Falcons Systematically Dismantle GSU, 4-0

Saturday, October 9

Bowling Green, OH

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

9-2-1, 2-0-0

Georgia Southern

4-7-0, 0-2-0

Ga. Southern

Bowling Green

BGSU Men's Soccer Senior Night - Oct 9 2021

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

October 09, 2021 | Men's Soccer

Box Score BGSU-GSU Stats BGSU-GSU Highlights Buescher Post-Match Interview McCort Post-Match Interview Coach Nichols Post-Match Interview BGSU Men's Soccer on Twitter BGSU Men's Soccer Media Guide / Record Book Give to the Falcon Club Get Your Nike Sideline Gear Photo Gallery

BGSU improves to 2-0-0 in the MAC with Senior Night win

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team put together a complete performance on Saturday night (Oct. 9), dispatching Georgia Southern University, 4-0. The Mid-American Conference match was held at Cochrane Stadium.

On Senior Night, the Falcons (9-2-1, 2-0-0 MAC) scored twice in each half, with blasts by Joey Akpunonu and Alberto Anaya staking BGSU to a 2-0 lead at the break.

Nathan Masters scored just 25 seconds into the second half, and if there was any lingering doubt about the outcome, a Kale Nichols goal midway through the half effectively sealed the deal.

The Falcons, who are ranked 23rd in the nation in this week's College Soccer News poll, did not allow a shot on goal. BGSU had a 14-3 advantage over the Eagles (4-7-0, 0-2-0 MAC), a first-year MAC affiliate member for men's soccer, and the Orange and Brown enjoyed a 9-0 lead in shots on goal.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT – TWO AND OH
• The Falcons are off to a 2-0-0 start in Mid-American Conference play for the first time in nearly two decades.
• The 2002 team defeated Buffalo at home (3-0) and Northern Illinois on the road (2-1) to open conference play. That '02 club tied for the MAC regular-season title with a 4-1-0 league record.

BONUS NOTE OF THE NIGHT – FALCONS BY FOUR
• BGSU scored four goals in a match for the first time in nearly two years, since a 4-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne at Cochrane on Oct. 22, 2019.
• The Falcons had not scored four goals against a MAC opponent in almost 12 years, since a 4-3 win at Buffalo on Oct. 16, 2009. That UB match marked the first MAC win in the Eric Nichols Era at BGSU.

FALCONS REACT
"This was just a professional effort all the way through. The soccer was good, the emotion was good, the concentration was good. We got some special efforts in front of goal, kept a clean sheet and really didn't give them many chances. It was just a professional performance ." – Head Coach Eric Nichols

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Less than two minutes into the contest, the Falcons had a good scoring chance. A BG corner kick was headed out of the box by a GSU defender, but Nathan Masters tracked the ball down on the far side of the field. Masters slid a pass back to Joey Akpunonu, who quickly played a cross into the danger zone. Kyle Cusimano met the ball with a diving header, but hit shot from approximately six yards out went just wide of the left post.
• Seven minutes in, Jensen Lukacsko blocked a pass as the Eagles looked to get the ball out of their own end. The ball was picked up by Masters, who drew a bevy of defenders toward him before slipping a pass to Alberto Anaya. Anaya's hard shot from the circle at the top of the 18 was tipped over the bar by GSU goalkeeper Jokull Blaengsson.
• GOAL | In the 14th minute of the match, pressure by Cusimano forced the Eagles to knock the ball out of play for a throw-in, deep in the GSU defensive end of the field. Cusimano took that throw, and the ball bounced into the box where Masters uncorked a hard shot that was blocked by a defender on the goal line. The ball caromed out of the penalty area to Akpunonu, who fired an absolute rocket that found the upper right corner of the net.
• Just over 11 minutes remained before halftime when the Falcons put together a nifty passing sequence involving Cusimano, Sergi Martinez and Kale Nichols.Martinez played a cross from the left side of the box back toward the top of the penalty area. A nifty dummy by Nichols saw the ball roll to Anaya, who put another hard shot on frame, but it was deflected out of play by a defender.
• Only one minute later, Roberto Fernandez Garrido made a nifty move to get past his man and keep the ball in play on the right side of the box. He slid a centering ball to Anaya, but Anaya's shot went just wide of the right post.
• GOAL | One minute after that, however, Anaya had another chance, and this time he made the most of it. BG stole the ball back after a goal kick, and Lukacsko and Carter Womack worked a combination play on the right side of the field. The duo exchanged several passes, before Lukacsko played Womack toward the end line. Womack's cross found Anaya, who raced into the box and hit a bouncer that found the right corner of the net.
• GOAL | BGSU added to the lead with a textbook goal, scoring only 25 seconds into the second half. After a BG throw-in near midfield, Jacob Erlandson played the ball forward, and Cusimano's flick put Martinez into space. He entered the left side of the penalty area and hit a low ball into the center of the six-yard box, where the onrushing Masters knocked it home just before he was hit by Blaengsson.
• Six minutes into the period, Cusimano took a Michael Montemurri pass and made a nifty move to elude a defender near the end line. Cusimano's centering ball found Zach Buescher in the center of the box. Buescher settled the ball and hit a curving shot toward the right post, but it was blocked by a defender on the goal line.
• Nichols brought the ball down the right side and crossed the ball to Anaya, who attempted to chip it into the upper-left-hand corner of the net, but Blaengsson made the stop in the 54th minute of the match.
• GOAL | Nichols capped the scoring midway through the second half. Off of a Cusimano throw-in, one of Erlandson's patented flick-ons sent the ball into the box. Nichols was there for a quick one-time shot across his body, putting the Falcons up by four goals.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• BGSU had a 14-3 lead in total shot attempts, and the Falcons had nine shots on goal, while holding the Eagles without a single shot on frame.
• Four different Falcons scored a goal in the win. Nathan Masters had a goal and an assist, while Kyle Cusimano had a two-assist night.
• Jokull Blaengsson made three saves in goal for the Eagles, while Maverick Boring did not face a shot in 15-plus minutes of relief work.
• BGSU's Logan Kowalczyk did not face a shot on goal in 90 minutes of action, as the Falcon defense allowed just three total shots – all off target – on the night.
• Saturday was Senior Night at Cochrane Stadium, with five Falcons recognized in ceremonies prior to kickoff. That quintet included Zach Buescher, Jacob Erlandson, Roberto Fernandez Garrido, Colin McCort and Alec Srodawa.
• The Falcons are now 8-3-2 in Senior Day/Night matches at Cochrane Stadium since Eric Nichols became head coach. BG is unbeaten in the last nine such games, having outscored opponents by an 18-3 count while going 7-0-2 in those nine contests.
• Overall, the Falcons now have a record of 34-16-5 over the last 55 matches, dating to late in the 2018 season. Twelve of the 16 setbacks in that time have come by a single goal.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons hit the road for the next four matches, beginning with a trip to the MAC's 'West Coast' next weekend. BGSU faces Northern Illinois University next Saturday (Oct. 16), with first touch set for 8:00 p.m. ET.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will travel to face Purdue Fort Wayne (Oct. 19), Akron (Oct. 22) and Oakland (Oct. 26).
• BGSU's lone remaining home regular-season contest is against Western Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 30.

Gallery: (10-9-2021) M.Soccer v Georgia Southern - Oct 9 2021

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on the men's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUmenssoccer), Instagram (bgsumenssoccer) and Facebook (BGMensSoccer) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.