Falcons Host NKU to Conclude September Slate

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 | 7:00 P.M. | COCHRANE STADIUM | BOWLING GREEN, OHIO

BOWLING GREEN
FALCONS
(3-4-2, 0-1-0 MVC)

vs.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY
NORSE
(2-4-3, 0-1-2 HL)


WATCH: WBGU-TV/YouTube \| LIVE STATS: BGSU v NKU \| TWITTER/X: @BGSUMSoccer \| INSTAGRAM: bgsumsoccer

SETTING THE SCENE / FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• The Bowling Green State University men's soccer team steps outside of conference play on each of the next two Tuesdays. Head coach Eric Nichols and the Falcons end the September schedule by hosting Northern Kentucky University this Tuesday (Sept. 30), with first touch set for 7:00 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium. Admission is free to all home soccer action.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will head to Nashville for a Missouri Valley Conference matchup with Belmont University on Friday evening (Oct. 3). That contest begins at 7:30 p.m. ET at E.S. Rose Park.

WHERE TO WATCH
• Tuesday's NKU match will be streamed on YouTube, and produced by WBGU-TV.

• Friday's Belmont battle will be streamed via ESPN+.

STATS & SOCIAL MEDIA
• Links to live stats (as well as to any available audio/video) for all 2025 matches can always be found on the web at BGSUFalcons.com – both on the men's soccer schedule page and in the right column on the main page – on match day.

FAMILIAR FACE ON THE OTHER BENCH
• Former BGSU standout Sergi Martinez is an assistant coach at NKU. Martinez played two seasons for the Falcons, captaining the team and earning All-Mid-American Conference First-Team honors in 2022. He had 30 points in 36 matches with the Falcons.

THE STARTING XI
I – The Falcons are 3-4-2 on the season after splitting a pair of matches last week. BGSU picked up a 2-1 win at DePaul Tuesday (Sept. 23), as senior Trace Terry and junior Bennett Painter scored goals just 2:19 apart in the second half.

II – Then, however, the Orange and Brown suffered a 3-0 loss to Evansville in Friday's (Sept. 26) Missouri Valley Conference opener. The Falcons have lost the last two home matches after going unbeaten in the previous 11 home contests.

III – Terry has scored a goal in three of the last five matches, and leads the Falcons with five goals and 10 points this season. Painter has three goals and eight points this season. Senior Andrew Shaffer picked up an assist in the DePaul contest, and has two on the season, tying him with Painter for the team lead.

IV – Terry has moved into a tie for 12th place on the BGSU career goals list, and he is now deadlocked for 14th in career points. The striker has 23 goals and 57 points.

V – Painter has scored 46 points in 41 career matches. He currently has 19 career goals to rank 18th on that BG chart, and the junior is 28th in career points.

VI – Junior goalkeeper Enzo Gil has played every second in goal, and has 50 saves, a goals-against average of 1.22 and a pair of clean sheets. Gill, who has been named MVC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season, is tied for first in the entire nation in total saves, and he is sixth in the country in saves per game (5.66) and 32nd in save percentage (.820).

VII – Head coach Eric Nichols and his staff – assistant coaches Gonzalo Carranza, Jack Bennett and Ryan James – have a total of 12 returning student-athletes on the 2025 roster. That group includes six starters from a year ago. A whopping 15 newcomers joined the Falcons in 2025.

VIII – BGSU finished the 2024 season with an overall record of 12-6-2, and the Falcons went 4-3-1 in their second season in the MVC, tying for third place in the then nine-team league. The Orange and Brown picked up wins over UIC and Drake to advance to the championship match of the MVC Tournament, before falling in overtime to Evansville.

IX – Four of the top-six point-scorers from the 2024 club returned. The returnees include a pair of forwards in Painter (13 goals, 30 points) and Terry (12 goals, 29 points) who combined for a whopping 25 goals and 59 points last fall. The duo combined for nine GWG. Terry was named to the All-MVC First Team, and Painter earned all-league second-team honors.

X – Terry was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team last season, and also was chosen to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Best XI Third Team. Terry was named to the TDS Preseason Best XI Third Team in 2025.

XI – Last December, Terry was chosen by Seattle Sounders FC in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft. He is the first player in program history to return to the Falcons after being drafted, and is the fifth player in history (and the first since 1999) to come back for another season after being named an All-American.

XII (off the bench) – Terry was named to the United Soccer Coaches Forwards to Watch list this season – one of just 20 players to be so honored. Additionally, the Falcons were picked to finish second in the MVC in 2025, and Painter, Shaffer and Terry all were named to the Preseason All-MVC Team.

BGSU MSOC FEATURE & LINKS
Sept. 27 - BG Falcon Media - Falcons Honor Mickey Cochrane, Recognize 1995 Championship Team During Alumni Weekend
Sept. 26 - BG Falcon Media - From Brazil to Bowling Green: Men's Soccer's New Brazilian Influence
Sept. 22 - BG Falcon Media - Turning Setbacks into Strengths: The Resilient Journey of Amer Dedic
Sept. 16 - BG Falcon Media - When Passion Meets Opportunity: Michael Lindh's D1 Soccer Breakthrough
Sept. 1 - BG Falcon Media - Zig Zone One on One: Trace Terry

THE NORSE / THE SERIES
• Northern Kentucky is 2-4-3 on the season, and the Norse are 0-1-2 in Horizon League action after a 1-1 draw against Cleveland State on Saturday. NKU has two one-goal wins, four one-goal losses and the three draws this season to date. Ali Taleb leads the team with three goals and six points, while five of his teammates have one goal apiece. Alex Kron has played every second in goal, and has 25 saves, one clean sheet and a 1.11 goals-against average. Last season, head coach Tom Poitras and the Norse went 3-6-7 overall and 2-3-4 in the conference.

• The Falcons lead NKU, 3-1-2, in the all-time series. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in Highland Heights last season (Sept. 17, 2024), with Trace Terry scoring the Falcons' goal. BG picked up a 2-1 win in the teams' last meeting at Cochrane Stadium, two years ago (Sept. 12, 2023). The Falcons are 2-1-0 at home and 1-0-2 on the road vs. the Norse through the years.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...
• For more information on BGSU men's soccer, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUMSoccer), Instagram (bgfalcons and bgsumsoccer) and Facebook (BGMensSoccer), and on the web at BGSUFalcons.com.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 | 7:00 P.M. | COCHRANE STADIUM | BOWLING GREEN, OHIO

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