This Week In Falcon Athletics (Feb. 22-28)

Each week, the BGSU Strategic Communications Department breaks down the week ahead in athletics and recaps the week gone by. Listed below are all games over the course of the next seven days with links and information for fans. Following that info are recaps, scores and links from games over the past week.

THE WEEK AHEAD

MEN'S GOLF
Feb. 22-23 at Border Olympics, All Day | @BGMensGolf | Live Scoring
The Bowling Green men's golf 2021 spring season begins with a two-day event in Laredo, Texas at the Border Olympics. The event is being hosted by the University of Houston at Laredo Country Club. A total of 36 holes will be played Monday (Feb. 22) with the final 18 holes taking place on Tuesday (Feb. 23). Competing for the Falcons will be Nick Hofland, Tom North, Ward Kyle, Roni Shin and Ian Mackenzie-Olson. The 19-team field includes: Houston, Abilene Christian, Baylor, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Houston Baptist, Illinois State, Kent State, Lamar, Little Rock, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico State, Rice, Sam Houston State, Texas, Texas A&M, ULM and UTSA.

WOMEN'S SOCCER (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Monday, Feb. 22 vs. Saginaw Valley State (exhibition; Rossford, Ohio), 11:30 am | @BGSUWSoc
Friday, Feb. 26 vs. Butler (exhibition; Fort Wayne, Ind.), 2:00 pm | @BGSUWSoc
The Falcons, the two-time defending Mid-American Conference champions, are scheduled to play a pair of scrimmages this week, meeting Saginaw Valley State on Monday morning in Rossford and Butler on Friday afternoon in Fort Wayne, Ind. Head coach Jimmy Walker and the Falcons have seen a number of planned scrimmages postponed or canceled, and the team has not played since a 5-0 victory over Toledo on Feb. 3. SVSU finished 12-7-0 overall and 7-2-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2019, and the Cardinals advanced to the championship match of the GLIAC Tournament. Butler has begun the 2021 season, and the Bulldogs are 3-0-0 on the year after posting a 4-1 win over Dayton on Sunday (Feb. 21). BU has also faced Indianapolis and Marian (Ind.), winning those matches by a combined 17-2. The Falcons, as you know, scored a school-record 46 goals during the 2019 season, en route to winning the MAC's regular-season and tournament titles for the second-straight year. The Falcons have an overall record of 41-18-7 over the last three seasons.

MEN'S SOCCER (1-0, 0-0 MAC)
Tuesday, Feb. 23 vs. Syracuse (Buffalo, N.Y.), 12:30 pm | @BGSUMensSoccer
Saturday, Feb. 27 at Marshall, 3:00 pm | @BGSUMensSoccer
The men's soccer Falcons continue a five-match road swing to begin the 2021 season, meeting a pair of 2019 NCAA Tournament teams this week. BGSU faces Syracuse on Tuesday afternoon in Buffalo, N.Y., before heading to Marshall this weekend. The Falcons opened the season with a 3-2 win over Dayton on Friday, as Dayton native Jacob Erlandson scored the winning goal with under eight minutes left in his first match as a Falcon. Erlandson had three points, on a goal and an assist, while another newcomer, Kyle Cusimano, also found the back of the net. Senior Chris Sullivan was involved in the scoring of all three BG goals, recording the Falcons' second goal of the day and assisting on the other two markers. Syracuse enters Tuesday's match with a 1-3-3 overall record, but the Orange are 1-0-1 in the spring, with a win over Hofstra followed by a draw against Albany. SU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships in 2019. Marshall is 1-0-1 on the year after a 10-1 victory over West Virginia Tech on Sunday. The Thundering Herd went 16-3-3 in 2019, advancing to the round of 16 of the NCAA tourney and setting a school record for wins. Following the win at Dayton, the Falcons are now 19-9-3 over the last 31 matches, dating to late in the 2018 season. Following the Marshall matchup, BG is scheduled to travel to face Kentucky (March 2) and Akron (March 7), before opening the home portion of the schedule on Sunday, March 14, vs. SIUE.

MEN'S BASKETBALL (12-9, 8-7 MAC)
Tuesday, Feb. 23 at Eastern Michigan, 7:00 pm | ESPN+ | Radio | @BGSUMHoops | Live Stats
Friday, Feb. 26 at Akron, 7:00 pm | CBS Sports Network | Radio | @BGSUMHoops | Live Stats
Bowling Green resumes play with a two-game schedule this week. The Falcons will play at Eastern Michigan on Tuesday (Feb. 23) at 7 p.m. before completing the week with a road contest at Akron on Friday (Feb. 26) night. The 7 p.m. game against the Zips will be televised in front of a national audience on CBS Sports Nework. The Falcons will enter play this week on a two-game winning streak, having defeated Toledo on Feb. 13 and Ball State on Feb. 16. Last time out, in a 13-point win in Muncie, fifth-year senior Justin Turner became the 17th player in Mid-American Conference history to score 2,000 points. Turner is up to 2,025 points in the Orange and Brown. The native of Detroit ranks 13th all-time in MAC scoring.

