Bowling Green State University Athletics
Saturday, September 16
Kalamazoo, Mich.
4 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
at
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Western Michigan
Photo by: Daniel Carlson, BGSU Athletics
BGSU Heads to Kalamazoo for First-Ever MVC Match
September 15, 2023 | Men's Soccer
Falcons battle the Broncos Saturday afternoon at 4
BGSU at WESTERN MICHIGAN
Saturday, Sept. 16 | 4:00 p.m.
WMU Soccer Complex | Kalamazoo, Mich.
Video/Web Stream: Bronco All-Access
Live Stats: WMUBroncos.com
• The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team begins a new era this weekend. The Falcons of head coach Eric Nichols head to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan University in the program's first-ever Missouri Valley Conference match. First touch is set for 4:00 p.m. at the WMU Soccer Complex.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• Saturday's WMU matchup will be streamed via Bronco All-Access. Live stats and Twitter/X updates (@BGSUMSoccer), 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 game day.
COMEBACK KIDS
• The Falcons are 3-1-2 on the young season. Two of the three wins have been come-from-behind victories, as BG battled back from deficits to defeat Cleveland State (3-2; Aug. 24) and Northern Kentucky (2-1; Sept. 12).
• BG has posted two come-from-behind victories in a season for the first time since 2016. The Falcons have not recorded more than two comeback wins in the same season in at least the last 25 years (since at least 1997).
FASCINATING FALCON FACTS
• The Falcons, as mentioned, have an overall record of 3-1-2, and BGSU takes a four-game unbeaten streak into the WMU match. BGSU opened the 2023 campaign in thrilling fashion, posting a 3-2, come-from-behind win over Cleveland State at Cochrane Stadium (Aug. 24). Sophomore Andrew Shaffer scored a pair of goals less than nine minutes apart to erase a second-half deficit.
• BGSU fell to Michigan State, 3-0 (Aug. 28), as the Spartans scored twice in the final nine minutes to break open a close game. BG played a man down for the last 46-plus minutes.
• On the last night of August, the Falcons battled Duquesne to a 2-2 draw on the road. Kyle Cusimano and Rodrigo Montez Silva each found the back of the net for the Orange and Brown, while Brendan Graves made a career-high 10 saves, including several world-class stops.
• On Labor Day afternoon (Sept. 4), Cusimano again opened the scoring with a diving header, and Eli Shope scored the game-winning goal midway through the second half as the Falcons topped Michigan, 2-1, at Cochrane Stadium.
• A crowd of 2,012 watched the win over the Wolverines. That is the seventh-largest crowd at Cochrane Stadium in the last quarter century (attendance records are available from 1997 to the present).
• The Falcons battled DePaul to a scoreless draw last Friday (Sept. 8). Graves made three saves to earn his first shutout of the season, while an apparent BGSU goal in the final minutes of the match was nullified due to an offside call.
• On Tuesday (Sept. 12), BGSU posted a come-from-behind win for the second time this season, downing Northern Kentucky by a 2-1 final. Taylor Dyson converted a penalty kick late in the first half, and Jake Bergin scored the winning goal midway through the second.
• Nathan Masters was involved in the scoring of both BGSU goals. He was fouled in the box in the first half, leading to Dyson's PK, and he worked a nifty give-and-go with Bergin for what proved to be the GWG in the 71st minute.
• Bowling Green returned 11 letterwinners, including seven starters, from the 2022 team that went 6-5-5 overall and finished third in the Mid-American Conference with a 4-2-2 league ledger. Nichols and his staff have a whopping 14 newcomers on the 2023 roster.
• After 30 seasons of men's soccer in the MAC, BGSU enters the Missouri Valley Conference in 2023. BGSU and fellow MAC institutions Northern Illinois and Western Michigan join the MVC, which also includes Belmont, Bradley, Drake, Evansville, UIC and Missouri State.
• The Falcons have been picked to finish third in the MVC race in the 2023 season. Missouri State, the defending MVC regular-season and tournament champion, was picked to win the league title in 2023, with WMU tabbed for second.
