BGSU men’s soccer (5-7-4, 1-3-2) battles Northern Illinois (7-4-4, 2-1-3) in the final regular season matchup of the year in DeKalb, Illinois, on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.
The Huskies have already clinched their Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) tournament bid before the last matchup of the season, while the Falcons look to sneak their way into the postseason with a win, along with a UIC loss to Western Michigan.
The Orange and Brown took care of business in last season’s matchup against Northern Illinois in a 2-1 victory, where junior forward Bennett Painter knocked in both goals for the Falcons.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer will provide the recap following the match on bgfalconmedia.com.
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN
The Orange and Brown have kept themselves afloat in their MVC tournament desires with back-to-back 1-1 ties against both UIC in their last home match of the season and Western Michigan in Kalamazoo on Oct. 25.
Senior forward Trace Terry has kept the Falcons in both of the last two matches, scoring the only goals in both games.
The Orange and Brown have continued to look towards redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Jason Ball throughout the second half of the season. With NIU having one of the top offenses in the MVC, Ball will have his hands full with preventing any scoring by the Huskies.
With the Falcons needing a win to prevent elimination for tournament play, they’ll look to take control of their matchup against Northern Illinois.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
The Huskies took their first MVC loss in their previous match, a 1-0 loss against Evansville, but were still able to clinch their spot in the tournament through the 1-1 draw between UIC and BGSU.
Ranking second within the MVC in shots, points, goals, and assists, behind only the Purple Aces, Northern Illinois has produced a top-tier offense throughout the season and will look to continue such against the Orange and Brown.
Along with having a high-powered offense, Northern Illinois can share the love throughout their program, having 11 total players record a goal so far this season.
Freshman forward Vance Sheffield leads the Huskies in goals with six on the season, which puts him at fifth in the MVC. The West Linn, Oregon native, started in all 15 matches during his freshman campaign.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Trace Terry #21, Forward – Bowling Green
Terry heads into his possible final match as a Falcon. For a player who competes with his heart on his sleeve, expect Terry to give nothing less than his best in a win-or-go-home scenario.
Andrew Shaffer #8, Midfielder – Bowling Green
Similar to Terry, Shaffer heads into a possible final game in the Orange and Brown. Shaffer will look to do it all for the Falcons, just like he normally does. The two Bowling Green seniors look to keep their collegiate careers alive.
Atahan Arslan #1, Goalkeeper – Northern Illinois
Starting 13 games on the season, the junior goalkeeper has given up slightly over one goal a game. In a match where the Falcons are going to look to score early and often, Arslan needs to be prepared in the net.
Jose Gomez #10, Midfielder – Northern Illinois
Scoring the last goal for the Huskies, Gomez will look to continue an impressive senior season, having played and started in all 15 matches. Gomez has the second most points for the team, with six assists and three goals on the season.
