Bowling Green State University Athletics
Saturday, September 17
USAF Academy, Colo.
8:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
at
Air Force
Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics
Falcons Fly West to Face Air Force
September 15, 2022 | Men's Soccer
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Falcons v Falcons on Saturday night
FALCONS at AIR FORCE – Saturday, September 17
8:00 p.m. ET | Cadet Soccer Stadium | USAF Academy, Colo.
• Video/Web Stream: WAC International TV •
• Live Stats: GoAirForceFalcons.com | Twitter: @BGSUmenssoccer •
FIRST TOUCH
• The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team heads to Colorado for yet another tough non-conference test this weekend. Head coach Eric Nichols and the Falcons face Air Force on Saturday evening (Sept. 17), with first touch set for 6:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. ET).
HOW TO FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• Saturday's match will be streamed on WAC International TV. Live stats and Twitter updates (@BGSUmenssoccer), as always, will also be available. (NOTE: The WAC International stream is free, but individuals interested in watching the match will need to create a login.)
• Links to live audio/video/stats for all 2022 matches can be found on the web at BGSUFalcons.com (on the men's soccer schedule page as well as at the top of the main page) on game day.
FASCINATING FALCON FACTS
• The Falcons enter the Air Force matchup with an overall record of 0-2-3 on the young season. BGSU has allowed just three goals in five matches, with one coming via a penalty kick, but the Falcons have scored just one goal themselves.
• BGSU will meet another group of Falcons who are off to a similar start to the season on Saturday night. Air Force is also looking for win number one, as those Falcons are 0-3-2 on the year. All five matches took place on the road, with four coming against nationally-ranked teams.
• BGSU played three-straight Big Ten teams prior to the trip to Colorado. Most recently, the Falcons outshot Michigan State by a 27-10 count, but the teams battled to a 1-1 draw at Cochrane Stadium on Friday night (Sept. 9). Joey Akpunonu scored the team's first goal of the season after Kyle Cusimano was taken down in the box.
• The MSU match came after BGSU battled Michigan to a scoreless draw on Labor Day (Sept. 5) in Ann Arbor. The Falcons tripled up the Wolverines in shot attempts, with BG's 15-5 advantage including a 6-1 lead in shots on goal.
• The Falcons opened the season with a scoreless tie at DePaul, before suffering 1-0 losses at Loyola (Ill.) and at home against Ohio State. In both setbacks, the opponent scored in the 80th minute or later.
• Akpunonu has earned a pair of honors this week. On Tuesday, he was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week. One day later, Akpunonu – who has a 4.000 cumulative GPA as a biology major – was named the Mid-American Conference's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
• Brendan Graves and the BGSU back line have been stellar in goal this season so far. Graves has allowed just three goals – including one on a PK – in 450 minutes of action. Graves has 13 saves and leads the Mid-American Conference with a goals-against average of 0.60 this season. He now has a career GAA of 1.23 and four shutouts in 12 career starts.
• Head coach Eric Nichols and the Falcons finished the fall 2021 season with an overall record of 11-6-3, and BGSU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships. BG picked up a 1-0 victory at Louisville in the opening round, marking the fifth NCAA Tournament victory in program history, and the first since 1997.
• BGSU achieved a feat that will be very difficult to repeat, as the Falcons advanced to the NCAA Championships twice in the 2021 calendar year. BG won the MAC regular-season title in the spring of 2021.
• In fact, both the BGSU men's and women's soccer programs advanced to both the 2020 (spring 2021) and 2021 NCAA Championships. Bowling Green was one of just five schools to turn that trick, joining Clemson, Georgetown, North Carolina and Penn State.
• Entering the Air Force match, the Falcons have an overall record of 36-22-10 over the last 68 games, dating to midway through the 2018 season. Fourteen of the 22 setbacks in that time have come by a single goal.
THE OPPONENT
• Air Force enters Saturday's match with a record of 0-3-2. All five matches took place on the road, with four coming against top-25 teams. The Falcons dropped 2-1 decisions at #24 North Carolina and #15 Wake Forest, then played #25 Missouri State to a scoreless draw. Most recently, Air Force battled #3 Washington to a 1-1 tie in Seattle. Thaddaeus Dewing leads the team with six points, and has scored three of the Falcons' four goals this fall. John Byszewski has a played all 450 minutes in goal, and has 22 saves, one shutout and a 1.60 GAA. Last season, the Falcons went 10-8-1 overall and 8-3-0 in Western Athletic Conference play.
THE SERIES
• BGSU and Air Force are meeting for the first time in men's soccer. The Falcons have played only two total matches against schools currently in the WAC, with a pair of losses to UNLV.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons will end the month of September with a pair of home matchups, beginning next Friday (Sept. 23) when Oakland comes to Cochrane.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will open the Mid-American Conference schedule against Western Michigan on Sept. 27.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on the BGSU 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.
8:00 p.m. ET | Cadet Soccer Stadium | USAF Academy, Colo.
