Falcons Head to Music City for Weekend Tournament

The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team, after posting a pair of wins in Western Pennsylvania, now heads south for a second tournament in as many weekends. The Falcons of head coach Eric Nichols will travel to Nashville, Tenn., to take part in the Hyatt Place Brentwood Invitational. BGSU will meet Belmont University on Friday (Sept. 16) before facing tournament host Lipscomb University (Sept. 18). Both of the Falcons' matches are scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Central Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern). The tourney will be held at E.S. Rose Park.

CUMULATIVE STATS: BGSU   |   Belmont   |   Lipscomb
Scroll to the bottom of the page for an interview with BGSU head coach Eric Nichols

FALCONS vs. BELMONT
Friday, September 16, 2011 • 3:30 p.m. CT
VENUE: E.S. Rose Park; Nashville, Tenn.
RECORDS:
• BGSU: 4-1-0 (6-9-3, 3-3-0 Mid-American Conference in 2010)
• Belmont: 2-3-0 (6-12-0, 3-6-0 Atlantic Sun Conference in 2010)
SERIES*: First Meeting   |   STREAK: N/A
LAST MEETING: N/A
LAST MEETING IN NASHVILLE: N/A
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 13-22-6 in third year at BGSU; 72-44-7 in seventh year overall
• Belmont: Earle Davidson (Vanderbilt, 1989), 80-160-14 in 15th year at BU and overall
LIVE STATS: Available at www.LipscombSports.com and right here at BGSUFalcons.com

FALCONS vs. LIPSCOMB
Sunday, September 18, 2011 • 3:30 p.m. CT
VENUE: E.S. Rose Park; Nashville, Tenn.
RECORDS:
• BGSU: 4-1-0 (6-9-3, 3-3-0 Mid-American Conference in 2010) – Falcons play Belmont Friday
• Lipscomb: 1-5-0 (10-9-0, 5-4-0 Atlantic Sun Conference in 2010) – Bisons play IPFW Friday
SERIES*: Lipscomb leads, 1-0-0   |   STREAK: LU - 1
LAST MEETING: Lipscomb 2, at BGSU 0 (Sept. 26, 2010)
LAST MEETING IN NASHVILLE: N/A
COACHES:
• BGSU: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), 13-22-6 in third year at BGSU; 72-44-7 in seventh year overall
• Lipscomb: Charles Morrow (Lipscomb, 1996), 43-66-12 in eighth year at LU, 63-81-18 in 10th year overall
LIVE STATS: Available at www.LipscombSports.com and right here at BGSUFalcons.com
* 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

CHANGES ANNOUNCED FOR THIS WEEKEND'S TOURNEY
With renovation continuing on the Lipscomb Soccer Complex, Lipscomb University announced that this weekend's tournament would be moved to E.S. Rose Park. Additionally, Friday's match times were changed. BGSU's match vs. Belmont, originally scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT, has been moved to 3:30 p.m. CT. The complete revised tournament schedule follows.
HYATT PLACE BRENTWOOD INVITATIONAL
(all matches at E.S. Rose Park – all times Central)
Friday, Sept. 16
Bowling Green vs. Belmont, 3:30 pm
IPFW vs. Lipscomb, 6:00 pm

Sunday, Sept. 18
Belmont vs. IPFW, 1:00 pm
Bowling Green vs. Lipscomb, 3:30 pm

NCAA STATISTICAL NOTE (FOR STATS GEEKS SUCH AS THE WRITER OF THIS NOTE)
E.S. Rose Park, the new site of this weekend's tournament, is Belmont's home field. After consultation with members of the NCAA office, it has been determined that both of BGSU's matches this weekend, vs. BU and Lipscomb, should be listed as road (not neutral-site) games.

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.

LAST WEEK
The Falcons won a pair of matches at the Pitt/Nike Invitational over the weekend, downing Duquesne and host Pittsburgh. On Friday (Sept. 16), junior Rodcliff Hall scored in the 104th minute to give BGSU a double-overtime victory over DU. Sophomore Michael Wiest made seven saves – including a diving stop on a penalty kick in the second half – en route to his third shutout of the season.

Sunday afternoon (Sept. 18), freshman Danny Baraldi's goal with 7:16 left in the second half lifted the Brown and Orange to victory over host Pittsburgh. Hall assisted on the goal, with a through-ball that led to Baraldi's far-post blast from more than 20 yards out. Senior Miguel Rosales, playing his first match of the season, recorded two saves to earn the shutout in net.

