road loss to defending national champion Akron on Saturday night (Aug. 27). Last year, the Vikings were the only team to defeat the Zips during their national title run. A year ago, CSU went 9-10-1 overall and 5-3-1 in Horizon League play. Head coach Ali Kazemaini welcomes back nine of the 2010 team's top-10 scorers. The school's athletics web site is www.csuvikings.com.
THE SERIES
The Falcons lead IPFW, 5-3-2, in the all-time series between the teams, and BGSU is unbeaten in the last four meetings. Wednesday's game will mark the 10th consecutive year that the schools have played. The Falcons have a record of 2-2-2 in series meetings played in BG. Three of the last four games have required overtime, including last year's 2-1 Falcon win in Fort Wayne (Oct. 6, 2010). In the last meeting at Cochrane Field, the Falcons and 'Dons battled to a 1-1 draw two years ago (Sept. 20, 2009). The 'Dons were a MAC affiliate member for men's soccer in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
THE BGSU-IPFW SERIES
(BGSU leads, 5-3-2)
Sept. 13, 1982 BGSU 5, at IPFW 0
Oct. 25, 2002 IPFW 2, at BGSU 1
Oct. 10, 2003 BGSU 2, at IPFW 1 (OT)
Oct. 28, 2004 IPFW 7, at BGSU 3
Oct. 30, 2005 at BGSU 2, IPFW 1
Oct. 22, 2006 at IPFW 2, BGSU 1
Oct. 7, 2007 at BGSU 0, IPFW 0 (2-OT)
Sept. 19, 2008 at BGSU 2, IPFW 0
Sept. 20, 2009 at BGSU 1, IPFW 1 (2-OT)
Oct. 6, 2010 BGSU 2, at IPFW 1 (OT)
The Falcons trail Cleveland State by a slim 13-12-1 margin in that series, but BG won the last meeting between the schools. In fact, the Falcons are unbeaten in the last eight matchups, having gone 7-0-1 in that time. BGSU played the Vikings every year for over two decades, from 1973-94. Since 1994, however, the teams have met just four times, with the last coming in 2005. In that most recent meeting, the Brown and Orange picked up a 3-1 win at Cochrane Field (Oct. 26, 2005). BG has a record of 8-5-0 in home games vs. CSU, and the Falcons have won the last six meetings in Bowling Green.
THE BGSU-CLEVELAND STATE SERIES
(CSU leads, 13-12-1)
Oct. 20, 1973 at BGSU 5, Cleveland State 1
Oct. 19, 1974 BGSU 2, at Cleveland State 1
Oct. 18, 1975 Cleveland State 8, at BGSU 1
Oct. 9, 1976 at Cleveland State 2, BGSU 1
Oct. 8, 1977 Cleveland State 2, at BGSU 0
Oct. 18, 1978 at Cleveland State 3, BGSU 2
Oct. 17, 1979 Cleveland State 3, at BGSU 1
Oct. 29, 1980 at Cleveland State 3, BGSU 0
Oct. 27, 1981 Cleveland State 3, at BGSU 2
Oct. 26, 1982 at Cleveland State 5, BGSU 1
Oct. 26, 1983 at BGSU 2, Cleveland State 0
Oct. 24, 1984 at Cleveland State 1, BGSU 0
Oct. 23, 1985 Cleveland State 2, at BGSU 0
Nov. 5, 1986 at Cleveland State 4, BGSU 0
Oct. 9, 1987 at BGSU 1, Cleveland State 0 (OT)
Nov. 2, 1988 at Cleveland State 1, BGSU 0
Nov. 3, 1989 at BGSU 4, Cleveland State 2
Nov. 4, 1990 at Cleveland State 2, BGSU 1
Nov. 3, 1991 BGSU 3, at Cleveland State 0
Oct. 4, 1992 at BGSU 4, Cleveland State 2
Oct. 27, 1993 BGSU 2, at Cleveland State 1
Oct. 26, 1994 at BGSU 2, Cleveland State 1 (OT)
Oct. 26, 2001 BGSU 2, at Cleveland State 0
Nov. 3, 2002 at BGSU 3, Cleveland State 2
Oct. 16, 2003 BGSU 2, at Cleveland State 2 (2-OT)
Oct. 26, 2005 at BGSU 3, Cleveland State 1
FALCON FIRSTS
Friday night's match vs. Michigan marked the first collegiate start for several Falcons, including freshmen Danny Baraldi and Alex Bechtol and sophomore Michael Wiest. Additionally, junior Rodcliff Hall made his first start at BGSU. Hall is in his first season with the Falcons after playing the previous two years at Owens CC.
Baraldi's goal vs. the Wolverines was his first collegiate goal, and also was the first match-winning goal of his BGSU career. Sophomore Ryan Snashall also scored the first goal of his BG tenure, while Wiest kept his first clean sheet.
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 this week's two home matches, the Falcons will hit the road for five consecutive contests. The odyssey begins with a trip to Pittsburgh for a pair of games in the Pitt/Nike Invitational. BGSU will meet Duquesne on Friday, Sept. 9, before taking on Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 11.
Off The Pitch: Andrew Shaffer (Sept. 11, 2025)
Thursday, September 11
Eric Nichols Post-Match Interview (Sept. 5, 2025)
Saturday, September 06
Off The Pitch: Bennett Painter (Sept. 3, 2025)
Thursday, September 04
Eric Nichols Post-Match Interview (Sept. 1, 2025)
Monday, September 01