• The league office also announced the Preseason All-MVC Team, which included a pair of Falcons in Graves and Alberto Anaya.
ADDITIONAL FALCON FACTS
• After beginning the 2022 season with a 2-4-3 record, the Falcons ended the year by going 4-1-2 over the final seven matches. BGSU outscored the opponents by a 16-4 count in those seven contests.
• Overall, BGSU has gone 7-2-4 since that 2-4-3 start last fall.
• All three of the Falcons' wins in 2023 have come by a single goal, after all six of BGSU's 2022 wins were by two or more goals.
INDIVIDUALLY...
• Entering the WMU match, the Falcons have scored nine goals and allowed nine goals this fall. Three players – Kyle Cusimano, Andrew Shaffer and Eli Shope – have scored two goals apiece this season. Those three players have four points apiece, while Trace Terry has three points on a team-leading three assists to date.
• Rodrigo Montez Silva, Taylor Dyson and Jake Bergin each have found the back of the net once this year, and Alberto Anaya also has two points on the season, with assists on each of Cusimano's goals.
• Anaya is the Falcons' top returning scorer from a year ago. He had 10 points on three goals and four assists in 2022, despite missing four of BG's 16 matches due to injury. Shaffer had eight points and Josh Erlandson seven a year ago, with each player scoring three goals.
• Brendan Graves has played all six matches in goal this season, and has 24 saves and a goals-against average of 1.50.
• Graves has played every second of the Falcons' last 28 matches – a total of 2,540 minutes. No other BGSU player has been between the posts since Oct. 22, 2021.
CENTER BACK U?
• Three standouts with BGSU ties – all of whom played center back for the Falcons – have been chosen in the last two MLS SuperDrafts. For more information, click the PDF link near the top of this page.
A FEW MORE NOTES AND NUMBERS
• Since the start of the 2009 season, BGSU is now 84-9-7 when scoring two or more goals in a match.
• The Falcons are 60-29-22 in home matches since Eric Nichols took the helm prior to the 2009 season. BG is 56-21-20 at Cochrane since the start of 2011.
• BGSU is 38-11-14 at home since the start of the 2015 season and 32-9-14 (.709) since the beginning of 2016. The Falcons are 3-0-1 at home so far in 2023.
• Entering the WMU match, the Falcons have an overall 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.
THE OPPONENT
• Western Michigan is 4-1-1 entering Saturday's MVC opener, and the Broncos are undefeated in the last five matches after a season-opening loss to nationally-ranked Vermont. WMU has beaten Utah Valley, Air Force, Dayton and Detroit Mercy while playing to a scoreless draw with Butler. The Broncos have scored 10 goals in the last two matches, home wins over UD (5-4; Sept. 10) and UDM (5-0; Sept 13). Charlie Sharp leads the Broncos and is among the national leaders in both goals (seven) and points (15), while Carson Hodgson and Dylan Sing have eight and six points, respectively. Ethan Brandt has played every second in goal this year to date, and has 24 saves, three shutouts and a GAA of just 1.17. Head coach Chad Wiseman welcomed back 15 upperclass players from a 2022 team that went 16-3-2 overall and 5-1-2 in the MAC. The Broncos won the last-ever MAC title, then won two matches in the NCAA Championships before losing in the round of 16.
THE SERIES
• The Falcons lead Western Michigan, 28-22-6, in the all-time series, but the Broncos captured both of last year's meetings, with a 1-0 win at Cochrane (Sept. 27, 2022) and a 2-0 triumph in Kalamazoo (Nov. 2, 2022). BGSU was forced to play a man down for the last two-thirds of the latter match. The Falcons won the first 11 meetings, and BGSU began the series with a 24-3-2 mark. But, WMU is 19-4-4 vs. the Orange and Brown since 2002. BG is looking to beat WMU for the first time overall since a 2014 victory at Cochrane, and for the first time in Kalamazoo since 2006. All told, the Falcons are 16-5-5 at home, 11-15-1 on the road and 1-2-0 in neutral-site matches vs. the Broncos through the years.
UP NEXT
• Following the WMU match, the Falcons will renew the battle for the I-75 Cup with a trip to Wright State on Tuesday (Sept. 19). First touch is set for 7:00 p.m. in Dayton.
