Tonight, BGSU men’s soccer (5-0-1) travels to Highland Heights, Kentucky, to face off against Northern Kentucky University (1-2-3) looking for their third win in a row and their sixth win of the season.
SERIES HISTORY
There have been just five meetings between these two sides, with the most recent being last season at Cochrane Stadium, which resulted in a 2-1 win for Bowling Green.
The Falcons lead the all-time series, 3-1-1, with their only loss against the Norse coming in 2018.
This will be the first time BG will travel to NKU since 2016, and it will be just the sixth all-time meeting.
BOWLING GREEN
Coming off an electric 2-1 win at home over Northern Illinois, the Falcons have won three of their last four matches and are now 1-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).
What more can you say about sophomore forward Bennett Painter? The Cincinnati striker has been on fire for Bowling Green, with five goals on the year and three game-winners. Coming off a brace against NIU, Painter has been the star of the show in the attack this year for the Falcons.
Going on the road means the Falcons will need a near-complete team performance. Despite a strong start to the year, the Falcons only have one shutout, which was against Michigan State, arguably their best performance of the season.
The road plan is simple: limit goal-scoring chances for NKU, defend set-pieces, and ultimately take advantage of opportunities on the offensive end.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
With only one win this year, 2024 has been a struggle for the Norse.
On the bright side, NKU is on a three-game unbeaten streak, with two draws and a win. They are coming off a 0-0 tie on the road against Horizon League opponent Robert Morris.
Northern Kentucky’s only win so far came against Western Illinois, a 3-0 victory at Scudamore Stadium on Sept. 8.
NKU has also just conceded just five goals this season, only one in their last three games. Defensively, it’s been a much-improved backline for head coach Tom Poitras after conceding 29 goals last year.
While NKU isn’t exactly pretty record-wise, they are a much-improved team from 2023 that went (4-10-3) and missed out on the Horizon League Championship; they won’t be an easy test for the Falcons, especially with their current defensive form.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Forward: #12, Bennett Painter, Bowling Green
Painter’s current form has been outstanding. Something that has also changed this year is that he is playing 90 minutes in almost every single match; he’s been a constant threat in the attack for the Falcons.
Midfielder: #10 Alberto Anaya, Bowling Green
The glue for Bowling Green’s midfield, Anaya has been much of an unsung hero so far this season for the Falcons. His ability to find open space anywhere on the pitch makes him a dangerous threat anywhere for NKU, especially around the penalty box.
Forward– #19 Tyler Murphy, Northern Kentucky
Murphy leads Northern Kentucky with two goals on the year, and interesting enough, he’s been doing it off the bench for the team. He also leads the team in shots with nine and shots on goal with five, which could provide a spark for a struggling NKU attack.
Goalkeeper: #1 Nic Lemen, Northern Kentucky
Lemen has been excellent in 2024, only conceding five goals; he has faced 70 shots this year. Even more impressive is that he’s had three shutouts already with six games played. He may be in store for another big game against a red-hot Falcons attack.
