BGSU men’s soccer (5-7-3, 1-3-1) takes on UIC (8-2-4, 1-1-3) at Cochrane Stadium in their final home match of the season on Halloween night at 7:00 p.m.
The match will have plenty of Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) tournament implications, with UIC all but clinching a tournament berth and BGSU boosting its chances of making the tournament with wins.
The Flames took care of business against the Orange and Brown in the 2024 regular season with a 2-1 win in Chicago, Illinois, before the Falcons eliminated UIC in a 4-1 match at Cochrane Stadium in the quarterfinals of the MVC tournament.
This will be the fifth matchup between the two teams, with the Falcons winning all but the 2024 regular-season matchup.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer and Henry Kosko will be on the call for the match, streaming live on WBGU-PBS.
BOWLING GREEN
The Falcons head into the matchup after a 1-1 draw against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Saturday, Oct. 25.
The Orange and Brown had their first draw since redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Jason Ball came in to start in goal. Ball had yet to tie or win a game on the road till this matchup.
In his last matchup against the Flames, sophomore midfielder Ryko Bodurov had a career game. Bodurov was able to knock in two goals, one in each half, along with picking up an assist in the 4-1 match.
The Falcons look to finish the season on a three-game home winning streak, following wins over Bradley and Northern Kentucky over the last month.
UIC
The Flames come to Bowling Green following a 2-1 loss to Northern Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 25, A match in which UIC outshot NIU 21-12, including 9-7 shots on goal.
Over MVC play this season, the Flames have a draw against two of the top three teams in the conference, Drake and Evansville, while also having their third draw against Bradley, who is last in the conference.
UIC junior midfielder Edouard Nys leads the team in goals by nearly double digits with 14 on the season. His last goal came in their 2-2 draw against Evansville.
The Flames have had consistency in the net, with senior goalkeeper Owen Cornell starting in 12 of their 14 matches. Cornell has given up only 18 goals, having 35 saves on the season.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ryko Bodurov #7, Midfielder – Bowling Green
There have been multiple occasions this season where the same players who scored against a team in the previous season have found the back of the net during their matchup this year. Bodurov has another year under his belt and is looking to create more offense for a Falcon team in need of such.
Jason Ball #30, Goalkeeper – Bowling Green
Ball has taken control of the box during his time as the starting goalkeeper. The Orange and Brown also have not lost a match at home since Ball has been in goal. With the game being a must-win, Ball will be at the top of his game.
Edouard Nys #10, Midfielder – UIC
Being the leading goal scorer for the Flames, Nys has a tough task of finding a hole in the Falcon defense and Ball in goal. Nys has also played all 90 minutes in the last seven games. His endurance is going to be key to keeping himself in the match to find his opening on goal.
Gil is one of three Flames to start all 14 games this season. He also scored UIC’s goal against Northern Illinois in their last match. The junior defender will look to keep the Falcons’ two-headed goal monster in check throughout the game.
