Bowling Green Bests Butler, 3-2

Saturday, September 7

Bowling Green, Ohio

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

4-1-0, 0-0-0

Butler

2-1-2, 0-0-0

Butler

Bowling Green

Bennett Painter winds up to kick the ball against Butler.

Photo by: Drake Harlett, BGSU Athletics

September 07, 2024 | Men's Soccer

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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green men's soccer team improved to 4-1-0 on the season with a 3-2 win over Butler University Friday night (Sept. 7), in front of an energetic Cochrane Stadium crowd.

The Falcons scored the first three goals of the match, beginning with a Bennett Painter tally in the 25th minute. Then, just before the hour mark, Alberto Anaya doubled the Falcons' lead. Trace Terry, who had the primary assist on the Anaya goal, scored a goal of his own less than six minutes later. But, the Bulldogs -- who tied No. 9 Indiana earlier in the week -- were not finished.

Only 1:02 after Terry's goal, Palmer Ault scored to put the Bulldogs (2-1-2) on the board. Ault, who led all players with seven shot attempts in the match, had a pair of dangerous chances just over a minute apart with under 20 minutes remaining. But, Brendan Graves made a tough save each time.

BU cut the lead to a single goal when Josemir Gomez scored off of an Ault feed with just under three minutes to go, but the Falcons salted away the win.

Butler had a 16-10 lead in total shot attempts, but BGSU led by a slim 8-7 margin in shots on goal. Painter led the Falcons with five total shots, and he and Ault each put four shots on frame to tie for game honors.

Graves and his counterpart, Butler's Caleb Norris, each made five saves on the evening.

Gallery: (9-7-2024) 090724 msoc v Butler - Drake Harlett

HIGHLIGHTS
• The first 24 minutes of the match saw the teams combine for just four shot attempts – two at each end of the pitch – but the night's next shot saw the Falcons take the lead.

• Junior Andrew Shaffer, who was credited with a pair of assists on the night, played a ball to sophomore Bennett Painter near the top of the box. Painter chested the ball town, took a touch or two as he moved from right to left across the 18-yard line, then fired a shot across his body. The ball was perfectly placed, just out of the reach of several Butler defenders as well as goalkeeper Caleb Norris. Painter's shot glanced off of the far post and into the net.

• In the 59th minute, BGSU doubled the lead. Junior Trace Terry took a pass as he headed down the left side of the field. He turned and centered the ball to senior Alberto Anaya. Anaya faked a shot, cut the ball back to his left and hit a shot that deflected off of a defender and went into the net.

• Then, with just over 26 minutes to go, BG made it a 3-0 game. Kyle Blasingame, a few yards outside of the box, found Anthony Hernandez on his right. Hernandez played a diagonal ball into the box, and Terry's deft header redirected the ball past Norris for the Falcons' third goal.

• But, the Bulldogs battled back. Palmer Ault somehow kept possession of the ball as he worked his way into the penalty area on the left side. Ault attempted to play a low cross, but the ball was blocked back to him. He then fired a shot from the six-yard line extended, and his curving effort found the net. Just 62 seconds after Terry's goal, Ault made it a 3-1 game.

• With 19:25 to go, Ault hit another shot from the left side of the box. BGSU goalkeeper Brendan Graves, however, was there and parried the shot away. Then, just over a minute later, Ault worked a combination play with a teammate, receiving a return pass as he slipped past a defender and into the penalty area. Again, though, Graves made the stop on the point-blank shot.

• Those saves proved to be all the more important when the Bulldogs scored with 2:54 to go. A long ball on the left side was continued on its way by Manolo Ferreres, finding Ault. Ault put a cross into the box, and Josemir Gomez redirected it into the far side of the net.

• But, BU could not get another shot attempt on the night. With just over one minute to go, Norris made a high-quality save on Painter's bid for a brace, keeping it a one-goal game, but the Falcons were able to keep the ball out of their defensive third and seal the win.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons are home again next weekend, opening the Missouri Valley Conference portion of the schedule on Friday evening (Sept. 13). That match will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Cochrane, and admission is free.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will return to the road for the next two contests, facing Northern Kentucky (Tuesday, Sept. 17) and Bradley (Saturday, Sept. 21).

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.