FALCONS IN THE RANKINGS
BGSU is listed in several team and individual categories in the latest NCAA statistical rankings, released Tuesday (Sept. 13). The Falcons are tied for third in the nation in shutouts per game (0.80; four shutouts in five matches), and BGSU is 15th in the nation in goals-against average (0.39). Individually, sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wiest currently is tied for ninth in the country in saves percentage (.909) and is 19th in GAA (0.48).

FALCONS IN THE RANKINGS II
BGSU was listed in the NSCAA's regional rankings this week. The Falcons are ninth in the Great Lakes Region in the latest poll, released Tuesday (Sept. 13).

STREAKY
Though the season is still young, the BGSU defense has already put together several impressive shutout streaks. The Falcons began the season by going a total of 244:38 without allowing a goal. BG then gave up two goals in a span of just 2:18 against Cleveland State (Sept. 3), before beginning another shutout streak. Since allowing that second goal to the Vikings, the Falcons have gone 216:29 without allowing another score.

GREAT START
BGSU is 4-1-0 on the young season. The Falcons are off to the program's best start since the 1996 season. That '96 team went 4-0-1 to begin the year, and wound up with a record of 18-4-1, winning both the MAC's regular-season and tournament titles.

ABOUT THE FALCONS.
The Falcons, as mentioned, are 4-1-0 on the season. After opening the campaign with a 2-0 victory over then ninth-ranked Michigan (Aug. 26), BGSU 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 headed to Pittsburgh and picked up a pair of 1-0 wins last weekend, downing Duquesne in double overtime Friday (Sept. 9) and Pittsburgh in regulation Sunday (Sept. 11).

A pair of first-year Falcons are the team's top-two scorers to date. Freshman Danny Baraldi has six points, while junior Rodcliff Hall has five. Both players have two goals, and both have a pair of game-winning goals. Hall is tied for the team lead with two assists.

Sophomores Ryan Comiskey and Ryan Snashall each have four points, on a goal and two assists, while redshirt junior Zach Lemke has scored three points on the year. Redshirt soph Brandon Silva has two points on the young season.

Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wiest started the first four matches of the season, and had three shutouts in those four contests. He has 20 saves, a saves percentage of .909 and a goals-against average of just 0.48. He posted shutouts in each of his first two collegiate starts, vs. ninth-ranked Michigan and IPFW, and also kept a clean sheet vs. Duquesne.

Redshirt senior Miguel Rosales saw his first action of the season in the Pittsburgh match, and made a pair of saves to record his first shutout of the year and the seventh of his BGSU career.

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.

Two Falcon defenders, senior Tanner Fink and freshman Alex Bechtol, have played all 463-plus minutes this season, while soph Zach Schewee has played 448. Baraldi and sophomore Sam Galloway have played 433 and 413 minutes, respectively, this season, while Lemke has been on the pitch for 412 minutes.

A total of eight Falcons have started all five games to date. That list includes Baraldi, Bechtol, Fink, Galloway, Hall, Lemke, Schewee and Snashall.

BG TRIO EARNS ALL-TOURNEY HONORS
Junior Rodcliff Hall, sophomore Michael Wiest and freshman Danny Baraldi were named to the all-tournament team at the Pitt/Nike Invitational. Hall figured in the scoring of both BGSU goals, with a 'Golden Goal' in Friday's (Sept. 9) win over Duquesne, and the assist on Baraldi's goal against Pitt on Sunday (Sept. 11).

Baraldi's goal was a blast from more than 20 yards out that found the side netting just inside the far post in the 83rd minute of that Pitt match.

Wiest earned a shutout in the Duquesne match, making seven saves. That save total included a diving stop of a DU penalty-kick try in the second half.

ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET FOR WIEST
• Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wiest has had three shutouts in his first four collegiate starts, and currently ranks among the NCAA leaders in saves percentage (T-9th) and goals-against average (19th). Wiest had a shutout against Michigan in his first collegiate start, and followed that up with another clean sheet vs. IPFW. He also blanked Duquesne in the Falcons' double-OT win, making a diving save of a DU penalty kick in the second half.

• Wiest has played over 373 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.

A FEW MORE NOTES ABOUT MICHAEL WIEST
Sophomore Michael Wiest, after posting two shutouts in his first two career starts, finally had to fish a ball out of the back of the net in the Cleveland State match (Sept. 3. He allowed the first two goals of his collegiate career vs. the Vikings. The first goal snapped Wiest's streak of nearly 274 minutes (273:54, to be exact) of shutout ball to begin his career.

