After a 1-0 win in East Lansing, BGSU men’s soccer (2-0-0) will travel to Indiana to take on the IU Indianapolis Jaguars (2-0-0), who are also off to a hot start to the 2024 season.
SERIES HISTORY
Friday night will mark just the 11th match between the Falcons and the Jaguars. Bowling Green leads the all-time series with a 6-1-3 record.
The only IU Indianapolis win came nearly 20 years ago when they beat BG in their first-ever meeting 3-2 on Sept. 4, 2004.
2021 was the last time these teams played one another, resulting in a 0-0 tie at Cochrane Stadium.
BOWLING GREEN
Coming off a Big Ten win on the road, plus a shutout is an excellent result for Bowling Green. The Falcons have started 2-0-0 for the seventh time in the Eric Nichols era. The last time The Orange and Brown started like this, was the 2020(-21) season, the year they won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) title.
The Falcons haven’t won three games to start a season since 2017, when they started 5-0-0.
Sophomore forward Bennett Painter has been a joy to watch so far this year. With back-to-back game-winning goals, the Cincinnati native has been clutch for Bowling Green early on.
Fifth-year goalkeeper Brendan Graves is coming off a massive performance against Michigan State. In the last 42 games, Graves has played every single second in the net for the Falcons, 3,800 minutes total. He’s been the glue of the BG defense once again this season.
The recipe for the Falcons is the same against IU Indianapolis as it was against Michigan State. A complete team performance will be needed, from the backline to the midfield battle, and ultimately when the Falcons get chances, they must finish them.
IU INDIANAPOLIS
The Jaguars were picked to finish third overall in the Horizon League from the 2024 Under Armour Horizon League preseason poll, including earning a first-place vote.
IU Indianapolis has started strong, with wins against Incarnate Word and Houston Christian, down in Texas. Scoring three goals and allowing zero in two matches. This is the first time they’ve started 2-0-0 since the 2004 season.
The big question coming into this season for IU Indianapolis was where will the goals come from. They lost their three top goal-scorers from last season, but with their backline posting back-to-back shutouts, they’ve helped take the pressure off an unproven attack for the Jaguars.
Friday will be the home opener for the Jaguars, who similar to BG, will look to continue their unbeaten streak and give their home fans a victory.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Forward – #21 Trace Terry, Bowling Green
The Bellbrook native found the back of the net against Wright State in Bowling Green’s season opener and is coming off a solid performance against MSU. Terry has been a handful for opposing center-backs to start the year, his hold-up play will be very important on Friday.
Midfielder – #10 Alberto Anaya, Bowling Green
Anaya hasn’t gotten enough recognition for his performance against Michigan State. After not playing the full 90 minutes in the season opener, the captain put on a clinic, even helping create the game-winning goal for Painter on Monday. Need another big game from Anaya against IU Indianapolis.
Forward – #22 Jose Antonio Herrera, IU Indianapolis
Herrera scored a brace in the Jaguars’ 2-0 win over Incarnate Wood. The sophomore forward has gotten off to a hot start after not scoring in 21 games last year. He is certainly one to keep an eye on for Friday.
Defender – #28 Brady Horn, IU Indianapolis
The junior defender leads the backline for the Jaguars. Horn led the team in minutes played last season and has continued to show his importance this year. With two shutouts so far, Horn will be key for IU Indianapolis against a fierce Falcons attack.
