BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Senior Jake Bergin's goal just 33 seconds into the match gave the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team the lead for good, and the Falcons went on to a 4-1 win over UIC on Sunday night (Nov. 10). The game, a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinal-round match, was held at Cochrane Stadium.
Freshman Ryko Bodurov had the first two-goal game of his young career for the Falcons (11-5-2 [4-3-1 MVC]), the third seed for the six-team tournament.
Sophomore Bennett Painter put an exclamation point on the win with his 13th goal of the season.
Bodurov had an assist on Painter's goal to cap a five-point night, while junior Trace Terry had two assists in the win.
Junior Andrew Shaffer and sophomores Anthony Hernandez and Jake Lane each added assists, while fifth-year Falcon Brendan Graves made seven saves in the contest.
Bart Muns scored for the sixth-seeded Flames (7-10-0 [3-5-0 MVC]).
With the win, the Falcons advance to the semifinal round of the MVC Tournament. BGSU will face second-seeded Drake on Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 13) in Springfield, Mo.
Gallery: (11-10-2024) 111024 msoc v UIC - Drake Harlett
NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• Sunday night's win marked the Falcons' first-ever MVC Tournament win, and BGSU heads to the MVC tourney semifinals for the first time. The 2024 season is BG's second in the conference.
• BGSU has advanced to the semifinals of a conference tournament for the first time since the 2021 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
BONUS NOTE OF THE NIGHT
• The Falcons went unbeaten at home in 2024. BGSU went 8-0-1 in home matches this season, with a record of 7-0-1 at Cochrane Stadium and an additional win in a match that was moved indoors due to weather and field conditions.
• The Falcons last went unbeaten at home during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, actually played in the spring of 2021. BGSU was 3-0-1 inside Cochrane Stadium that season.
• BGSU posted unbeaten home records in 1965 (2-0-1), 1973 (5-0-0), 1974 (4-0-0), 1978 (7-0-0), 1992 (8-0-0), 1994 (9-0-0), 1996 (9-0-1) and 2016 (5-0-4), in addition to 2020(-21).
B!G PLAYS (HOW IT HAPPENED
• In the opening seconds of the match, Jake Bergin received a pass from Gus Peacock near midfield on the left side of the pitch. He made a diagonal run toward the center of the field, splitting several defenders and sliding the ball toward Trace Terry near the top of the 18-yard line. With a UIC player vying for the ball as well, Terry was able to tap the ball back into Bergin's path. The senior took a touch and, from the semicircle just outside the penalty area, fired a shot that eluded diving UIC goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski and found the left side of the net.
• In the seventh minute of of the match, Bennett Painter not only blocked the clearance attempt of a UIC player near the sideline, he also kept the ball in play, tapping it past his would-be defender and sliding a pass along the 18-yard line to Terry. Terry, facing away from goal, faked one way before turning the other way and firing a shot, but the ball sailed over the crossbar.
• Two minutes later, senior Kyle Blasingame his a shot from the right side of the penalty area. The diving Dabrowski parried the ball, but as Bergin picked it up just outside the box, he was fouled. But, Alberto Anaya's ensuing free kick was blocked by the wall and deflected out of play.
• The Flames threatened when Jesus De Vicente chipped a ball from the left side toward Jack Finnegan on the right side of the box. Finnegan cut back and hit a left-footed shot that caromed off of the far post.
• Midway through the half, a quick free kick by De Vicente found an open Rui Reis racing behind the BG back line. As he reached the 18-yard line with only BGSU goalkeeper Brendan Graves between him and the goal, Reis hit a shot that sailed well over the target.
• Less than two minutes later, Bart Muns was in on goal after a punt from Dabrowski hit off of the back of a BGSU player. But, as Muns headed into the box and hit a shot, both Peacock and Josh Erlandson lunged for the ball. One of the Falcon defenders blocked the shot, and it rolled directly to Graves.
• Seventeen minutes remained in the period when a diagonal ball found Reis on the right side of the box. He slid a pass along the six-yard line, and Max Aquino redirected it on frame. But, Peacock came out of nowhere to block the ball off of the goal line for a 'team save.'
