In one of their biggest games of the season, BGSU men’s soccer (5-6-2, 1-2-0) will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on the undefeated Drake Bulldogs (5-0-6, 0-0-3) at Mediacom Stadium.
This match will mark the rematch of the 2o24 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament semifinal matchup, where Bowling Green defeated Drake 1-0 via a goal from senior forward Trace Terry.
The matchup Saturday will be just the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs. In 2023, junior forward Bennett Painter scored two goals in the Falcons’ 3-1 win in Des Moines. Last season, the two played to a 0-0 draw at Cochrane Stadium in the regular season, followed by a victory for the Orange and Brown in the tournament.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Foster Roesti will provide the recap following the match on bgfalconmedia.com.
BOWLING GREEN
The Falcons are coming off a big 3-1 win against Bradley at home on Senior Night, earning their first MVC win of the season.
Terry, who leads the Falcons with eight goals and ranks second in the MVC, scored a brace against the Braves. Painter also got his fifth goal of the season.
The dynamic duo is going to need to step up once again for BG, as Drake has conceded the least amount of goals in the MVC, allowing just seven.
Junior defender Saul Rios has been a constant in the Falcon backline since the start of September. Who has made their ninth straight start, playing every single minute. He is the only other Falcon besides Terry and Painter to score this season, scoring his first collegiate goal against Belmont on Oct. 3.
Bowling Green has yet to win back-to-back games this season, and currently sits in 6th place in The Valley by just one point. With a 2-4-1 record on the road this season, the Falcons will need to pick up three points in the hope of hosting a MVC Tournament match.
DRAKE
The Bulldogs were picked to win the conference in the 2025 Preseason MVC Coaches Poll. They have proven the committee of eight head coaches right as they have yet to lose a game in 2025, and are one of just eight unbeaten programs left in Division I.
Drake has yet to win their first MVC match, with three draws so far against Northern Illinois, UIC, and Evansville.
Coming off a 0-0 draw against Evansville, Saturday will be their seventh home match of the season, with a 3-0-3 record.
Led by their defense, goalkeeper Tomas Butkovic leads the Valley with five shutouts, first in goals against average (.648) and third in save percentage (.794).
Up top, forward Preston Kipnusu is tied for the team lead with three goals on the year. Last season, he was named the MVC Freshman of the Year, All-MVC Second Team and All-MVC Freshman Team.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Trace Terry #21, Forward – Bowling Green
Terry leads the conference with four game-winning goals; in every game that Bowling Green has won this season, he has found the score sheet. Saturday night, he will be needed to step up once again.
Ryko Bodurov #7, Midfielder – Bowling Green
After playing his most productive half of soccer this season against Bradley, Bodurov is tied for the team lead in assists with three, and will look to build off his performance in the last game.
Jackson Kirsch #8, Midfielder – Drake
Kirsch has lightened up the box score this season, tied with Kipnusu with three goals, and also leads the team with three assists. Last season, he earned a spot on the All-MVC Second Team and was a 2023 All-MVC Freshman Team selection.
Cole Schrage #3, Defender – Drake
A staple in the Drake backline, Schrage has started every single game this season and has played all but 20 minutes. He has added two assists on the offensive end of the pitch as well.