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 at BGSUFalcons.com.
Saturday, Sept. 16 | 4:00 p.m.
WMU Soccer Complex | Kalamazoo, Mich.
Video/Web Stream: Bronco All-Access
Live Stats: WMUBroncos.com
• The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team begins a new era this weekend. The Falcons of head coach Eric Nichols head to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan University in the program's first-ever Missouri Valley Conference match. First touch is set for 4:00 p.m. at the WMU Soccer Complex.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• Saturday's WMU matchup will be streamed via Bronco All-Access. Live stats and Twitter/X updates (@BGSUMSoccer), 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 game day.
COMEBACK KIDS
• The Falcons are 3-1-2 on the young season. Two of the three wins have been come-from-behind victories, as BG battled back from deficits to defeat Cleveland State (3-2; Aug. 24) and Northern Kentucky (2-1; Sept. 12).
• BG has posted two come-from-behind victories in a season for the first time since 2016. The Falcons have not recorded more than two comeback wins in the same season in at least the last 25 years (since at least 1997).
FASCINATING FALCON FACTS
• The Falcons, as mentioned, have an overall record of 3-1-2, and BGSU takes a four-game unbeaten streak into the WMU match. BGSU opened the 2023 campaign in thrilling fashion, posting a 3-2, come-from-behind win over Cleveland State at Cochrane Stadium (Aug. 24). Sophomore Andrew Shaffer scored a pair of goals less than nine minutes apart to erase a second-half deficit.
• BGSU fell to Michigan State, 3-0 (Aug. 28), as the Spartans scored twice in the final nine minutes to break open a close game. BG played a man down for the last 46-plus minutes.
• On the last night of August, the Falcons battled Duquesne to a 2-2 draw on the road. Kyle Cusimano and Rodrigo Montez Silva each found the back of the net for the Orange and Brown, while Brendan Graves made a career-high 10 saves, including several world-class stops.
• On Labor Day afternoon (Sept. 4), Cusimano again opened the scoring with a diving header, and Eli Shope scored the game-winning goal midway through the second half as the Falcons topped Michigan, 2-1, at Cochrane Stadium.
• A crowd of 2,012 watched the win over the Wolverines. That is the seventh-largest crowd at Cochrane Stadium in the last quarter century (attendance records are available from 1997 to the present).
• The Falcons battled DePaul to a scoreless draw last Friday (Sept. 8). Graves made three saves to earn his first shutout of the season, while an apparent BGSU goal in the final minutes of the match was nullified due to an offside call.
• On Tuesday (Sept. 12), BGSU posted a come-from-behind win for the second time this season, downing Northern Kentucky by a 2-1 final. Taylor Dyson converted a penalty kick late in the first half, and Jake Bergin scored the winning goal midway through the second.
• Nathan Masters was involved in the scoring of both BGSU goals. He was fouled in the box in the first half, leading to Dyson's PK, and he worked a nifty give-and-go with Bergin for what proved to be the GWG in the 71st minute.
• Bowling Green returned 11 letterwinners, including seven starters, from the 2022 team that went 6-5-5 overall and finished third in the Mid-American Conference with a 4-2-2 league ledger. Nichols and his staff have a whopping 14 newcomers on the 2023 roster.
• After 30 seasons of men's soccer in the MAC, BGSU enters the Missouri Valley Conference in 2023. BGSU and fellow MAC institutions Northern Illinois and Western Michigan join the MVC, which also includes Belmont, Bradley, Drake, Evansville, UIC and Missouri State.
• The Falcons have been picked to finish third in the MVC race in the 2023 season. Missouri State, the defending MVC regular-season and tournament champion, was picked to win the league title in 2023, with WMU tabbed for second.
• The league office also announced the Preseason All-MVC Team, which included a pair of Falcons in Graves and Alberto Anaya.
ADDITIONAL FALCON FACTS
• After beginning the 2022 season with a 2-4-3 record, the Falcons ended the year by going 4-1-2 over the final seven matches. BGSU outscored the opponents by a 16-4 count in those seven contests.