• The Flames had another chance with eight minutes left in the half when Muns got his head on a De Vicente corner kick. But, his shot bounced just wide of the left post.
• After scoring early in the half, BGSU doubled the lead late in the half. Jake Lane picked up the ball near midfield and carried it all the way to the 18-yard line on the left side. With several UIC players on him, he played the ball to Ryko Bodurov in the box. Bodurov settled the ball with his left foot, wheeled and fired a shot with his right foot that beat Dabrowski to the near side.
• The Falcons had a chance just after the hour mark. Bergin dispossessed a UIC player near midfield, and Bodurov lofted a pass to Terry, who was behind the defense on the right side. Terry entered the box, cut the ball back to elude a lunging UIC player and fired a shot. Dabrowski made a diving save, and Terry's follow-up try went through the six-yard box and past the right post.
• Just over a minute later, however, the Falcons were on the board again. After Terry's cross was blocked out of the goalmouth, Anthony Hernandez received the ball and worked a combination play with Bergin. Hernandez received the return pass, took the ball past a defender near the end line and spotted Terry in the box. Terry in turn slid the ball to Bodurov, who was inside the six-yard box, facing away from goal. Bodurov received the pass with a defender on his back, and as two other UIC players closed in, he poked the ball past Dabrowski and into the net with a backheel. The freshman had a brace and the Falcons had a three-goal lead.
• But, just over three minutes later, the Flames got on the board. After an offside call on the Falcons near midfield, UIC's Juan Gutierrez quickly took the ensuing free kick. The ball found Muns just outside the 18, and he chested it down and knocked the bouncing ball into the left side of the net with a half volley.
• With 16 minutes remaining, Muns got on the end of a left-side cross and headed the ball toward the far post, but it hit the woodwork and Peacock cleared it away.
• Just under 10 minutes remained when Andrew Shaffer took a throw-in on the right side of the field, near the scoreboard. His throw went to Bodurov, who knocked it right back to Shaffer. Shaffer took one touch toward the corner flag and lofted a cross into the box, where Painter was waiting. The sophomore headed it into the net from six yards out to give the hosts a three-goal lead.
• Just over two minutes remained when De Vicente got past a BG defender on the left side and chipped a ball toward the left side of the six-yard box. Reis got a foot on the pass and redirected it on goal, but Graves was there to make the stop for his seventh save of the night.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons, as mentioned, advance to Wednesday's (Nov. 13) semifinal round of the MVC Tournament. BGSU, the number-three seed, will face second-seeded Drake in the first game of the day, beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET.
• Regular-season champion Missouri State will host the semifinal and championship rounds, and the Bears will face fifth-seeded Evansville in Wednesday's second semifinal match.
• The final will be held on Saturday night (Nov. 16) at 7:30 p.m. ET.
MVC STANDINGS AND SCHEDULE
Team (Overall) MVC Pts.
1. Missouri St. (12-2-2) 7-0-1 22
2. Drake (9-4-3) 5-1-2 17
3. Bowling Green (11-4-2) 4-3-1 13
Western Mich. (11-2-6) 3-1-4 13
Evansville (9-6-3) 4-3-1 13
6. UIC (7-10-0) 3-5-0 9
7. Bradley (4-8-5) 1-5-2 5
Belmont (5-8-4) 1-5-2 5
9. Northern Ill. (3-12-1) 1-6-1 4
MVC TOURNAMENT
Sunday, November 10 – Quarterfinals (campus sites)
#5 Evansville 2, #4 Western Michigan 1 (OT)
at #3 Bowling Green 4, #6 UIC 1
Wednesday, November 13 – Semifinals (Springfield, Mo.)
#3 Bowling Green vs. #2 Drake, 4:00 p.m. ET
#5 Evansville at #1 Missouri State, 7:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, November 16 – Final (Springfield, Mo.)
Semifinal survivors, 7:30 p.m. ET
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.