Men's Soccer Returns to Road Action Friday Night at Bowling Green

 
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Returning to match action on the road, the Belmont University men's soccer team takes on receiving-votes Bowling Green State University Friday night in northwest Ohio. Kickoff from Cochrane Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio, is set for 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET.
 
The Missouri Valley Conference matchup will be broadcast live on YouTube and live stats can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
What's Bruin

• The Bruins (2-3-3, 0-1-1 MVC) are searching for their first MVC win of the season after tying then fourth-ranked Western Michigan 1-1 at E.S. Rose Park on Sept. 15 in Belmont's Valley opener and dropping a 4-0 decision last Sunday afternoon at Drake.
• Last weekend's road loss to the Bulldogs was only the fourth time in the last six seasons the Bruins have conceded four goals in a match. Drake scored two goals in each half.
• Belmont is also seeking its first road win since Oct. 6 of last year when the Bruins topped Bradley 3-1 in Peoria, Illinois.
• The home draw with the nationally-ranked Broncos was Belmont's first result against a top-five opponent in program history and the Bruins' ninth all-time result against a top-25 team, seven of which have taken place in the last five seasons.
• Following a second-half red card, Belmont had to play a man down for the final 33 minutes against top-five ranked Western Michigan. Despite having only 10 men on the field, the Bruins conceded just three shots on target in the closing 31 minutes of the match.
• Belmont owns a seven-match home unbeaten streak, which dates back to Oct. 1, 2023.
• In the season opener, the Bruins earned a scoreless draw at Georgia State before suffering road losses at Florida Atlantic (3-1) and South Carolina (2-1) earlier this month. Belmont also got a 1-1 road result at Bellarmine on Sept. 10.
• Senior captain midfielder AJ Chastonay, who has twice been named Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week this season and was selected as MVC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17, leads the Bruins in both goals (5) and points (12). With 18 career goals in five seasons, Chastonay ranks third in program history. The Louisville, Kentucky (Saint Xavier HS), native recently surpassed Niccolo Dagnoni (2018-21), Will Moorad (2008-11) and Jeremy Littlejohn (1995-98) on Belmont's all-time goals list.
• Both Chastonay and fellow senior midfielder Eric Stiles are the winningest players in school history. They have helped lead the Bruins to an impressive 37 match wins across five seasons.
• Belmont was undefeated through its first three matches for the second consecutive season.
• The Bruins went 8-7-3 overall last fall, finishing in the top 90 of the NCAA RPI (Rating Percentage Index) for the fourth-straight season. It also marked Belmont's fourth consecutive winning season.
• In their second year back in the MVC after being an affiliate member of the Valley for the 2000 season, the Bruins tied for fifth place with a 3-4-1 league record.
• Belmont was picked fifth in the 2024 MVC Preseason Poll.
• Junior defender Dylan Steely was tabbed Preseason All-MVC after earning United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Third Team honors last season. The Hoover, Alabama (Hoover HS), native was an All-MVC Second Team pick last year and garnered MVC All-Tournament Team and MVC All-Freshman Team accolades in 2022.
• Head coach David Costa has led the Bruins to 42 match wins and 18 draws, including two conference tournament championship match appearances, over six seasons.
• Belmont challenges itself against some of the nation's best this season, facing eight top-100 programs from a year ago including four NCAA Championship teams.
• With the first NCAA RPI of the season released earlier this week, the Bruins have already faced three teams ranked in the top 75 this year (Western Michigan, Drake, South Carolina).

Versus Bowling Green

• Friday night will be just the third meeting between Belmont and Bowling Green.
• The Bruins won the first two matchups, including a 2-1 victory in the Music City last October. Junior forward Brock Kiper scored the opening goal in the fourth minute before the visiting Falcons knotted things up in the 20th. Senior forward Ayden von Essen then provided the game winner in the 66th minute.
• Belmont is making its first-ever trip to Bowling Green, Ohio, as the Bruins also defeated Bowling Green 3-2 on Sept. 16, 2011, at Rose Park.

About the Falcons

• The Falcons enter the weekend riding a five-match unbeaten streak with wins in their last two outings. Bowling Green blanked Eastern Illinois 5-0 at home inside the Rossford Dome in nearby Rossford, Ohio, Tuesday night after earning a 2-1 road win at Bradley last Saturday.
• Off to a 2-0-0 start in MVC play, the Falcons began league action with a 2-1 home win over Northern Illinois on Sept. 13.
• Bowling Green and Belmont have had one mutual opponent thus far as the Falcons tied Northern Kentucky 1-1 on Sept. 17. The Bruins topped the Norse 2-1 at home on Aug. 29.
• A perfect 4-0 at home, Bowling Green's lone loss this season came at Michigan on Sept. 2.
• One of three teams with two Valley wins already, the Falcons were picked fourth in the MVC Preseason Poll. Last season, Bowling Green went 7-8-3 overall and 4-4-0 in league play, finishing fourth in the final MVC standings with 12 points.
• Led by 16th-year head coach Eric Nichols, the 2016 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, the Falcons are receiving five votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll. In last week's top-25 national poll, Bowling Green was ranked No. 24.
• Junior forward Trace Terry, an All-MVC Second Team selection last fall, has tallied eight goals already this season, which is tied for the third-most nationally.
• Sophomore forward Bennett Painter, a member of the 2023 MVC All-Freshman Team, owns six goals on the year, which is tied for the 14th-most nationally.
• The Falcons also feature senior midfielder Alberto Anaya, an All-MVC First Team pick last season who is tied for the second-most assists in the nation with seven.
• Junior midfielder Andrew Shaffer has recorded six assists this season, which also ranks him among national leaders.
• As a team, Bowling Green is ninth in the country with 21 goals on the year and fourth in the nation in assists (25).

Up Next
Belmont returns to Nashville for a four-match homestand beginning Tuesday with Memphis. Kickoff of the in-state non-conference match is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from Rose Park. The midweek affair will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont men's soccer on social media – @BelmontMSoccer on X, formerly Twitter, @belmontmsoccer on Instagram and Belmont University Men's Soccer on Facebook – for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.