Falcons Top NKU, 2-1, on a Night of Firsts at Cochrane Stadium

Tuesday, September 12

Bowling Green, Ohio

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

3-1-2, 0-0-0

Northern Kentucky

0-2-3, 0-1-0

Northern Ky.

Bowling Green

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

September 12, 2023 | Men's Soccer

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Goals by Dyson, Bergin help BGSU extend unbeaten streak to four matches

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – On a night of firsts at Cochrane Stadium, the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team picked up a 2-1 victory over Northern Kentucky University on Tuesday evening (Sept. 12).

For the Falcons (now 3-1-2 on the season), several players saw the first action of their collegiate careers, and two players – Taylor Dyson and Jake Bergin – each scored their first goal in a BG uniform.

Nathan Masters was involved in the scoring of both BGSU goals. He was fouled in the penalty area in the first half, leading to Dyson's penalty kick, and he worked a nifty give-and-go with Bergin for what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 71st minute.

BGSU had advantages of 17-9 in total shot attempts and 5-3 in both shots on goal and corner kicks. Brendan Graves made two saves to earn the win for the Falcons, while Nic Lemen had three stops for the Norse.

Freshmen Saul Rios and Gus Peacock each saw the first playing time of their young BGSU careers. Rios was in the starting lineup, and played all 90 minutes of the win.

Bergin made his first start of the season, and the goal was not only his first as a Falcon, but also was the first game-winning goal of his BGSU career.

QUOTING COACH NICHOLS
"It's been an excruciatingly painful time for my family and me. In times like this, you need to be around people you love. I love these guys, I love these coaches, I love this community. My wife and my boys were here -- this is the place we needed to be tonight, and it was really good to be back."

This energy is everything#NCAASoccer x 🎥 @BGSUMSoccer
pic.twitter.com/Bh3glt4w5Z
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) September 13, 2023

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons most definitely were on the front foot in the game's first 15 minutes (give or take). But, the visitors had a good scoring chance early. After a BGSU turnover, NKU's Sam Robinson took possession of the ball and found Joseph Roddy heading into the penalty area. Roddy fired a shot, but it was blocked by Anthony Hernandez.
• It briefly appeared that BGSU had gotten on the board in the 13th minute. After a foul on the Norse, Hernandez put the ensuing free kick into the box, and Rodrigo Montez Silva headed it home. But, the flag was raised for offside, and the match remained scoreless.
• Midway through the first half, BGSU was threatening again. Taylor Dyson took a pass from Montez Silva and played a low cross into the danger zone from the right side. Nathan Masters nearly got a boot on it as he vied with an NKU defender, but the ball continued through the box. Andrew Shaffer tracked it down on the left side and uncorked a hard shot, but the ball whizzed just over the crossbar.
• Another Dyson cross in the 31st minute resulted in a chance for Masters, but his shot went inches wide of the left goalpost.
• Two minutes later, the Norse took the lead. Ben Hegge's diagonal ball found Robinson at the far post. Robinson's header was struck with force, and BGSU goalkeeper Brendan Graves was able to block the shot, but the ball trickled into the net to give NKU a 1-0 advantage.
• That lead lasted just over five minutes, and BGSU fired no fewer than four shots during that time before scoring on a fifth. Trace Terry put a shot just high, and Dyson and Jake Bergin fired back-to-back shots that were blocked during that span.
• Then, in the 39th minute, Montez Silva's long ball sailed into the penalty area, where Masters was tripped up as he attempted to reach it. A penalty kick was awarded, and Dyson made no mistake, blasting it past NKU goalkeeper Nic Lemen to tie the match.
• Early in the second half, Masters took a Hernandez pass and hit a low, hard shot that Lemen was able to block out of play for a corner kick. BG would earn back-to-back corners, and a Terry shot went just wide left after the second one.
• Robinson made a bid for a second goal on the night, but Graves stopped his hard shot in the 54th minute.
• Terry redirected a Bergin serve on frame in the 65th minute, but Lemen was able to make the stop.
• In the 68th minute, Daniel Cerezo tested Lemen with a hard shot, but the NKU 'keeper again made the save. Cerezo had checked into the match for the first time less than a minute earlier.
• The Falcons continued to push for the tie-breaking goal, as a header by Kyle Blasingame went just wide after a corner kick. In the 71st minute, BG broke through. Bergin slid a pass forward to Masters, who was facing away from goal in the penalty area. With several defenders around him. Masters found Bergin with a return pass, and Bergin picked his corner and fired the Falcons into the lead.
• From there, the Falcons were able to close out the win. BGSU allowed the Norse just one shot attempt in the game's final 36 minutes.

Gallery: (9-12-2023) 091223 MSOC v NKU - Daniel Carlson

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• BGSU's 17-9 advantage in total shots included an 8-2 lead in the second half.
• A total of five Falcons – Kyle Blasingame, Jake Bergin, Rodrigo Montez Silva, Saul Rios and goalkeeper Brendan Graves – played all 90 minutes on Tuesday night, while five other players were on the pitch for at least 83 minutes.
• Rios not only made the first start of his career, but also saw his first playing time as a Falcon. He did not see action in BG's first five matches of the season before playing every second vs. NKU.
• Another freshman, Gus Peacock, made his collegiate debut in the win.
• Still another frosh, Anthony Hernandez, was in the starting lineup for the first time in his collegiate career.
• Four of BGSU's starters on Tuesday night, along with all five of the Falcons' substitutes, are in their first season with the program.
• Taylor Dyson's goal was his first as a (BGSU) Falcon. A transfer from Notre Dame College, he had two-year totals of 13 goals and 19 assists with the 'other' Falcons.
• Jake Bergin, who made his first start of the season and the 11th of his BGSU career, scored his first collegiate goal, and it also was his first game-winning goal.
• Nathan Masters had the assist on Bergin's goal. Masters now has 12 assists and 24 points as a Falcon.
• BGSU is now 3-0-1 at home this season, and the Falcons are 38-11-14 at Cochrane Stadium since the start of the 2015 season.
• The Falcons now have a record of 45-26-14 over the last 85 games, dating to midway through the 2018 season. Sixteen of the 26 setbacks in that time have come by a single goal.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons head to Kalamazoo for the first Missouri Valley Conference match in program history this weekend. BGSU takes on another former Mid-American Conference team, Western Michigan, on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 16). First touch is set for 4:00 p.m. at the WMU Soccer Complex.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...
• For more information on the BGSU men's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUMSoccer), Instagram (bgfalcons and bgsumsoccer) and Facebook (BGMensSoccer) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.