On Friday night at Cochrane Stadium, BGSU men’s soccer will open up the 2024 season against their rivals, the Wright State Raiders.
It’ll be 292 days since the Falcons last played a competitive match, after a disappointing end to the 2023 season, head coach Eric Nichols’ squad is ready to make some noise in 2024.
The winner gets to hoist in the I-75 Cup, a historic rivalry dating back to 1982, the first meeting between the two teams, in a game where Bowling Green came away victorious, 2-0.
WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH
Stephen Jenkins and Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer will have the call at 7:00 p.m. on the WBGU-PBS YouTube channel. You can click the link below to watch the match.
SERIES HISTORY
The Falcons lead the all-time series against the Raiders, with a 12-8-3 record. At home, BG is 7-2-3 at Cochrane Stadium.
Last year, Wright State defeated Bowling Green 3-0 at WSU Alumni Field, the first time the Falcons lost to the Raiders since the 2017 season. It was also the largest defeat against Wright State since 2006.
BOWLING GREEN
In 2023, the Bowling Green team embarked on a year of growth, with a youthful and green roster complemented by seasoned fifth-year veterans. Still, the Falcons finished (7-8-3) overall and placed fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) with a (4-4-0) record in their debut season in the conference.
This season, the Falcons have the ambition to reach the mountain top of the MVC. But to do that, Nichols and the team know how important keeping Cochrane Stadium a tough place to play.
“We think Cochrane is a really special place, we have something extra every time we step on that field,” said Nichols. “Disappointing that we didn’t take care of it last year, and that’s one of the things that we really need to make right.”
One of the most disappointing results last year was the 3-0 loss to Wright State on the road, with the Raiders being the opening game of the season, the Falcons would want nothing more than to reclaim the trophy.
“We lost a trophy in bad form last year so it’s sort of a redemption game that we got to make right and we get a chance to do it right off the bat at home,” said Nichols.
WRIGHT STATE
The Raiders finished last season with a (4-9-5) record, and (3-4-2) in the Horizon League, with only one win on the road. They managed to qualify for the 2023 Horizon League Championship as the sixth seed but lost in the quarterfinal round to IUPUI, 1-0.
Last season was a forgetful season for Wright State and now third-year head coach Alex Van der Sluijs. There was only one non-conference win for Wright State last season, which was against Bowling Green, arguably their best result of the season.
Wright State scored just 22 goals last season, which was seventh-best in the Horizon League. On the defensive side, the Raiders allowed 31 goals, which was tied for the fourth-worst in the conference.
With a total of 18 new players for the Raiders, It’ll be a much different-looking Wright State team from last season, with a lot of new blood to help strengthen the squad.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Forward – #21 Trace Terry, Bowling Green
Terry is entering his junior year with the Falcons, coming off a good season where he started all 18 games. He was named to the All-MVC Second team after scoring four goals and recording six assists during his sophomore campaign.
It’s a massive season for Terry, his size, holdup play and ultimately goal-scoring will be key on Friday against Wright State and all season long.
Defender – #5 Josh Erlandson, Bowling Green
After missing the majority of the 2023 season due to injury, Erlandson is one of the most experienced players on the backline for Bowling Green. His leadership and quality on the ball were missed a lot last year and will be very important against Wright State.
Erlandson can also be a threat on set pieces, very good at aerial battles.
Forward – #9 Cole Werthmuller, Wright State
Werthmuller is the returning leading goal-scorer for the Raiders, who scored four goals last season, including one against BG.
The Medina native also can create chances, a dual-threat player for Wright State that’ll be key on Friday.
Midfielder – #26 Henry Hutchinson, Wright State
The sophomore midfielder is coming off an excellent freshman season, a year where he was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team.
Hutchinson had two goals and three assists in his debut season and also scored the last time these two sides met. A box-to-box midfielder who covers a lot of ground, he will be important to Wright State’s midfield against the Falcons.
