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Bowling Green State University Athletics
2023 Men's Soccer Roster
Jersey Number 11
Eli Shope
- Position:
- Forward
- Height:
- 5-9
- Weight:
- 155
- Class:
- Fifth Year
- Hometown:
- Bowling Green, Ohio
- High School:
- Toledo St. John's Jesuit
- Prev School:
- Toledo Celtics
Years of eligibility remaining including 2023-24 academic year: 1
PRONUNCIATION
rhymes with Pope
2023
Sept. 8, 2022: BG Native Shope Living the Dream with Falcons
2022
2021
2020(-21)
2019
HIGH SCHOOL
PERSONAL
SHOPE ON BGSU
“I’ve always been drawn to BGSU because not only is it an amazing school, but it's a fantastic soccer program that has always felt like family. As a kid I looked up to the players and learned so much from them. I know that when I join this program I’ll be able to grow as a soccer player and as a person.”
PRONUNCIATION
rhymes with Pope
2023
- Named to the Academic All-District® Team, selected by College Sports Communicators
- Also named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team
- And, was chosen to the OCSA Academic All-Ohio First Team
- Played in 14 matches, starting all 14
- Missed the last four games due to injury
- Had nine points on four goals and an assist
- Three of his goals were the game-opening goal, and the fourth was a game-winning marker
- Was third on the team in points, and was tied for the team lead in goals, when he suffered a season-ending injury on Oct. 22
- Had a goal in the season-opening win over Cleveland State
- The goal came in the 16th minute from a difficult angle, giving BG a 1-0 lead in an eventual 3-2 win
- Saw 85 minutes of action at Michigan State and 88 against Duquesne
- Scored the game-winning goal in the Falcons' victory over Michigan
- Broke a 1-1 tie with a goal midway through the second half of that 2-1 victory
- Led all players with six shot attempts in that contest
- Played 86 minutes against DePaul, and had a game-high three shots on goal
- Also drew the start in the Northern Kentucky match
- Played 85 minutes of BGSU's first-ever MVC match, at Western Michigan
- Missed the Wright State match due to injury, but returned to play all 90 minutes of BG's win over Bradley
- On Senior Night, had a goal and an assist in the win over Evansville
- Scored the game's first goal, then had an assist on Andrew Shaffer's second-half marker that gave BG a 4-1 lead
- Played all 90 minutes of the UE match as well as the entirety of the Detroit Mercy contest
- Played all 90 minutes at Maryland, with a pair of shot attempts
- Was on the field for all 90 minutes at Belmont as well
- Scored the game's first goal in BG's 3-1 win over UIC
- Played 89 of the 90 minutes, and had four shot attempts vs. the Flames
- Started the match at Drake and saw 27 minutes of action before leaving due to injury
Sept. 8, 2022: BG Native Shope Living the Dream with Falcons
2022
- Named to the Academic All-MAC Team
- Played in all 16 matches, making 12 starts
- Had three points on a goal and an assist
- Made his first collegiate start in the season opener at DePaul, playing 75 minutes and firing a pair of shots
- Started and played 73 minutes of the match at Loyola (Ill.) two days later
- Played 77 minutes of the home opener vs. Ohio State, with two shot attempts
- Blocked a Buckeye shot for a 'team save' in that match
- Played 53 minutes of the scoreless draw at Michigan, and had a shot on goal
- Was on the pitch for 60 minutes vs. Michigan State, with his four shot attempts including one that forced the MSU 'keeper into a leaping save early in the second half
- Saw action in the wins over Air Force and Oakland as well, with a shot attempt in the latter match
- Played 21 minutes of the MAC opener vs. Western Michigan, and saw brief action at Georgetown
- Had the primary assist on Andrew Shaffer's 71st-minute goal in the 1-1 draw vs. #20 Akron
- The assist came less than a minute after he entered the match for the first time
- Beat an Akron defender to the ball as it rolled toward the end line, poking it to Shaffer in the center of the box for a one-time finish
- Drew the start in BGSU's next game, and scored his first collegiate goal in a 3-0 win at Chicago State
- Capped the scoring in that win, taking a Sergi Martinez pass and beating the 'keeper from a difficult angle
- Was in the starting lineup and played 49 minutes as BGSU blanked #20 Akron on the road
- Drew the start on Senior Night, helping the Falcons to a 3-0 home win over CSU
- Also started the match at Northern Illinois, playing 52 minutes of that 3-1 win
- Played 66 minutes at Western Michigan and had a shot on goal
- Started and played 59 minutes of the 6-0 home win over NIU, as the Falcons posted their seventh shutout of the season
2021
- Played in three matches off the bench
- Saw action off the bench in BG's 3-0 win at Cleveland State
- Played 19 minutes in another 3-0 win, with one shot attempt vs. Wright State
- Came off the bench to play 13 minutes against Georgia Southern at Cochrane Stadium
2020(-21)
- Played in five matches off the bench
- Scored a goal in BG's 2-0 win in a scrimmage at Xavier.
- Came off the bench to see action in BGSU's season opener, a 3-2 win over Dayton
- Played 26 minutes of BG's 1-0 OT win over #25 SIUE
- Was on the pitch for 18 minutes at Western Michigan
2019
- Played in six matches off the bench, with BGSU going 5-0-1 in those matches
- Saw action in both matches during the Falcons' trip to Western Pennsylvania on the season's opening weekend
- Made his collegiate debut in the double-overtime draw at Duquesne, playing 50 minutes with one shot attempt
- Then, played 43 minutes of the Falcons' 2-0 win at Robert Morris
- Saw 12 minutes of action in the Falcons' 3-0 win at Northwestern
- Came off the bench to see 17 minutes of action against Cleveland State
- Not long after entering the match, played a gorgeous cross behind the CSU defense, leading to an Ike Swiger shot that was just wide
- Saw seven minutes of action in the Falcons' 1-0 win at IUPUI, and played 10 minutes of BG's 4-0 victory vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
HIGH SCHOOL
- A three-year letterwinner at St. John’s Jesuit H.S. (’19), under coach Tom Shook
- An All-Ohio Second-Team selection as a senior in 2018
- Helped the Titans to the Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC) championship in each season
- A two-time All-TRAC First-Team selection
- Also named to the all-district first team in each of his last two years
- A two-time team captain
- Named to All-TRAC Academic Team in each year
- Class of 2019 Scholar Athlete award
PERSONAL
- Born in Bowling Green, Ohio
- Son of Roger and Brenda Shope
- The second of three children
- Has an older sister, Jani, and a younger sister, Gretchen
- Played club soccer for Toledo Celtics
- Favorite athlete is Robert Lewandowski
- Lists his mother as his biggest influence
- An exercise science major at BGSU
SHOPE ON BGSU
“I’ve always been drawn to BGSU because not only is it an amazing school, but it's a fantastic soccer program that has always felt like family. As a kid I looked up to the players and learned so much from them. I know that when I join this program I’ll be able to grow as a soccer player and as a person.”
Off The Pitch: Gonzalo Carranza (Oct. 30, 2025)
Thursday, October 30
Off The Pitch: Jack Bennett (Oct. 22, 2025)
Thursday, October 23
Off The Pitch: Ryko Bodurov (Oct. 16, 2025)
Friday, October 17
Eric Nichols Post-Match Interview (Oct. 10, 2025)
Saturday, October 11
