Falcons Take Down Spartans, 1-0

Monday, August 26

East Lansing, Mich.

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

2-0-0, 0-0-0

Michigan State

0-1-1, 0-0-0

Bowling Green

Michigan St.

Bennett Painter v Wright State - Aug 23 2024

Bennett Painter (pictured here in the win over Wright State) scored the winning goal for the second-straight game

Photo by: Lauren Laudato, BGSU Athletics

August 26, 2024 | Men's Soccer

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

Graves, Painter are Two of the Many Heroes as BGSU Moves to 2-0

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team went on the road and picked up a 1-0 win over Michigan State University on Monday night (Aug. 26).

Sophomore Bennett Painter scored the winning goal for the second time in as many games for the Falcons (2-0-0), while fifth-year senior Brendan Graves made six saves – including several world-class stops – to earn the shutout at DeMartin Stadium.

Painter's goal came in the 71st minute of play. Senior Alberto Anaya sent the ball to fifth-year Falcon Kyle Cusimano, who was making a run down the left side of the field. Cusimano played a cross into the box, where Painter met the ball with a diving header. The shot got under the diving effort of Spartan goalkeeper Zac Kelly for what would prove to be the winner.

Painter led the Falcons with five total shot attempts, and led all players in the game with three shots on goal.

The Match Winner from Bennett Painter away at Michigan State!#AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/2Vmy2RbUrY
— BGSU Men's Soccer (@BGSUMSoccer) August 27, 2024

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• Sophomore Bennett Painter has scored the game-winning goal in each of the Falcons' last three wins. Painter scored just 12 seconds into the second half for what proved to be the winner at Drake last season, and now has notched the winning goal in each of BG's two wins in 2024.
• He scored with 5:25 remaining in Friday's (Aug. 23) win over Wright State, breaking a 2-2 tie, before recording the lone goal in Monday's win at MSU.

BONUS NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• For Brendan Graves, the shutout on Monday night was the 12th of his BGSU career. Eight of those 12 shutouts have come on the road.
• His six saves at MSU marked his highest save total in a shutout as a Falcon.

HOW IT HAPPENED – HIGHLIGHTS
• The Falcons were whistled for a foul in the opening 30 seconds on Monday night. The ensuing MSU free kick was blocked by the wall, and goalkeeper Brendan Graves grabbed the ball after it was served back into the penalty area.
• In the fifth minute of the match, Alberto Anaya took a corner kick for the Falcons. The kick was deflected out of the box, where Anthony Hernandez fired a hard shot, but the ball went over the bar.
• Andrew Shaffer stole the ball from a Spartan defender in the 12th minute, in MSU's defensive third of the field, and quickly centered the ball to Anaya. Anaya, working in traffic, was able to get the ball to the onrushing Bennett Painter, but Painter's shot was blocked by goalkeeper Zac Kelly.
• Midway through the half, Painter's pass found Shaffer on the left side of the field. The junior made a nice run along the end line, eluding several players along the way before playing a low ball into the center of the six-yard box. But, an MSU defender cleared it away before any BG teammates could arrive.
• The Spartans had a quality chance in the 35th minute, after a series of deflections in traffic, but a shot by Shion Soga was blocked by Kyle Cusimano.
• A corner kick by the hosts found the head of Will Eby, but his shot was grabbed by Graves.
• One minute later, Anaya's pass found Trace Terry at the other end. Terry took a touch to his left and hit a hard shot, but Kelly was there to make the stop.
• The end-to-end action continued, as a pass found MSU's Mohamed Saad in the box. Saad attempted to poke the ball past the onrushing Graves, but slid the ball wide left of the goal and over the end line for a goal kick.
• Saad had another chance three minute later, but Graves made a spectacular save, then punched back-to-back serves out of the box. He was fouled on the latter such play, giving the Falcons a free kick.
• Early in the second half, a BGSU throw-in near the Falcons' bench was ushered along its way, finding Painter at the top of the box. Painter's nifty backheel sent the ball to Terry, who uncorked a hard shot, but Kelly parried the blast, and MSU was able to deal with the resulting corner kick.
• After an MSU goal kick in the 54th minute, Josh Erlandson rose above a Spartan to win a header at midfield. The ball found Painter rushing toward goal on the left side of the box, and he attempted to beat Kelly to the far side, but the MSU 'keeper was able to deflect the ball wide of goal. Erlandson got his head on the ensuing corner kick, but Kelly eventually was able to grab the ball.
• After BGSU had controlled the first 12 minutes of the second half, the Spartans answered. MSU headed downfield on a counterattack, but a dangerous-looking shot was blocked by Cusimano. Then, Graves managed to tip another shot, diverting the ball off of the post and back into play. Still another MSU shot was headed away by a defender.
• A Spartan counter in the 65th minute resulted in a shot by Richie Ludwig, but the ball was blocked just wide of the left post.
• In the 68th minute, Anaya found Painter with a long ball. Painter worked his way from left to right across the 18-yard line before firing a shot that wend just wide of the far post.
• The teams then took a hydration break. Out of that break, Kelly's goal kick somehow got past everyone and sent Ludwig in on goal. But, Graves came off of his line to make a difficult save on the play.
• MSU won the ball right back, and Graves was forced to make another stop, this time on Soga.
• In the 71st minute, the Falcons broke through. BGSU was able to possess the ball on the left side of the pitch, in front of the Falcons' bench, before Anaya played a ball to Cusimano. Cusimano's cross went just over the head of Terry, but Painter was also in the area, and went low to direct the ball on goal, under Kelly and into the net.
• Just over 15 minutes remained when a through-ball found MSU's Sean Kerrigan behind the BGSU defense. Once again, Graves was up to the challenge, making another top-notch save to keep the Falcons in front.
• Graves made a stop on Jonathan Stout two minutes later, and the Falcons hung onto the lead, although the hosts applied pressure until the very end. With time ticking away, the Falcons were whistled for a foul near the 18-yard line. The clock hit zero as the referees discussed the situation. After a VAR check to confirm the time and location of the foul, four seconds were put back on the clock, and it was ruled that the BG foul had occurred approximately a yard outside the penalty area.
• MSU had one last chance, but Anaya blocked the Spartans' free kick, and Soga fired a shot that went over the goal as time expired.

UP NEXT
• Monday's MSU matchup was the first of three consecutive road games for the Falcons. BGSU is next in action on Friday evening (Aug. 30), heading to Indiana to take on IU Indianapolis. That match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will head to Ann Arbor to face Michigan on Labor Day afternoon (Monday, Sept. 2). First touch is set for 2:00 p.m.

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.