Falcons Rally From Two-Goal Deficit to Top Wright State in Season-Opening Thriller

Friday, August 23

Bowling Green, Ohio

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Wright State

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Wright St.

Bowling Green

Bennett Painter created the tying goal before scoring the winner vs. WSU

Photo by: Lauren Laudato, BGSU Athletics

Falcons Rally From Two-Goal Deficit to Top Wright State in Season-Opening Thriller

August 23, 2024 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Final Stats (PDF)Support BGSU Men's Soccer Photo Gallery

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Sophomore Bennett Painter scored with just over five minutes remaining, lifting the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team to a 3-2, come-from-behind win over Wright State University Friday night (Aug. 23). The match, the season opener for both teams, was held at Cochrane Stadium.

With the win, the Falcons (1-0-0) take possession of the I-75 Cup, a traveling trophy that goes to the winner of the BGSU-WSU matchup each year.

The Raiders (0-1-0) scored a pair of goals just over five minutes apart to take a 2-0 lead with just under 30 minutes elapsed. But, junior Trace Terry got the Falcons on the board early in the second half, and Painter's hard work resulted in an 'own goal' that tied the score in the 57th minute.

The winning goal came with 5:25 to go. After a Wright State foul roughly 28 yards from goal, Taylor Dyson took the ensuing free kick. Dyson's hard shot forced WSU goalkeeper Alessandro Malterer to make an impressive diving save, but Painter ran onto the rebound, putting the ball inside the far post from the six-yard line on the right side of the penalty area.

The Falcons had a 16-10 lead in shot attempts, including an 11-2 advantage in the second half. Brendan Graves made two saves on the night, including a point-blank save on Henry Hutchinson midway through the second half with the scored knotted at 2-2. Malterer had four stops for the visitors.

Bennett Painter strikes again, giving the Falcons the lead!⚽️ @BGSUMSoccer: 3
Wright State: 2
85'

- Jack Rintama 📸 pic.twitter.com/WnEAVKeeIb
— Falcon Media Sports Network (@BG_FMSN) August 24, 2024

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• Friday's match marked the first time in the Eric Nichols Era that the Falcons won after trailing by two goals. In fact, it had been nearly 16 years since BGSU accomplished that feat.
• BG's last such win came on Sept. 12, 2008, when the Falcons posted a 3-2 win over Centenary at the UCA Tournament in Conway, Ark.

What a match! What a comeback!#AyZiggy | 🟠⚽️🟤 pic.twitter.com/QaLVamZDm8
— BGSU Men's Soccer (@BGSUMSoccer) August 24, 2024

HOW IT HAPPENED – HIGHLIGHTS
• WSU had the game's first three shot attempts, but all three were well off the mark. The first shot on goal of the game came off the boot of Alberto Anaya with nearly nine minutes gone, but goalkeeper Alessandro Malterer parried Anaya's hard shot from the 18-yard line. Five minutes later, Trace Terry hit a shot across his body that was headed for the far post, but Malterer was able to dive and get a glove on the shot.
• Some nifty passing led to a Wright State goal with just over 23 minutes gone. Roman Kedgley split a pair of defenders with a pass to Edwin Espinal-Elvir, and Espinal-Elvir took one touch and hit a shot from approximately 10 yards out that found the far post.
• Five minutes later, the Raiders doubled the lead. WSU's Pete Schneider took a pass from Brian Burkett, and was taken down on the left side of the penalty area. A penalty kick was awarded, and Felix Ezekwuka converted that kick to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. The Raiders took that two-goal margin into the halftime break.
• The Falcons cut the deficit in half just over four minutes into the second stanza. The Raiders attempted to clear the ball out of the penalty area after a Kyle Cusimano diagonal ball, but a WSU defender popped the ball high into the air. Josh Erlandson headed it back toward the 18-yard line, and a flick-on by Andrew Shaffer continued the ball on its way. Trace Terry hit a half-volley from approximately 15 yards out, and Malterer had no chance as the blast found the back of the net.
• Bennett Painter manufactured the tying goal in the 57th minute. Painter chased down a WSU player from behind, sliding to steal the ball in the Raiders' end of the pitch. Painter then fended off another defender as he made a run toward the end line. The sophomore played a low cross back toward the six-yard line, where a defender inadvertantly deflected it into his own net as Malterer's momentum was taking him the other way. The 'own goal' made it a 2-2 game.
• Three minutes later, Painter and Terry very nearly teamed up to give the Falcons the lead. Painter fired a left-side cross from near the end line, and Terry outjumped several players to put a hard header on frame. But, Malterer made a leaping save to kee the game tied.
• With 24 minutes to go it was the Raiders who nearly took the lead. A pair of players vied for the ball near midfield in front of the BG bench, but the Falcon payer went down with a cramp, and the visitors had an odd-man rush the other way. Espinal-Elvir chipped a short cross to Henry Hutchinson, who took one touch and fired a shot from near the penalty spot that seemed ticketed for the right side of the net. But, Brendan Graves made a diving stop to deflect the ball wide of the post.
• With 19 minutes on the clock, a cross by Cusimano sailed into the box. A defender attempted to head the ball out of the danger area, but Painter's shot from the 18-yard line hit a WSU player and caromed just wide of the goal.
• Painter's next shot attempt, however, was on target. After Anaya was fouled and a WSU player was issued a yellow card, Taylor Dyson fired the ensuing free kick toward goal from nearly 30 yards out. Malterer made a diving stop, but the rebound bounced toward the six-yard line on the right of the goal. Painter ran onto the ball and hit a one-timer that found the far side of the net to give the Falcons the lead for good.
• BGSU nearly doubled the lead with two minutes to go, as Anaya took a Terry pass and hit a shot that eluded Malterer, but rang off the right goalpost. That was the final shot attempt for either team as the Falcons salted away the win.

Gallery: (8-23-2024) 082324 msoc v WSU - Lauren Laudato

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Trace Terry's goal on Friday night was the seventh of his BGSU career. He now has 20 career points in 34 matches.
• Josh Erlandson and Andrew Shaffer picked up assists on the Terry goal. Erlandson's assist was his second as a Falcon, while Shaffer's was his fifth in a BGSU uniform.
• Bennett Painter's goal was his fourth as a Falcon, and his second career game-winning goal. He has 10 career points in 14 career matches.
• Taylor Dyson had the lone assist on the Painter goal, Dyson's first assist at BG.
• BGSU is now 11-1-4 in season openers since Eric Nichols took the helm prior to the 2009 season. The lone loss in that time came to Northern Kentucky in 2018. That NKU team was coached by current BGSU assistant Stu Riddle.
• BGSU now leads the series with Wright State, 13-8-3.
• Freshman Ryko Bodurov made his collegiate debut on Friday night, playing 17 minutes off the bench.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons hit the road for the next three games, beginning with a Monday (Aug. 26) matchup at Michigan State. BGSU battles the Spartans in a 7:00 p.m. start at DeMartin Stadium, and the match will be streamed on Big Ten Network Plus (B1G+).

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.