A CLEAN SHEET FOR ROSALES, TOO
Fifth-year senior Miguel Rosales had his first shutout of the season in his first match of the season, making two stops in BG's win at Pittsburgh. Rosales, in his second year at BGSU, has posted seven complete-match shutouts in his Falcon career. His total of six shutouts last season was the most by a BGSU 'keeper since the 2001 campaign (David DeGraff, seven).

THE FALCONS AND THE SHUTOUT
BGSU has posted four shutouts, as mentioned, through the season's first five games. The Falcons began the season by blanking Michigan and IPFW. That marked the first back-to-back shutouts for BGSU in eight years (2003 vs. Cincinnati and UW-Green Bay). After giving up a pair of goals vs. Cleveland State, the Brown and Orange again posted back-to-back shutouts, against Duquesne and Pittsburgh.

WORKING OVERTIME
• The Falcons' win at Duquesne marked the team's first overtime match of the season. BGSU played four overtime matches in 2010, with all four coming away from home. The Falcons went 1-0-3 in those contests.

• The Falcons now have a record of 2-1-6 in overtime matches during the Eric Nichols Era. That mark includes a record of 2-0-4 in overtime games played away from home. The Falcons have not lost an OT game away from BG since a 2-1 loss at Florida Atlantic in the 2008 season.

HALL IS GOLDEN
Following his goal at Duquesne, junior Rodcliff Hall is the lone member of the current team to have scored a 'Golden Goal' during his BGSU career. Both of Hall's goals this season have been game-winning goals, and his lone assist also came on a GWG, Danny Baraldi's goal vs. Pittsburgh.

BARALDI STRIKES LATE
Freshman Danny Baraldi, as mentioned, scored with less than eight minutes left to lift the Falcons to victory at Pittsburgh. Baraldi leads the team with six points on the year. Both of his goals have been game winners, against Michigan and Pitt. Baraldi had a two-assist game, including a helper on Rodcliff Hall's winner, vs. IPFW.

BGSU ON THE OFFENSIVE
The Falcons have scored eight goals through five matches this season to date, an average of 1.6 goals per game. Last fall, BGSU had a total of 15 goals in 18 matches (0.83 goals per game).

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 Belmont match with a record of 13-22-6 with the Falcons and a 72-44-7 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.

THE OPPONENTS
Belmont enters Friday's match with a record of 2-3-0. The Bruins have wins over Missouri State and VMI and losses against Memphis, UCF and Georgia Southern. This weekend's tourney, though hosted by Lipscomb, will be played on Belmont's home pitch. Edgardo Padilla and Brandon Tarr each have four points on two goals this season. Lou Manning has played all five matches in net, and has 22 saves and a GAA of 1.80. Head coach Earle Davidson welcomed back 16 letterwinners, including all 11 starters, from last year's club. The 2010 Bruins went 6-12-0 overall and 3-6-0 in Atlantic Sun Conference play. The school's athletics web site is www.BelmontBruins.com.

Lipscomb is 1-5-0 on the year, heading into Friday's match vs. IPFW. The Bisons split two matches last weekend, with a 1-0 win over VMI and a 3-1 loss to Georgia Southern. Three different players have scored one goal apiece for LU this season to date. Brent McGee has played every minute in goal, and has one shutout, 24 saves and a 2.00 GAA. Head coach Charles Morrow returned 17 letterwinners, including eight starters, from last year's club that went 10-9-0 overall and 5-4-0 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The school's athletics web site is www.LipscombSports.com.

THE SERIES
The Falcons trail Lipscomb, 1-0-0, in the all-time series between the teams, with the lone meeting coming at Cochrane Field last season (Sept. 26, 2010). The Bisons got a goal just 31 seconds into the second half to break a scoreless tie, then doubled the lead in the 70th minute. Brent McGee made one save in his shutout effort.
THE BGSU-LIPSCOMB SERIES
(Lipscomb leads, 1-0-0)
Sept. 26, 2010 -- Lipscomb 2, at BGSU 0

The Falcons and Belmont have never met in men's soccer.

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 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 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 trip to Nashville, the Falcons will wrap up a five-match road swing with a match at Detroit on Wednesday (Sept. 21). After the UDM match, BGSU will be idle until a home contest against IUPUI on Friday, Sept. 30.

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