#14 HOCKEY (17-8-1, 6-5-1-0 WCHA)
Wednesday, Feb. 24 vs. Alabama Huntsville, 7:07 pm | FloHockey | Radio | Live Stats | @BGFalconHockey
Sunday, Feb. 28 at Alabama Huntsville, 4:07 pm | FloHockey | Radio | Live Stats | @BGFalconHockey
The Bowling Green hockey team will return to Slater Family Ice Arena this Wednesday (Feb. 24) for the first of two-games against Alabama Huntsville. The home game is set for a 7:0 p.m. puck drop and will be streamed on FloHockey. From there the Falcons and Chargers will shift the series to Huntsville, Ala. for the second game of the home-and-home series. Scheduled for Sunday (Feb. 28) at 4:07 p.m., this game will also be available on FloHockey. The Orange and Brown will take on the Chargers after going 1-0-1 against Northern Michigan this past weekend. Eric Dop was stellar between the pipes for the Falcons in the series, starting both games. After registering his seventh career shutout on a career-high 38 saves on Saturday (Feb. 20), Dop then picked up the win in Sunday's (Feb. 21) 6-2 victory over the Wildcats. Brandon Kruse also tallied his 100th career assist in the win, becoming just the 21st player in program history to do so.

VOLLEYBALL (9-0, 9-0 MAC)
Thursday, Feb. 25 at Kent State, 6:00 pm | ESPN3/+ | Radio | Live Stats | @BGSUVolleyball
Friday, Feb. 26 at Kent State, 5:00 pm | ESPN3/+ | Radio | Live Stats | @BGSUVolleyball
The BGSU volleyball team will take their 9-0 record on the road this weekend to face the Kent State Golden Flashes who will enter 8-1. Being the top two teams in the MAC East, this will be the first meeting of the season between the Falcons and Flashes. Bowling Green is currently off to one of the best starts in program history as well as being one of the best in all of BGSU Athletics over the last 10 years. The Falcons are currently one of just three teams in the nation with a record of 9-0 or better. The only teams with a better record are Texas (14-0) and Kentucky (12-0).

SWIMMING & DIVING (1-2, 1-2 MAC)
Feb. 26-27 at EMU Last Chance Meet, All Day | @FalconSwimDive
The Falcons have their sights set on Eastern Michigan this weekend as they travel up north to compete in the EMU Last Chance Meet. BGSU and EMU tangled in a tight meet at Cooper Pool less than a month ago with the Eagles coming away with a 188.5-179.5 victory. Daisy Platts will attempt to continue her outstanding year as she ranks first in the MAC in the 50 backstroke and the 100 backstroke. BG is coming off a strong outing at the UB Diving Invitational and will work to build on those results.

TRACK & FIELD (1-0)
Feb. 26-27 at MAC Indoor Championships (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), All Day | Live Video Stream | Live Results | @BG_XCTrack
Bowling Green heads to Central Michigan to compete in the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday. The Falcons placed fifth a year ago and will look to improve upon that finish. BGSU ranks among the top 10 in an event 17 times, led by Ryen Draper at second in the 200. Zaresha Neal (shot put), Kailee Perry (3000), Iyanna Ross (400) and Savannah Nevels (60) are all third in the MAC in their respective events.

TENNIS (2-2, 0-0 MAC)
Friday, Feb. 27 vs. Indiana Tech, 12:30 pm | @BGSUTennis
The Bowling Green tennis program will return home this weekend to host Indiana Tech on Friday, being the second home match of the season for the Falcons. The Orange and Brown will enter with a 2-2 record after topping Valparaiso this past Sunday (Feb. 21) in a 6-1 final score. The last time the Falcons were home they were able to capture a 7-0 sweep over Bellarmine. Bowling Green and Indiana Tech last opposed each other during the spring 2020 season on March 6, being the final match for the Falcons before the season was canceled. In that match, the Falcons were able to capture a 7-0 sweep over Indiana Tech at the Perrysburg Tennis Center.

BASEBALL (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Friday, Feb. 26 at Middle Tennessee State, 4:00 pm | @BGSU_Baseball
Saturday, Feb. 27 at Middle Tennessee State, 3:00 pm | @BGSU_Baseball
Sunday, Feb. 28 at Middle Tennessee State, 2:00 pm | @BGSU_Baseball
The Bowling Green baseball program begins its 106th year of baseball this Friday at Middle Tennessee. The Falcons are set to begin the Kyle Hallock Era this weekend. Hallock is the youngest head coach in Division I baseball, and is taking over for long-time skipper Danny Schmitz. Hallock, who was promoted to head coach this summer following Schmitz's retirement, was hired as BGSU's pitching coach in 2018. Bowling Green is scheduled to have three non-conference weekends before opening up Mid-American Conference play at Ohio University over March 19-21. The Falcons' first home series will take place versus Kent State from Aug. 2-4.

