The Bowling Green men’s soccer team rallied late to beat Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne on a last-minute goal during a midweek road match to move to 8-2 on the season.

After remaining scoreless for the first 83 minutes, the Falcons were able to pair together a couple good passes to allow senior Danny Baraldi to gather the ball and fire it into the back of the net.

The late goal propelled the Falcons to a 1-0 victory.

“It was a really, really good performance and a great win for us,” head coach Eric Nichols said.

The performance was the Falcons’ sixth shutout of the season and the first time since the first week of the season in which they were able to post back-to-back shutouts.

The shutout came on the performance of second-time starter in goal, Ryan Heuton.

In just his second start as a Falcon, Heuton posted his second shutout, making two saves in the second half to maintain his clean sheet.

“[Heuton] didn’t have many chances, but he managed the game really well,” Nichols said. “He is making it tough on us because Nick [Landsberger] is training hard as well, so we know they can both play well.”

The shutout wasn’t just a result of the goalkeeper, however. The defensive unit across the field played well.

Whether it was the centerbacks or the front line players, the Falcons played a complete game and it showed when the clock hit zero.

“We played extremely well defensively, never giving them anything,” Nichols said. “Our front line defended well, so our back to front defending was really solid.”

However, the Falcons were not able to sneak by on defense alone.

They compiled 25 total shots with nearly half being on frame. It was this constant ability to continue offensive pressure that ultimately paid off for the Falcons.

“The surface was bad tonight, but we didn’t get frustrated,” Nichols said. “We were very dominant all night, but we just weren’t getting goals.”

The Falcons continued to move the ball well and it paid off for them in the end, Nichols said.

While the Falcons remained dominant for most of the game, they were only able to score one of their 25 shots. This has been an issue for the Falcons as of late, but there is no disappointment amongst the team.

“I’m not disappointed in this group at all,” Nichols said. “We stayed with it and kept doing what we were doing and we got the win. Sometimes the shots don’t go your way, but to be able to keep fighting was good.”

Despite winning 8-0 over IPFW last season, the 1-0 victory on Wednesday was a better performance from the team, Nichols said.

The Falcons will now begin preparing for their last of three road games before returning home for the start of Mid-American Conference play.