Short-Handed Falcons Fall, 1-0, at Butler

Sunday, August 24

Indianapolis, Ind.

7 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

0-1-1, 0-0-0

Butler

1-1-0, 0-0-0

Bowling Green

Butler

Photo by: Chandler Hart, Butler Athletics

August 24, 2025 | Men's Soccer

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By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Enzo Gil made a career-high eight saves, but the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team dropped a one-goal decision on Sunday night (Aug. 24). Butler University scored in the 75th minute to post a 1-0 victory over the short-handed Falcons at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl.

Gil, a junior transfer, had tied his career high with seven saves in the Falcons' Thursday match vs. IU Indy. On Sunday evening, several of his stops were of the spectacular variety, keeping the Falcons (0-1-1) in the game after BGSU had gone a man down early.

The Falcons played the Bulldogs (1-1-0) even for nearly 64 minutes after an early red card, but Aiden Benitez broke the scoreless deadlock at the 74:23 mark with a postage-stamp goal from approximately 13 yards out.

BGSU went down to nine men late in the second half, and the Bulldogs were able to close out the home win.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• Enzo Gil made seven saves in his BGSU debut on Thursday night vs. IU Indy. That total tied his career best. Gil, a transfer from Lindenwood University, made seven stops vs. Liberty as a freshman in 2023.
• On Sunday night, as mentioned, Gil set a new career standard with eight saves against Butler. He has 15 saves in two matches this season and a total of 124 in his collegiate career.

B!G PLAYS / HOW IT HAPPENED
• Butler earned a corner kick, which was taken just over 11 minutes into the match. Off of that corner, a header was redirected toward goal but blocked by a BGSU player on the goal line. On the play, however, the Falcons were assessed a red card due to an intentional handball call.
• A penalty kick was also awarded on the play, but Josemir Gomez saw his kick sail over the crossbar.
• BGSU goalkeeper Enzo Gil made five saves in the first half, including a stop on Luca Raso with eight minutes left before the intermission. A Butler diagonal ball wound up at the feet of a wide-open Raso, who fired a shot from close range on the left side of the penalty area. Gil, however, blocked the shot, with the ball caroming off of Raso and out of bounds for a BG goal kick.
• With 27 minutes remaining in the match, Joshua Saavedra received a right-side pass from Anthony Hernandez and fired a one-timer from approximately 15 yards out. The shot was blocked by a defender. At the next stoppage, the play was reviewed for a possible handball against Butler, but the original decision was upheld at the match continued.
• The match restarted with a BGSU free kick near midfield. Giovanni Soares played a long ball into the Butler end, and the ball was knocked up into the air. Trace Terry met that ball with a vicious volley, but BU 'keeper Aurie Briscoe somehow parried the shot away.
• Aiden Benitez gave Butler the lead with 15:34 to go, settling the ball, taking several touches as he moved left-to-right across the penalty area and scoring from approximately 13 yards out.
• With 3:27 to go in the match, another red card was given to the Falcons. Just over a minute later, Gil made a leaping save of a shot by Benitez.
• And, with just under two minutes left, the Falcons, playing 9x11, got a shot off, but Terry's effort was wide of the target.
• With just under a minute left, Gil made another tremendous save, this time stopping Ryan Hannosh for his eighth save of the night.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Sophomore Bradley Poppell made his first start for the Falcons on Sunday night. Poppell, a transfer from Air Force, made four starts for 'the other' Falcons in 2024.
• Freshman Caue Ramos made his collegiate debut on Sunday night, checking into the match with just under 13 minutes remaining in the opening half.
• Fellow Falcon freshmen Tyson McCoy and Xavier Sims also made their respective collegiate debuts, seeing several minutes of action in the second half.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons will continue a three-game road swing on Thursday (Aug. 28), heading to Dayton to take on Wright State in the battle for the I-75 Cup. That contest will begin at 7:00 p.m.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will travel to Ann Arbor for a Labor Day (Sept. 1) meeting with Michigan. First touch is set for 2:00 p.m.
• BGSU's next home game is Friday, Sept. 5, when Michigan State comes to Cochrane Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. match. Admission is free to all BGSU regular-season matches.

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.