Falcons Fly Past Air Force with Second-Half Trifecta

Saturday, September 17

USAF Academy, Colo.

8:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

1-2-3, 0-0-0

Air Force

0-4-2, 0-0-0

Bowling Green

Air Force

Kyle Cusimano had a goal & an assist in BGSU's win at Air Force

Photo by: Luke Allen, BGSU Athletics

September 17, 2022 | Men's Soccer

Box Score BGSU-Air Force Stats

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

USAF Academy, Colo. – The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team exploded for three second-half goals Saturday night (Sept. 17), rolling along to a 3-1 win over Air Force in non-conference action at Cadet Soccer Stadium.

Kyle Cusimano had a three-point night, scoring BGSU's first goal and assisting on the third. Alberto Anaya scored what would prove to be the winning goal, breaking a 1-1 tie in the 71st minute, and Sergi Martinez scored to double the Falcons' lead less than four minutes later.

Brendan Graves made two saves in the win, and Joey Akpunonu stopped back-to-back shots on the goal line in the first half.

The BGSU Falcons (1-2-3) pick up the first win of the season. The Air Force Falcons (0-4-2) played four top-25 teams in their first five matches, all on the road. Most recently, Air Force played #3 Washington to a 1-1 draw in Seattle

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• BGSU is now 76-9-6 when scoring two or more goals in a match in the Eric Nichols Era.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Air Force had a 9-2 advantage in shots in the opening half, with several quality chances, but Brendan Graves and the BG back line held the hosts off of the scoreboard in the opening 45 minutes.
• Graves made a save on a Jake Chaffetz shot midway through the half, with the ball hitting a BG defender and trickling toward the post before Graves covered it up.
• In the 32nd minute, Air Force's leading scorer, Thaddaeus Dewing, fired a shot from the right side of the penalty area, but Joey Akpunonu blocked that effort. The rebound went to Jacob Angeletti, who headed it toward the goal from six yards out. But, Akpunonu headed that ball away from the goalmouth to keep the match scoreless.
• In the final minute of the half, Sergi Martinez got on the end of a right-side serve, but his header was saved by Air Force 'keeper John Byszewski. The teams went into the half locked in a scoreless draw.
• Once the second half began, however, it didn't take long for the visiting Falcons to break that scoreless tie. Jensen Lukascko slid a pass ahead to Kale Nichols on the right side of the field, and Nichols lofted a cross into the box, where Kyle Cusimano headed it home.
• Just three minutes later, Alberto Anaya had a chance, but his hard shot from the top of the box went just over the goal.
• In the 57th minute, a cross into the center of the penalty area was just out of the reach of a lunging Nathan Masters. Two minutes later, Anaya hit a hard turnaround shot from just outside the 18, but Byszewski parried the shot and grabbed it.
• Air Force had a quality chance in the 64th minute, but a volley by Elijah Bussey hit the side netting.
• Two minutes later, though, Dewing knotted the score. He hit a shot that went through the legs of a lunging defender, then got under Graves as well. The ball trickled past the BGSU 'keeper, who turned and grabbed the ball with a diving effort as he slid toward the goal line. However, after a discussion with the assistant referee – and over the protests of several BG players – the center ref ruled that the entirety of the ball had crossed the line.
• But, the (BG) Falcons regained the momentum soon after allowing the tying goal, and the visitors took the lead with just over 19 minutes to go. Masters centered the ball to Anaya from the left side. Anaya settled the ball, took a touch as he entered the penalty area, and slotted a low shot past Byszewski and just inside the far post.
• And, BGSU doubled the lead with 15 and a half minutes to go. Cusimano put a ball into the danger zone from the right side, and Martinez scored a spectacular goal, redirecting the ball into the back of the net with a side volley.
• Masters nearly scored a spectacular goal of his own with just over 13 minutes remaining, as he volleyed a Martinez serve out of the air. The blast whizzed just wide of the goal.
• Anaya was fouled on the left side of the field, near the end line, with eight minutes to go. He played the ensuing free kick to Akpunonu, who blasted a shot through traffic from just outside the 18. But, the Air Force 'keeper saw the ball all the way and was able to make the stop.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Air Force had a 13-9 edge in total shots, but BGSU had a 7-5 lead in shots on goal.
• Brendan Graves made two saves to pick up the win. John Byszewski had four stops for the (Air Force) Falcons.
• Kyle Cusimano had a three-point night. He now has career totals of 20 points on five goals and 10 assists.
• Kale Nichols assisted on Cusimano's goal. Nichols now has seven assists and 19 points in his BGSU career.
• Alberto Anaya scored his sixth goal – and his fourth game-winning goal – as a Falcon. He now has 16 points in his young BG career.
• All four of Anaya's game-winning scores have come on the road. He had the GWG in 2021 victories at Gonzaga, Cleveland State and Oakland.
• Sergi Martinez now has four goals and 14 points since coming to BGSU.
• Jake Bergin made his first collegiate start, playing 86 minutes on Saturday night.
• BGSU is now 76-9-6 when scoring two or more goals in a match in the Eric Nichols Era.
• The Falcons have a record of 37-22-10 over the last 69 matches, dating to late in the 2018 season. Fourteen of the 22 setbacks in that time have come by a single goal.

UP NEXT
• BGSU returns home for the next two matches, beginning with a contest vs. Oakland on Friday (Sept. 23). First touch is set for 7:00 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium, and admission is free.
• Then, the Falcons will open Mid-American Conference play by hosting Western Michigan on Tuesday, Sept. 27. That match is also set for a 7:00 p.m. start.

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.