NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Saul Rios scored the first goal of his collegiate career, but the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team fell to undefeated Belmont University, 4-1, on Friday night (Oct. 3). The Missouri Valley Conference match was held at E.S. Rose Park.

The Bruins (6-0-4, 1-0-1 MVC) scored a pair of goals within the first 20 minutes of the match and took that 2-0 lead into the half. BU scored just under 56 minutes into the contest to add to the advantage.

Rios and the Falcons (4-5-2, 0-2-0 MVC) got on the scoreboard with just under an hour gone, with junior Bennett Painter picking up an assist, but the Bruins answered just 58 seconds later.

Jason Ball made four saves in goal for the Falcons, while Grant Calvert had two stops for the hosts.

Belmont entered Friday's match as one of just 17 remaining undefeated teams in the nation.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Jason Ball, making just his second collegiate start, was tested early, coming off his line to smother a shot attempt by Paul Claes Nielsen in the fourth minute of the match.
• And, Ball faced an even tougher test, as Claes Nielsen hit a hard, curving effort from just outside the 18-yard box in the 11th minute. Ball made a diving save to tip that ball wide of the net.
• But, the Bruins scored off of the ensuing corner kick. The ball found the head of Dylan Steely at the back post, and Ball pinned his shot against the crossbar, but Nzurhi Biggar knocked the rebound into the net. Biggar's shot deflected off of a Falcon defender and found the net, just under the crossbar.
• Anthony Hernandez received the ball off of a BGSU throw-in, and fired a hard shot in the 18th minute of action, but the effort just missed the upper-right-hand corner of the goal.
• The Bruins doubled the lead in the 21st minute. Brock Kiper won a header at the top of the box, finding Brad Dildy on his left, and Dildy's ensuing shot found the far side of the net.
• Off of a BG throw-in, the ball was in the 18-yard box for a while. Bennett Painter won the ball and did an impressive job of keeping possession with several defenders around him. He got a shot off, but the ball was blocked and eventually knocked off of a BG player for a Belmont throw-in.
• The Falcons had the first chance of the second half. Ryko Bodurov played a cross from the right side into the box. Painter got a head on that cross, and the ball deflected off of an appendage a Belmont player, caroming to Trace Terry. Terry quickly hit a hard shot, but the ball went left of the goal.
• Seven minutes into the half, Hernandez received a Bodurov pass and blasted a shot from outside of the box. The curving, dipping ball was parried away by Belmont 'keeper Grant Calvert.
• The Bruins added to the lead when Jaxon Stokes took a pass from Ethan Schlegel and, with position on his defender, put his shot into the net in the 56th minute.
• The Falcons got on the scoreboard with just over a half hour remaining. After Painter was fouled just outside the box, the junior played the ensuing free kick, with a backheel pass to classmate Saul Rios. Rios fired the ball into the lower-right-hand corner of the net.
• But, the Bruins answered quickly, as Jimiyu Mark came down the right side of the field and hit a shot into the far corner of the goal. The two goals came just 58 seconds apart.
• With seven minutes to go, a nifty Bodurov pass found Aiden Ptacek on the right side of the pitch. Ptacek cut back toward the center of the field and hit a curving shot that went inches wide of the far post.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Junior Saul Rios, as mentioned, scored the first goal of his collegiate career. He is the first Falcon other than Trace Terry and Bennett Painter to score a goal this season.
• With his assist on the Rios goal, Painter now has 11 points this season, with four goals and a team-leading three helpers.
• Painter now has 13 career assists, and he has scored 49 points in 44 career matches. He has moved into sole possession of 25th place in BGSU history in career points, passing Omari Aldridge (2003-05) and Chris Sullivan (2017-21).
• Belmont had advantages of 15-8 in total shots, 8-3 in shots on goal and 7-2 in corner kicks.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons will step outside of MVC play for the final time this season, facing Cleveland State on the road Tuesday night (Oct. 7). That match will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Krenzler Field in downtown Cleveland.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will return home to prepare for next Friday's (Oct. 10) conference matchup with Bradley. That game will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium, and admission is free.

REMAINING REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE
(all times Eastern [ET]; home matches in CAPS)
Tue., Oct. 7 – at Cleveland State – 7 pm
Fri., Oct. 10 – BRADLEY – 7 pm
Sat., Oct. 18 – at Drake – 8:30 pm
Sat., Oct. 25 – at Western Michigan – 12 pm
Fri., Oct. 31 – UIC – 7 pm
Wed., Nov. 5 – at Northern Illinois – 8 pm

FOR MORE INFORMATION...
• For more information on the BGSU men's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUMSoccer), Instagram (bgfalcons and bgsumsoccer) and Facebook (BGMensSoccer) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.

#GoFalcons #AyZiggy 🟠🟤