Falcons Head to Motor City for Thursday Matchup with Titans

Thursday, August 31

Detroit, Mich.

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Detroit Mercy

Photo by: Kemery Aichele, BGSU Athletics

August 30, 2023 | Women's Soccer

BGSU Notes (PDF)UDM Women's Soccer 2023 Record Book (PDF)Support BGSU Women's Soccer

BGSU faces Detroit Mercy in a 7:00 p.m. start

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BGSU at DETROIT MERCY
Thursday, Aug. 31 | 7:00 p.m.
Titan Field | Detroit, Mich.
Video/Web Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: DetroitTitans.com

• Fresh off a win in the home opener, the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team returns to the road this week. Head coach Jimmy Walker and the Falcons head to the Motor City for a Thursday night (Aug. 31) matchup with the University of Detroit Mercy. First touch is set for 7:00 p.m. at Titan Field.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• Thursday's UDM match will be streamed via ESPN+. Live stats, as well as periodic Twitter updates (@BGSU_Wsoccer), as always, will also be available.

• Links to live audio/video/stats for all 2023 matches can be found on the web at BGSUFalcons.com (on the women's soccer schedule page and in the right column on the main page) on match day.

FUN FALCON FACTS
• The Falcons are 1-2-0 on the young season. After dropping road decisions against #17/19 Michigan State (3-1) and Cincinnati (1-0), BGSU bounced back with a 2-0 win in Sunday afternoon's (Aug. 27) home opener.

• At MSU, freshman Lizzie Bultynck came off the bench to score her first collegiate goal in her collegiate debut. Sophomore Brynn Gardner and fifth-year Falcon Katie Cox scored first-half goals to allow the Orange and Brown to seize control of the Loyola match.

• Goalkeepers Madison Vukas and Lili Berg have split time in each of BGSU's first three matches. Both Berg and Vukas have played 135 minutes, and both 'keepers have a goals-against average of 1.33. They shared the shutout vs. Loyola.

• Vukas made her BGSU debut as well as her first collegiate start in the opener against the Spartans. A transfer from Pittsburgh, she came off the bench to play in a pair of matches for the Panthers in 2021 before sitting out the 2022 season at BGSU.

• In addition to Vukas, senior Emilie Gardner made her first collegiate start at MSU. Four days later, Rylee Clark made her first start as a Falcon in the UC game. Clark, a Wright State transfer, had started nine matches for the Raiders prior to coming to BG.

• A total of 23 different players have seen action in at least one match this season to date. That lengthy list includes eight of the team's nine true freshmen.

• A total of six players made their collegiate debuts in the opening half of that MSU contest. Making their respective BGSU debuts, in order, were Christine Erdman, Bultynck, Audrey Oliver, Emma Stransky, Emme Butera and Sammie King.

• All six of the aforementioned frosh saw action at UC as well, with another, Lexi White, making her first appearance as a Falcon against the 'Cats. Then, after missing the first two matches due to injury, Taylor Green made her BG debut in the win over Loyola.

• BGSU played the final nine minutes of the first half against the nationally-ranked Spartans with six freshmen on the pitch. And, a total of seven frosh were on the field for the final few minutes of the first half in the Loyola match.

SUCCESSFUL AT HOME
• After the win over Loyola, BGSU has a record of 40-9-8 at home since the start of the 2017 season. The Falcons are 31-5-5 against MAC teams at Cochrane Stadium in that time, having outscored the opposition, 80-27, in those 41 matches.

• Since Jimmy Walker took the helm of the Falcons in 2020, BGSU has a record of 15-5-5 inside Cochrane Stadium, including a 12-3-3 ledger vs. MAC opposition.

SUCCESSFUL ON THE ROAD
• The Falcons have a record of 24-6-2 on the road against MAC opponents since the start of the 2017 season. BGSU is 21-3-1 in league road contests since the beginning of 2018, having outscored the opponents, 67-15, in those 25 games. In those 25 matches, BGSU has scored at least two goals 20 times, and at least three goals on 13 occasions.

• BGSU is 18-2-1 in the last 21 MAC road contests, dating to late in the 2018 season.

• Overall, the Falcons are 12-10-2 in true road games over the last three-plus years. No fewer than seven of those 10 road losses have come against opponents from Power 5 conferences, with an eighth coming to a team (Xavier in 2022) that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships that season.

96 PERCENT OF THE TIME, SCORING TWO GOALS WORKS EVERY TIME
(or, THE MORE GOALS, THE MORE BETTER)
• It would stand to reason that scoring goals increases a team's chances of winning. For the Falcons, that is most certainly the case.

• Since the start of the 2017 season, BGSU has a record of 58-1-3 when scoring at least two goals in a match. In that time, the Falcons are 10-32-13 when being held to fewer than two goals.

• The Falcons are undefeated in the last 34 home matches (33-0-1) when scoring at least twice. The last time BG scored two or more goals at Cochrane Stadium and lost was on Oct. 20, 2016 (4-3 loss to Western Michigan).

THE OPPONENT
• Detroit Mercy is 0-1-3 on the young season. The Titans have played to a draw in a home match vs. Central Michigan and in road contests against Canisius and St. Bonaventure, and UDM dropped a home contest vs. Morehead State. Offensively, five different players have scored one goal apiece this season to date. In goal, Jazmine Scott has made three starts and has a record of 0-0-3, 13 saves and a goals-against average of 1.33. Head coach Steve Shelton welcomed back 21 players from a 2022 team that went 6-10-1 overall and 4-6-0 in Horizon League play.

THE SERIES
• BGSU trails Detroit Mercy, 8-6-0, in the all-time series, but the Falcons have captured three-straight meetings. Last year, the Orange and Brown picked up a 1-0 win at Cochrane Stadium in the Falcons' home opener (Sept. 4, 2022). In BG's last trip to Titan Field, the Falcons captured a 3-1 victory six years ago (Sept. 6, 2017). BGSU is 4-3-0 at home and 2-5-0 on the road against the Titans over the years.

UP NEXT
• Following the UDM contest, the Falcons will play games vs. nationally-ranked opponents on back-to-back Sundays, beginning with a trip to Pittsburgh (Sept. 3). The Panthers are ranked No. 13 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer, 14th by College Soccer News and 21st in the United Soccer Coaches rankings.

• Then, the Falcons will host Notre Dame (Sept. 10), with that match beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium. The Irish are currently eighth in the CSN poll, 11th in the TDS rankings and 15th in the USC listings.

FOR MORE INFO ON THE FALCONS...
• For more information on the women's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSU_WSoccer), Instagram (bgsu_wsoccer) and Facebook (bgsuwsoc) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.