Bennett Paints Another Masterpiece as Falcons Win MVC Opener, 2-1

Friday, September 13

Bowling Green, Ohio

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

5-1-0, 1-0-0

Northern Illinois

1-5-0, 0-1-0

NIU

Bowling Green

Photo by: Lauren Laudato, BGSU Athletics

Bennett Paints Another Masterpiece as Falcons Win MVC Opener, 2-1

September 13, 2024 | Men's Soccer

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Sophomore scores early AND late as BGSU bests NIU

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Sophomore Bennett Painter scored early and late on Friday night (Sept. 13), lifting the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team to a 2-1 win over Northern Illinois University. The match, the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams, was held inside a raucous Cochrane Stadium.

Painter gave the Falcons (5-1-0, 1-0-0 MVC) the lead just over four minutes into the match, as BGSU dominated the Huskies (1-5-0, 0-1-0 MVC) in the opening half.

The visitors, however, scored less than five minutes into the second half, on a Luka Vasic header off of a corner kick, and NIU had several great chances to take the lead over the final 40-plus minutes.

BGSU had several close calls as well, but it remained a 1-1 match until the 87th minute. In close quarters near the 18-yard line, Painter worked a combination play with fellow sophomore Jake Lane. Painter took a shot that was blocked, but the rebound fell into the path of Painter, who quickly hit a follow-up shot that found the lower-right-hand corner of the net.

Painter now has a team-leading five goals this season to date.

Gallery: (9-13-2024) 091324 msoc v NIU - Lauren Laudato

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• Bennett Painter now has 19 career points in 19 career games, on eight goals and three assists. He has scored all 19 of those points, however, in his last nine matches, dating to late last season.
• Painter has scored at least one point in eight of those nine games, including in five of six contests this season to date.

HIGHLIGHTS
• The Falcons, as mentioned, dominated the opening half. BGSU had advantages of 12-1 in shots and 6-0 in corner kicks in the first 45 minutes. And, just over four minutes into the contest, BG broke on top.

• A long throw-in by Kyle Cusimano sailed into the six-yard box, where a Huskie defender got a head on it. Junior Andrew Shaffer ran into the area and deflected the ball toward sophomore Bennett Painter, who hit a hard shot with the outside of his foot from near the penalty spot. The shot found the lower-right corner of the goal, and the hosts had an early lead.

• The Falcons Cusimano came flying into the box to hit a shot off of a corner kick in the 13th minute, but the shot was deflected wide by an NIU defender. Just over a minute later, Northern's lone shot of the first half came off of the boot of Kevin Kelly near the top of the box, but Painter was right there to block the shot.

• Several minutes later, a BGSU cross was headed out of the box and into the path of Anthony Hernandez. Hernandez ran onto the ball and hit a wicked hard shot that only stayed out of the net due to a spectacular diving stop by NIU goalkeeper Atahan Arslan. A drive by Taylor Dyson off of the ensuing corner kick whizzed over the bar.

• Early in the second half, the Huskies found the equalizer. Luka Vasic got his head on a corner kick by Jose Gomez in the 50th minute, nodding it into the net for the tying goal.

• Several minutes later, Trace Terry got his head on a cross by Alberto Anaya, but the shot went just wide of the right post. And, only one minute after that, a Jake Bergin cross from the other side of the field was blocked near the goal line. The ball popped into the air, and Alberto Anaya was there to meet it when it landed. He fired a laser off of the short hop, but the ball went just wide of the left post.

• Just over 35 minutes remained when Cusimano took a long throw-in. Josh Erlandson's flick-on found the onrushing Shaffer, but fortunately for Arslan, Shaffer's hard header was hit directly at him.

• With 26 minutes to go, Erlandson got his head on an Anaya corner kick, but the ball again was hit directly at the NIU 'keeper.

• NIU threatened with 12 minutes to go. On a counterattack, Zachariah Thomas caught up to a pass down the right side of the field and crossed the ball to an open Taylor Davis in the center of the box. BGSU defender Gus Peacock arrived just as Davis was preparing to shoot and may have disrupted the striker's rhythm. In any event, the shot sailed over the bar.

• Another foray into the box by the visitors saw Kelly run onto a pass on the right side of the box. As he attempted a sliding shot near the six-yard line, Peacock blocked the ball over the line, and off of the ensuing corner kick, an NIU shot sailed high.

• With under eight minutes to go, the Huskies successfully defended another long throw-in from Cusimano. NIU's Grant Paskus knocked the ball out of the box, and the visitors were suddenly on the attack. Paskus's long pass toward Gomez sailed past midfield. BGSU goalkeeper Brendan Graves came forward and hit a clearing attempt, but Gomez was able to block it. He found Kelly at the top of the 18, and Kelly in turn slid a pass to Thomas. Thomas fired a hard shot from eight yards out, but the ball struck the crossbar, then glanced off of Kelly near the six-yard line and rolled out of bounds.

• With just over three minutes to go, Painter and the Falcons took the lead. Then, off of the ensuing kickoff, Terry stole an errant backpass and fired a shot that was blocked out of bounds, giving BGSU possession in the NIU end of the field. NIU had one or two remaining trips over midfield, but the hosts were able to seal the win.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• It's only the program's second season as a member of the conference, but the Falcons are off to a 1-0-0 start in MVC play for the first time. BGSU's last win in a league opener came in 2021, when the Falcons downed Georgia State and Georgia Southern to get off to a 2-0-0 start in Mid-American Conference action.
• BGSU had advantages of 20-10 in total shot attempts, 7-1 in shots on goal and 9-2 in corner kicks on Friday night. The Huskies did have a slim 9-8 edge in second-half shots.
• Bennett Painter now has team-leading totals of five goals and 11 points on the season. Three of his five goals have been game-winning scores.
• Painter's brace marked the first two-goal game by a Falcon since last Oct. 22, when Painter scored the Falcons' final two goals in a 3-1 win at Drake.
• Painter now has eight career goals. All eight have come in the Falcons' last 10 games. The sophomore, who missed the Falcons' final regular-season game last season, has career totals of eight goals, three assists and 19 points – all in the last nine matches in which he has seen action.
• Painter has scored at least one point in eight of his last nine games, including in five of six contests this season to date.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons take to the road for the next two matches, beginning with a Tuesday (Sept. 17) non-conference meeting with Northern Kentucky. That match begins at 7:00 p.m. at NKU Soccer Stadium.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will return to MVC play, facing Bradley next Saturday night (Sept. 21). First touch is set for 7:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. ET) at Shea Stadium in Peoria, Ill.

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.