SOFTBALL (5-4)
Saturday, Feb. 27 vs. Indiana State (at Bowling Green, Ky.), 12:00 pm ET | @BGSUSoftball
Saturday, Feb. 27 at Western Kentucky, 4:00 pm ET | @BGSUSoftball
Sunday, Feb. 28 vs. Indiana State (at Bowling Green, Ky.), 12:00 pm ET | @BGSUSoftball
Sunday, Feb. 28 at Western Kentucky, 2:00 pm ET | @BGSUSoftball
The Falcons head to Bowling Green, Ky., to play four games in the Hilltopper Classic, facing Indiana State and the host school, Western Kentucky, twice each. ISU and WKU each played at the Chattanooga Challenge over the weekend, with the Sycamores going 1-4 and the Hilltoppers going 4-1. The Falcons went 2-3 over the weekend, at the Winthrop Kickoff Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C. Payton Gottshall picked up right where she left off, throwing three complete games in as many starts. Gottshall has thrown four complete-game shutouts in her five starts this season, and has struck out at least 13 hitters in each of her six games – including one relief appearance – to date. At the plate, redshirt freshman Greta L'Esperance batted .444 in Rock Hill and is now hitting a team-leading .400 on the season. L'Esperance has hit safely in all nine games this season, and has an 11-game hit streak dating to last year. She also has stolen a base in four-straight games and is a perfect 6-for-6 on the year.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (16-4, 12-3 MAC)
Saturday, Feb. 27 at Akron, 2:00 pm | ESPN+ | Radio | Live Stats | @BGSUWbb
The first-place Falcons, after another big win last week, are currently slated to play just one game this week, heading to Akron for a Saturday afternoon matchup with the Zips. On Wednesday, BGSU defeated four-time defending MAC regular-season champion Central Michigan, 76-67, at the Stroh Center. Lexi Fleming scored a game-high 20 points, while Kadie Hempfling had 15 of her 17 points after halftime. The game was close throughout, but BGSU scored the last 12 points of the third quarter and the first two of the fourth to take the lead for good. BGSU's game at Ohio, originally scheduled for Wednesday (Feb. 24), was postponed due to roster issues with Ohio's team related to COVID-19 and subsequent contact tracing. Following the Akron game, BG is scheduled to host Buffalo (March 3) and Kent State (March 6) to end the regular season. In addition to the Ohio game, the Falcons also saw the game at Eastern Michigan (originally scheduled for Feb. 13) postponed, and no makeup date has been scheduled for that game as of yet. BG has clinched a top-eight finish and a trip to downtown Cleveland for the MAC Tournament's quarterfinal round on Wednesday, March 10.

GYMNASTICS (0-6, 0-4 MAC)
Sunday, Feb. 28 at Central Michigan, 2:00 pm | Live Stream (Coming Soon) | Live Stats | @FalconGymn
Coming off of the most successful meet of the season, the Bowling Green gymnastics team heads to Central Michigan Sunday. The two teams competed in Anderson Arena a couple of weeks ago and the Chippewas came away with a 195.050-179.250 victory, however Bowling Green is a much different team now, able to compete with full-strength lineups. BGSU set season best scores on vault, uneven bars and balance beam last time out and the Falcons will work to improve on those scores yet again.

WEEKLY RECAP

MEN'S BASKETBALL (12-9, 8-7 MAC)
W, 75-62 at Ball State | Recap | Box Score

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (16-4, 12-3 MAC)
W, 76-67 vs. Central Michigan | Recap | Box Score

VOLLEYBALL (9-0, 9-0 MAC)
W, 3-1 vs. Ohio | Recap | Box Score

TRACK AND FIELD (1-0)
Al Campbell Invitational (at Akron) | Recap

SWIMMING & DIVING (1-2, 1-2 MAC)
at Buffalo Diving Invitational | Recap

SOFTBALL (5-4)
W, 2-0 at Winthrop | Recap | Box Score
L, 10-1 at Winthrop | Recap | Box Score
L, 2-0 vs. Stony Brook (at Winthrop) | Recap | Box Score
L, 10-3 vs. Furman (at Winthrop) | Recap | Box Score
W, 1-0 vs. Radford (at Winthrop) | Recap | Box Score

MEN'S SOCCER (1-0, 0-0 MAC)
W, 3-2 at Dayton | Recap | Box Score

GYMNASTICS (0-6, 0-4 MAC)
L, 195.550-193.250 vs. Ball State | Recap | Box Score

TENNIS (2-2, 0-0 MAC)
L, 5-2 at Xavier | Recap
W, 6-1 at Valparaiso | Recap

#14 HOCKEY (17-8-1, 6-5-1-0 WCHA)
T, 0-0 (SOL) at Northern Michigan | Recap | Box Score
W, 6-2 at Northern Michigan | Recap | Box Score

Calendar

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Players Mentioned

Kyle Cusimano

Eric Dop

Ryen Draper

Jacob Erlandson

Lexi Fleming

Payton Gottshall

Kadie Hempfling

Brandon Kruse

Greta L'Esperance

Ian Mackenzie-Olson

Zaresha Neal

Savannah Nevels

Tom North

Kailee Perry

Daisy Platts

Iyanna Ross

Roni Shin

Chris Sullivan

Justin Turner

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

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