Despite the better overall season record, the BG men’s soccer team finds themselves at the bottom of the Mid-American Conference standings.
Three losses in their last four games and no wins in three weeks, the Falcons have struggled to put the ball in the net with just five goals over their last eight games.
“We’re struggling, but we’re playing good teams,” said head coach Eric Nichols. “So if you just look at the record on paper I think it looks more extreme than it is.”
The team understands that these are issues at the moment, but realizes that they are back on the upswing for the final four games, Nichols said.
“We’re playing better than we were, so it’s good to see that we’re going in the right direction. We’re not really too worried,” said senior Danny Baraldi. “We’ve got a four game season now and we still have a chance to get into the [MAC] tournament, so we’re focused on that.”
Focus is something that BG will need as they take on Detroit.
Similar to the record of the Falcons, the Titans are 8-4-3 for the season including just one loss on their home field.
While the game is not a conference matchup for the Falcons, it will help the team gauge its progress and exactly where it stands for the last two critical MAC games of the season.
“It all comes down to the mindset how you go into it,” said junior Ryan James. “We know we have to play hard, but we can’t stress about it too much. We just have to be ready to go.”
The mindset hasn’t changed for BG since the season opener.
Their biggest goal has been to find a way into the MAC tournament and this remains feasible going into the final stretch.
“The last four games is all to play for,” Nichols said. “We’ve got a lot at stake, especially entrance into the MAC [tournament].”
This late-season opportunity has the team excited, but focused, as they continue to put in extra work, Baraldi said.
“We have to realize that our season is on the line,” James said. “If we win these games we keep playing, so it’s about how much do we really want it?”
Now, the Falcons will look to break out of their slump and jumpstart the final 4-game stretch against Detroit on Oct. 29.
“We’re starting to play like we were in the beginning of the year, so we’re excited and looking forward to our game on Wednesday,” Baraldi said.
