Coming off a 2-1 win on the road against DePaul, BGSU men’s soccer (3-3-2, 0-0-0) returns to Cochrane Stadium to open up Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play against the Evansville Purple Aces (2-2-5, 0-0-0).
Last time these two sides faced off was the 2024 MVC championship match, where the Falcons fell 3-2 to the Purple Aces in overtime. The Falcons lost the regular-season meeting in 2024 as well, losing 1-0 in Indiana on Oct. 25, 2024.
Friday marks the 17th meeting between Bowling Green and Evansville. The Orange and Brown are trailing 4-12-0 in the all-time series.
Bowling Green’s last win over Evansville came in 2023, with a 4-2 win in September. Senior captains Trace Terry had two goals in that game, while Andrew Shaffer had a goal as well.
Bowling Green will honor Mickey Cochrane during Friday’s match. Cochrane, the godfather of the BGSU men’s soccer program, was recently inducted into the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association (OCSA) Hall of Fame. The Falcons will recognize Cochrane in a ceremony before kickoff.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer and Noah Seeley will be on the call starting at 7:00 p.m. on the WBGU-PBS YouTube channel.
BOWLING GREEN
No way around it, the Falcons’ 3-0 loss last time they were at home didn’t sit well with head coach Eric Nichols and the Falcons. Who responded by winning their second road win of the season.
“We didn’t have the performance we wanted on the weekend in front of a great crowd,” said Nichols. “To go to DePaul… that’s not a good game to try to rebound. That’s a tough opponent, really tough place to play…and the guys locked in.”
Terry got his fifth goal of the season against DePaul. But arguably more importantly, junior forward Bennett Painter ended his four-game scoring drought. He scored his third goal of the season and his first game-winner.
Only Terry and Painter have gotten on the box score this season for Bowling Green. The Falcons are still looking for that third guy to help the dynamic duo up top in goals. Seven different Falcons have recorded assists this season.
Through eight games, the Falcons sit last in goals scored in the MVC. Friday night, against the team that ended their season last year, could be an opportunity to build off the win in Chicago.
EVANSVILLE
After winning the Missouri Valley and making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 28 years last season, the Purple Aces have just two wins so far in 2025.
Evansville was winless the first five games of the season before picking up a 3-0 win against Southern Indiana.
Despite their record, the Purple Aces are riding a four-game unbeaten streak. Coming off a 2-1 win on the road against the Butler Bulldogs.
The Purple Aces lost a couple of key pieces in the transfer portal after last year’s success. Most notably, midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi left for Indiana, and forward Kai Phillip transferred to Penn State.
With a large roster that contains a bunch of new pieces, Evansville’s backline pairing of Nacho Garcia and Martin Wurschmidt has been a constant this season. Starting all nine games, with Wurschmidt playing the most minutes out of any field player this season.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Andrew Shaffer #8, Midfielder – Bowling Green
Shaffer scored against Evansville in the 2024 MVC championship and found the back of the net last time the two sides met at Cochrane Stadium in 2023. Tied for the team lead in assists, Friday could be a good night to get his first goal of the season.
Enzo Gil #1, Goalkeeper – Bowling Green
The two-time MVC Defensive Player of the Week leads The Valley in total saves with 47 and saves per game at 5.88. Gil has made a couple of key saves throughout the season to keep Bowling Green in matches, and may be called upon to do so again against Evansville.
Michal Mroz #31, Goalkeeper – Evansville
On the other side, Mroz was named to the 2024 All-MVC Freshman Team after starting all 21 matches and posting five shutouts. This year, he has made 23 saves while conceding 10 goals, recording two shutouts.
Andres Escudero #27, Forward – Evansville
The freshman forward from Spain leads the Purple Aces with five goals this year. Including coming off a two-goal performance against Butler. He has scored all five goals during this four-game unbeaten run for Evansville. Safe to say, he’s informed.
