
Nathan Masters scored his first collegiate goal on Tuesday vs. SU
Photo by: Brendan Ross, XU Athletics
Falcons Down Syracuse, 2-1, Tuesday Afternoon
February 23, 2021 | Men's Soccer
BGSU moves to 2-0-0 on the young season
ELMA, N.Y. – Nathan Masters and Kyle Cusimano scored to lift the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team to a 2-1 win over Syracuse University Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 23). The match was held at Sahlen's Sports Park.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 2-0-0 on the year, following Friday's (Feb. 19) season-opening victory over Dayton. The Orange dropped to 1-4-3 overall, but the loss was the first setback for SU in three spring outings (now 1-1-1). Syracuse, which played a fall schedule, received votes in this week's College Soccer News national poll.
Masters, a sophomore, gave the Falcons the lead in the 16th minute. He scored off of a corner kick by senior Chris Sullivan. For Masters, the goal was the first of his collegiate career.
Early in the second half, the Falcons took advantage of a miscue by SU goalkeeper Russell Shealy. Freshman Kyle Cusimano scored his second goal in as many career games, with Sullivan again providing the assist.
Just under four minutes after Cusimano's goal, the Orange cut the lead in half with a penalty kick. That PK, by Simon Triantafillou in the 58th minute, got SU within a single goal, but it was the only goal sophomore Logan Kowalczyk would allow.
Kowalczyk, making his first collegiate start, had two saves to earn the second win of his BGSU career.
QUOTING COACH NICHOLS
"The boys love the challenge that these big games bring, and they stepped up and met this one head on. This is one of those wins that we will all remember for a long time."
STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Nathan Masters, as mentioned, scored his first collegiate goal against the Orange on Tuesday. The sophomore now has four career points on the goal and two assists.
• Freshman Kyle Cusimano scored his second goal in as many career games. Cusimano scored BGSU's first goal in Friday's (Feb. 19) win over Dayton, and scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal vs. SU.
• Senior Chris Sullivan has scored a team-leading six points this season. With a goal and four assists, Sullivan has been involved in the scoring of all five BGSU goals in 2021.
• The two-assist match was Sullivan's second in as many games, and the fourth of his Falcon career.
• Sullivan now has career totals of 41 points on 12 goals and 17 assists.
• Sophomore 'keeper Logan Kowalczyk improved his career record to 2-0-0, making two saves vs. the Orange. He played in one game in 2019, coming off the bench to play 70-plus minutes and pick up a win.
• BGSU now leads Syracuse, 2-1-0, in the all-time series.
• Tuesday's win was the Falcons' first over an Atlantic Coast Conference team in over nine years, since a victory at Pitt on Sept. 11, 2011.
• The Falcons are now 11-9-1 against current members of the ACC. BGSU is 2-1-0 against SU, Pitt and Louisville, and BG is 4-6-1 against Notre Dame and 1-0-0 vs. North Carolina. The Falcons have never faced Boston College, Clemson, Duke, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech or Wake Forest in men's soccer.
• The Falcons now have a record of 20-9-3 over the last 32 matches, dating to late in the 2018 season.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons continue a season-opening stretch of five matches away from home, heading to Huntington, W.Va., this weekend. BGSU will face Marshall on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 27), with first touch set for 3:00 p.m.
• The Marshall match is the first of three-straight games against nationally-ranked teams for the Falcons. BGSU will meet Kentucky (March 2) and Akron (March 7) on the road, before opening the home portion of the schedule vs. SIUE on Sunday, March 14.
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.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 2-0-0 on the year, following Friday's (Feb. 19) season-opening victory over Dayton. The Orange dropped to 1-4-3 overall, but the loss was the first setback for SU in three spring outings (now 1-1-1). Syracuse, which played a fall schedule, received votes in this week's College Soccer News national poll.
Masters, a sophomore, gave the Falcons the lead in the 16th minute. He scored off of a corner kick by senior Chris Sullivan. For Masters, the goal was the first of his collegiate career.
Early in the second half, the Falcons took advantage of a miscue by SU goalkeeper Russell Shealy. Freshman Kyle Cusimano scored his second goal in as many career games, with Sullivan again providing the assist.
Just under four minutes after Cusimano's goal, the Orange cut the lead in half with a penalty kick. That PK, by Simon Triantafillou in the 58th minute, got SU within a single goal, but it was the only goal sophomore Logan Kowalczyk would allow.
Kowalczyk, making his first collegiate start, had two saves to earn the second win of his BGSU career.
QUOTING COACH NICHOLS
"The boys love the challenge that these big games bring, and they stepped up and met this one head on. This is one of those wins that we will all remember for a long time."
STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Nathan Masters, as mentioned, scored his first collegiate goal against the Orange on Tuesday. The sophomore now has four career points on the goal and two assists.
• Freshman Kyle Cusimano scored his second goal in as many career games. Cusimano scored BGSU's first goal in Friday's (Feb. 19) win over Dayton, and scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal vs. SU.
• Senior Chris Sullivan has scored a team-leading six points this season. With a goal and four assists, Sullivan has been involved in the scoring of all five BGSU goals in 2021.
• The two-assist match was Sullivan's second in as many games, and the fourth of his Falcon career.
• Sullivan now has career totals of 41 points on 12 goals and 17 assists.
• Sophomore 'keeper Logan Kowalczyk improved his career record to 2-0-0, making two saves vs. the Orange. He played in one game in 2019, coming off the bench to play 70-plus minutes and pick up a win.
• BGSU now leads Syracuse, 2-1-0, in the all-time series.
• Tuesday's win was the Falcons' first over an Atlantic Coast Conference team in over nine years, since a victory at Pitt on Sept. 11, 2011.
• The Falcons are now 11-9-1 against current members of the ACC. BGSU is 2-1-0 against SU, Pitt and Louisville, and BG is 4-6-1 against Notre Dame and 1-0-0 vs. North Carolina. The Falcons have never faced Boston College, Clemson, Duke, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech or Wake Forest in men's soccer.
• The Falcons now have a record of 20-9-3 over the last 32 matches, dating to late in the 2018 season.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons continue a season-opening stretch of five matches away from home, heading to Huntington, W.Va., this weekend. BGSU will face Marshall on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 27), with first touch set for 3:00 p.m.
• The Marshall match is the first of three-straight games against nationally-ranked teams for the Falcons. BGSU will meet Kentucky (March 2) and Akron (March 7) on the road, before opening the home portion of the schedule vs. SIUE on Sunday, March 14.
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.
Team Stats
BGU
SYR
Goals
2
1
Shots
7
7
Shots on Goal
3
3
Saves
2
1
Corners
7
7
Fouls
5
4
Scoring Plays

Nathan Masters (1)
Assisted By: Chris Sullivan
GOAL by BGU Masters, Nathan Assist by Sullivan, Chris.
15:44

Kyle Cusimano (2)
Assisted By: Chris Sullivan
GOAL by BGU Cusimano, Kyle Assist by Sullivan, Chris.
53:36

Simon Triantafillou
SYR Simon Triantafillou PENALTY KICK GOAL.
57:26
Game Leaders
Players
Players Mentioned
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