• Overall, BGSU has gone 7-2-4 since that 2-4-3 start last fall.
• All three of the Falcons' wins in 2023 have come by a single goal, after all six of BGSU's 2022 wins were by two or more goals.
INDIVIDUALLY...
• Entering the WMU match, the Falcons have scored nine goals and allowed nine goals this fall. Three players – Kyle Cusimano, Andrew Shaffer and Eli Shope – have scored two goals apiece this season. Those three players have four points apiece, while Trace Terry has three points on a team-leading three assists to date.
• Rodrigo Montez Silva, Taylor Dyson and Jake Bergin each have found the back of the net once this year, and Alberto Anaya also has two points on the season, with assists on each of Cusimano's goals.
• Anaya is the Falcons' top returning scorer from a year ago. He had 10 points on three goals and four assists in 2022, despite missing four of BG's 16 matches due to injury. Shaffer had eight points and Josh Erlandson seven a year ago, with each player scoring three goals.
• Brendan Graves has played all six matches in goal this season, and has 24 saves and a goals-against average of 1.50.
• Graves has played every second of the Falcons' last 28 matches – a total of 2,540 minutes. No other BGSU player has been between the posts since Oct. 22, 2021.
CENTER BACK U?
• Three standouts with BGSU ties – all of whom played center back for the Falcons – have been chosen in the last two MLS SuperDrafts. For more information, click the PDF link near the top of this page.
A FEW MORE NOTES AND NUMBERS
• Since the start of the 2009 season, BGSU is now 84-9-7 when scoring two or more goals in a match.
• The Falcons are 60-29-22 in home matches since Eric Nichols took the helm prior to the 2009 season. BG is 56-21-20 at Cochrane since the start of 2011.
• BGSU is 38-11-14 at home since the start of the 2015 season and 32-9-14 (.709) since the beginning of 2016. The Falcons are 3-0-1 at home so far in 2023.
• Entering the WMU match, the Falcons have an overall 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.
THE OPPONENT
• Western Michigan is 4-1-1 entering Saturday's MVC opener, and the Broncos are undefeated in the last five matches after a season-opening loss to nationally-ranked Vermont. WMU has beaten Utah Valley, Air Force, Dayton and Detroit Mercy while playing to a scoreless draw with Butler. The Broncos have scored 10 goals in the last two matches, home wins over UD (5-4; Sept. 10) and UDM (5-0; Sept 13). Charlie Sharp leads the Broncos and is among the national leaders in both goals (seven) and points (15), while Carson Hodgson and Dylan Sing have eight and six points, respectively. Ethan Brandt has played every second in goal this year to date, and has 24 saves, three shutouts and a GAA of just 1.17. Head coach Chad Wiseman welcomed back 15 upperclass players from a 2022 team that went 16-3-2 overall and 5-1-2 in the MAC. The Broncos won the last-ever MAC title, then won two matches in the NCAA Championships before losing in the round of 16.
THE SERIES
• The Falcons lead Western Michigan, 28-22-6, in the all-time series, but the Broncos captured both of last year's meetings, with a 1-0 win at Cochrane (Sept. 27, 2022) and a 2-0 triumph in Kalamazoo (Nov. 2, 2022). BGSU was forced to play a man down for the last two-thirds of the latter match. The Falcons won the first 11 meetings, and BGSU began the series with a 24-3-2 mark. But, WMU is 19-4-4 vs. the Orange and Brown since 2002. BG is looking to beat WMU for the first time overall since a 2014 victory at Cochrane, and for the first time in Kalamazoo since 2006. All told, the Falcons are 16-5-5 at home, 11-15-1 on the road and 1-2-0 in neutral-site matches vs. the Broncos through the years.
UP NEXT
• Following the WMU match, the Falcons will renew the battle for the I-75 Cup with a trip to Wright State on Tuesday (Sept. 19). First touch is set for 7:00 p.m. in Dayton.
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 at BGSUFalcons.com.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
Players Mentioned
M
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's SoccerBGSU MSOC: USMNT GOAT (Lucas Kleimeyer)
Wednesday, September 17
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