Bowling Green men’s soccer (1-0-0) kicked off their 2026 campaign in a statement win over rival Wright State via a 5-2 victory at Cochrane Stadium.  

Duquesne (0-0-1) kicked off their season with a 0-0 draw against Lafayette.  

BGSU will now hit the road for their second match of the season as the Falcons will make the trip east to Pittsburgh as they face the Duquesne Dukes at Duquesne’s Rooney Field on Sunday, Aug. 23. at 5 p.m.

Scouting Bowling Green 

Bowling Green flexed its offensive muscles in their opening match and also displayed their offensive depth as they had a total of four players score goals and six players record points in the contest.  

Fifth-year forward Trace Terry, sophomore midfielder Caue Ramos, sophomore forward Tyson McCoy and freshman forward Lucas Brinkman all scored during the 5-2 victory with Terry contributing two goals in the winning effort.  

By the end of the game, Bowling Green had outshot the Raiders in both shot attempts (23-14) and shots on goal (12-6).  

Another trend that was present during BG’s opening game was the influx of young talent. In total, six freshman players appeared in the contest and eight underclassmen made their official collegiate debuts over the course of the match.  

Scouting Duquesne 

Neither Duquesne nor Lafayette were able to find a goal in their opening matchup. However, this does not mean the Dukes were unable to create scoring chances as they outshot the Leopards 15-6 and produced four shots on goal to Lafayette’s two.  

Roni Badler lead the offensive push by the Dukes as the junior forward recorded five shot attempts across the course of the game with redshirt senior midfielder Jaxon Ervin following in second with three shot attempts.  

Despite being unable to finish their opportunities, the Dukes were able to earn a tie through good defensive play as they held the Leopards to just two shots on net, both of which were saved by redshirt senior goalkeeper Sam Coss.  

Falcon Four Players to Watch 

Tyson McCoy, Sophomore Forward, Bowling Green   

McCoy had cemented himself as one of the Falcons’ top offensive threats for the upcoming season through spring league play and exhibition matches leading up to this season. Last game saw McCoy score his first official collegiate goal as well as an assist to finish the night with three points.  

Lucas Brinkman, Freshman Forward, Bowling Green  

Brinkman made a great first impression in his collegiate debut as the Galena, Ohio native scored a goal and an assist for three total points in his first collegiate outing. Bowling Green has a lot of young depth at the forward position and Brinkman is quickly carving himself a role on the Falcon roster. 

 Jaxon Ervin, Redshirt Senior Midfielder, Duquesne  

Ervin recorded three shot attempts in the Dukes’ opening match and led the Duquesne roster in goals and points last season with five and 12 respectively.  

Roni Badler, Junior Forward, Duquesne  

Despite being held off the scoresheet, Badler was a key part of the Duquesne offensive attack in their opening match as the junior recorded five shots on goal over the course of the contest.