Falcons Fall to #17/20 Hoosiers, 2-0

Sunday, November 21

Bloomington, IN

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

11-6-3, 2-2-2

#17/20 Indiana

15-5-1, 5-3-0

Bowling Green

Indiana

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

November 21, 2021 | Men's Soccer

Box Score BGSU-IU Stats Coach Nichols Post-Match Interview Photo Gallery

BGSU advances to the NCAA Championships for second-straight season

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team's national tournament run came to an end on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 21), as Indiana University downed the Falcons, 2-0. The NCAA Championships second-round match took place at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

With the win, the 15th-seeded Hoosiers (15-5-1) advance to next weekend's third round to face either Portland or Washington. The Falcons (11-5-3) see the 2021 season come to an close.

Five of BGSU's six losses this season came to teams that advanced to the NCAA Championships.

The Falcons had a 12-6 advantage in total shot attempts and a 3-2 lead in shots on goal, but after a scoreless first half, Victor Bezerra gave the Hoosiers the lead with just under two minutes gone in the second half.

Spencer Glass doubled the home team's lead with just over an hour gone.

QUOTING COACH NICHOLS
"The first word that I come up with when I think about this team is proud. I'm proud of who they are and I'm proud to be a part of it, and I think our athletic department and the BGSU community shares that with us. We had some great moments, some big wins and some firsts. We hit a little bit of a tough patch, but the one thing that was never questioned was character. When we got our second life and got into the tournament, I think that character showed up, and we then experienced one of the biggest moments of this program's long history in going down to Louisville and getting that win. That's something that we will remember for all of our lives."

"Today, we went toe-to-toe with one of the most storied programs in college soccer, and in certain respects, I think we were better. Full credit to them; they've been here before, they know how to win these types of games and they did. But I have nothing but pride for this group."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• 4' | Alberto Anaya played a ball toward Nathan Masters in the IU third, and Masters attempted a one-time shot off of the cross/chip, but the shot at the top of the box went wide.
• 4 | At the other end of the pitch, BGSU goalkeeper Brendan Graves came out of his goalmouth to knock a ball away from IU's Sam Sarvre on the left side of the box.
• 13' | Kale Nichols and Sergi Martinez played a nifty give-and-go, Nichols took Martinez's return pass and hit a shot, but Hoosier 'keeper Roman Celentano made a diving stop.
• 17' | Nichols stole the ball in the IU end and won a corner kick, but the Hoosiers eventually cleared the ball away.
• 20' | After a turnover by the Falcons, a shot by Herbert Endeley was blocked by Jacob Erlandson, and after the ensuing corner, a shot by IU's Victor Bezerra was also blocked.
• 24' | IU's Maouloune Goumballe hit a turnaround shot in the middle of the box that was blocked out for a corner.
• 27' | A long throw by Joey Akpunonu was headed into the center of the penalty area by Jacob Erlandson. IU cleared the ball, but the Falcons quickly put the ball back into the box twice. The first one was cleared, however, and a foul on the Falcons was called on the second.
• 42' | A near chance by IU was thwarted as first Michael Montemurri, then Jacob Erlandson, blocked passes by the Hoosiers.
• 45' | BG won a throw in the final minute deep in the IU end, but the Hoosiers were able to clear the ball away
• 47' | Akpunonu stole a throw by IU 'keeper Celentano, knocking the ball past an opponent and hitting a cross near the end line. But, the cross was just out of reach of Martinez in the box.
• 47' | GOAL | The Hoosiers took the lead at the 46:52 mark. A left-side cross by Ryan Wittenbrink was blocked in box, but the ball fell to Bezerra, who scored from the center of the box, about 10 yards out.
• 54' | CROSSBAR | Jensen Lukacsko won the ball at midfield, then won a challenge and played the ball forward. Kyle Cusimano laid the ball off to Zach Beuscher, who fired a blast from outside the box that rank off of the crossbar.
• 55' | IU quickly had a chance at the other end, but a pass/shot went just past a sliding Hoosier at the far post and out of play for a goal kick.
•57' | IU had a quick counterattack, but an Endeley shot was blocked out of play for a corner kick, and off of that corner, a chip went out of bounds for a BG goal kick.
• 61' | GOAL | The hosts doubled the lead, as Endeley brought the ball into the BG and and slid a pass to Spencer Glass on his left. Glass's one-timer caromed off of the far post and went in.
• 65 | The Falcons, down two, continued to battle. Celentano punched at a ball, and Cusimano collected the rebound and fired a shot that was blocked out for a corner. Off of that kick, a Nichols shot also was deflected by an IU defender.
• 66' | BG put the ball right back in to the IU end, but a Montemurri shot was blocked.
• 68' | A BG long ball ahead was knocked down by Jacob Erlandson, and a long hard shot by Lukacsko went just over the bar.
• 74' | Akpunonu hit a long right-side cross that glanced out of the box, and Martinez put it back into the box from the left side, but it was just out of reach of Jacob Erlandson
• 76' | Another Martinez cross from the left side was headed away by a defender as Roberto Fernandez Garrido battled for it.
• 78' | Lukacsko took a Jacob Erlandson pass and hit another hard shot from distance that whizzed just high.
• 79' | BG won the ball right back, but a chance by Fernandez Garrido was saved.
• 82' | Lukacsko's free kick was met by a Fernandez Garrido header in the box, but the flick-on was saved.
• 84' | Lukacsko served another ball into the box, but no one was able to get a body part on the ball, and it bounced to Celentano.
• 85' | Lukacsko stole a ball at midfield and played it ahead to Abdi Faqi, but Faqi's cross sailed just a little too close to the IU 'keeper, who grabbed it out of the air.
• 87' | Martinez hit a blast from just outside the box that was blocked, and off of a Martinez corner, a Jacob Erlandson header sailed just high.

UP NEXT
• For the second-straight season, the Falcons' year ended in the NCAA Championships.

Gallery: (11-21-2021) M.Soccer at Indiana - Nov 21 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.