• Video/Web Stream: WAC International TV •
• Live Stats: GoAirForceFalcons.com | Twitter: @BGSUmenssoccer •
FIRST TOUCH
• The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team heads to Colorado for yet another tough non-conference test this weekend. Head coach Eric Nichols and the Falcons face Air Force on Saturday evening (Sept. 17), with first touch set for 6:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. ET).
HOW TO FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• Saturday's match will be streamed on WAC International TV. Live stats and Twitter updates (@BGSUmenssoccer), as always, will also be available. (NOTE: The WAC International stream is free, but individuals interested in watching the match will need to create a login.)
• Links to live audio/video/stats for all 2022 matches can be found on the web at BGSUFalcons.com (on the men's soccer schedule page as well as at the top of the main page) on game day.
FASCINATING FALCON FACTS
• The Falcons enter the Air Force matchup with an overall record of 0-2-3 on the young season. BGSU has allowed just three goals in five matches, with one coming via a penalty kick, but the Falcons have scored just one goal themselves.
• BGSU will meet another group of Falcons who are off to a similar start to the season on Saturday night. Air Force is also looking for win number one, as those Falcons are 0-3-2 on the year. All five matches took place on the road, with four coming against nationally-ranked teams.
• BGSU played three-straight Big Ten teams prior to the trip to Colorado. Most recently, the Falcons outshot Michigan State by a 27-10 count, but the teams battled to a 1-1 draw at Cochrane Stadium on Friday night (Sept. 9). Joey Akpunonu scored the team's first goal of the season after Kyle Cusimano was taken down in the box.
• The MSU match came after BGSU battled Michigan to a scoreless draw on Labor Day (Sept. 5) in Ann Arbor. The Falcons tripled up the Wolverines in shot attempts, with BG's 15-5 advantage including a 6-1 lead in shots on goal.
• The Falcons opened the season with a scoreless tie at DePaul, before suffering 1-0 losses at Loyola (Ill.) and at home against Ohio State. In both setbacks, the opponent scored in the 80th minute or later.
• Akpunonu has earned a pair of honors this week. On Tuesday, he was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week. One day later, Akpunonu – who has a 4.000 cumulative GPA as a biology major – was named the Mid-American Conference's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
• Brendan Graves and the BGSU back line have been stellar in goal this season so far. Graves has allowed just three goals – including one on a PK – in 450 minutes of action. Graves has 13 saves and leads the Mid-American Conference with a goals-against average of 0.60 this season. He now has a career GAA of 1.23 and four shutouts in 12 career starts.
• Head coach Eric Nichols and the Falcons finished the fall 2021 season with an overall record of 11-6-3, and BGSU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships. BG picked up a 1-0 victory at Louisville in the opening round, marking the fifth NCAA Tournament victory in program history, and the first since 1997.
• BGSU achieved a feat that will be very difficult to repeat, as the Falcons advanced to the NCAA Championships twice in the 2021 calendar year. BG won the MAC regular-season title in the spring of 2021.
• In fact, both the BGSU men's and women's soccer programs advanced to both the 2020 (spring 2021) and 2021 NCAA Championships. Bowling Green was one of just five schools to turn that trick, joining Clemson, Georgetown, North Carolina and Penn State.
• Entering the Air Force match, the Falcons have an overall record of 36-22-10 over the last 68 games, dating to midway through the 2018 season. Fourteen of the 22 setbacks in that time have come by a single goal.
THE OPPONENT
• Air Force enters Saturday's match with a record of 0-3-2. All five matches took place on the road, with four coming against top-25 teams. The Falcons dropped 2-1 decisions at #24 North Carolina and #15 Wake Forest, then played #25 Missouri State to a scoreless draw. Most recently, Air Force battled #3 Washington to a 1-1 tie in Seattle. Thaddaeus Dewing leads the team with six points, and has scored three of the Falcons' four goals this fall. John Byszewski has a played all 450 minutes in goal, and has 22 saves, one shutout and a 1.60 GAA. Last season, the Falcons went 10-8-1 overall and 8-3-0 in Western Athletic Conference play.
THE SERIES
• BGSU and Air Force are meeting for the first time in men's soccer. The Falcons have played only two total matches against schools currently in the WAC, with a pair of losses to UNLV.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons will end the month of September with a pair of home matchups, beginning next Friday (Sept. 23) when Oakland comes to Cochrane.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will open the Mid-American Conference schedule against Western Michigan on Sept. 27.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on the BGSU 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.
# BGSU FALCON SOCCER #
Players Mentioned
Eric Nichols Post-Practice Interview (Sept. 19, 2025)
Friday, September 19
Off The Pitch: Trace Terry (Sept. 18, 2025)
Friday, September 19
BGSU MSOC: USMNT GOAT (Lucas Kleimeyer)
Wednesday, September 17
Off The Pitch: Andrew Shaffer (Sept. 11, 2025)
Thursday, September 11