After 17 regular-season games played, it’s finally Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament time for BGSU men’s soccer (10-5-2, 4-3-1) as the three-seeded Falcons take on the number six seed UIC Flames (7-9-0, 3-5-0).
Sunday night is just the fourth meeting between the two programs, with Bowling Green leading the series with a 2-1 record. In early October, UIC defeated Bowling Green 2-1 at Flames Field through a brace from forward Bart Muns.
Last year, in their first MVC match, the Falcons beat the Flames 3-1 at Cochrane Stadium.
It’s win or go home, and considering how intense the match was the last time these two teams played, this could make for a very entertaining quarterfinal game.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer and Henry Kosko will have the call of the match on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m.
BOWLING GREEN
Despite ending the regular season with a 3-1 loss at Oregon State, the Falcons are still riding the high from their 3-0 win over Western Michigan at home. The game gave them the ability to host a quarterfinal match.
The main story for the Orange and Brown heading into the tournament is the same as it’s been all season. The striking partnership of Trace Terry and Bennet Painter. The two have 23 goals combined, 12 for Painter and 11 for Terry. In every big game this year, both of them have contributed to the box score, whether goal or assist.
Senior midfielder Alberto Anaya leads the team with nine assists, and sophomore winger Andrew Shaffer has eight as well. Both have, somehow, haven’t received the praise they should for their play this season. Both will be vital in taking the load off Painter and Terry for opportunities in and around the box.
The play from fifth-year goalkeeper Brendan Graves has been huge this season as well, with five shutouts on the year, Graves has tallied 62 saves in 2024, which is second best of his career.
UIC
The Flames are going into this game coming off a 2-1 loss to Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. UIC finished just below .500 in the regular season, along with three wins in the MVC and five losses.
After their win against Bowling Green earlier in the season, UIC went on to win just one of their final six games of the year. The only win came against Bradley on Senior Night.
UIC is led by Muns up top, who’s tallied six goals this year, along with midfielder Rui Reis, who has four goals and four assists.
A lethal attack loaded with pace and versatility, UIC has struggled on the defensive side of things this year, conceding 30 goals, which is statistically the second-worst in the MVC.
UIC won’t be intimated by the Falcons’ success at Cochrane Stadium this season and will understand the importance of capitalizing on moments in transition.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Forward #21 – Trace Terry, Bowling Green
Terry’s aerial ability will be huge against UIC, along with his runs in the box and movement off the ball. When he has scored this year, the Falcons haven’t lost much.
Defender #2 – Kyle Cusimano, Bowling Green
Since moving to the middle of the backline, Cusimano has been solid in helping command the defense along with Graves. He has shown throughout his career he can be dangerous on set pieces as well, a big match is needed from the Bay-Village native.
Muns’ size and ability to hold up the ball have been impressive, but also, being the leader in goals for the team, he will need to find his name on the boxscore in some fashion for the Flames to advance.
Defender #4 – Paul Brauckmann, UIC
A physical defender, Brauckmann is one of the leaders for this Flames squad, and his ability on the ball and tracking where Terry and Painter are for the Falcons will be very important for UIC.
