Bowling Green State University sophomore Andrew Shaffer scored a pair of second-half goals less than nine minutes apart, lifting the men’s soccer team to a 3-2, come-from-behind victory over Cleveland State University Thursday night at Cochrane Stadium.

Fifth-year Falcon Eli Shope also found the back of the net. Shope’s goal opened the scoring just over 15 minutes into the match, but the Vikings tied the score 10 minutes later before taking the lead early in the second half.

Shaffer, however, knotted up the score with a banger of a goal in the 64th minutes, then uncorked another blast in the 73rd minute. The latter goal proved to be the game winner.

BGSU held advantages of 17-8 in total shot attempts, 1-0 in corner kicks and 6-3 in shots on goal.

The Vikings had a golden opportunity to take the lead with just two minutes gone, as Pablo Kawecki stole the ball from a BG defender at the top of the 18-yard box. Kawecki quickly fired a shot, but the ball went wide of the right goalpost.

Fifteen minutes into the match, BGSU’s Taylor Dyson fired a free kick that whizzed just wide of the upper-left corner of the goal. Off of the ensuing goal kick, however, Trace Terry stole the ball on the right side of the pitch, just outside the penalty area. His pass found the onrushing Eli Shope, who took a heavy touch to get the ball past a CSU defender.

From the very right side of the six-yard box, Shope blasted a shot from that difficult angle, and the scorcher whizzed past CSU ‘keeper Omeed Naeemy and found the far side of the net.

Just four minutes later, Shope nearly scored again. After Kyle Blasingame won the ball at midfield, Alberto Anaya played a ball through several CSU defenders into the path of Shope.

Naeemy was able to get a piece of the ball as Shope attempted to maneuver past him, but Shope got the ball back, whirled and fired a curving shot from the left side of the box. But, a Viking player was able to head the ball off of the end line to keep CSU’s deficit at a single goal.

The Vikings tied the score with just under 26 minutes gone, with the goal coming Bojan Kolevski. Kolevski, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Year and a member of the 2023 Hermann Trophy Watch List, won a challenge for the ball as a BG defender was knocked to the turf.

As Kolevski headed toward the 18-yard line, Falcon goalkeeper Brendan Graves came off of his line in an attempt to contest the shot. Kolevski’s shot was deflected by a Falcon player, and the ball caromed high into the air, sailing over Graves and looping into the top of the net.

In the final seconds of the opening half, Anaya slid a pass to Nathan Masters, who was heading into the box. Masters hit a hard left-footed shot, but it was blocked out of play by a diving CSU defender. The ball went over the end line, but before the Falcons could set up for a corner kick, the final seconds of the half ticked away.

The Vikings took the lead in the game’s 58th minute. Off of a throw-in, Julian Pellegrini made a long run toward the BG penalty area. Pellegrini and Kyle Folds ran beside one another, and Pellegrini gave way to Folds, who hit a right-footed shot that found the left side of the net and gave the visitors the lead.

That lead, however, lasted for only six minutes. Shope made the run down the right side of the pitch and slid a diagonal ball toward Terry at the 18-yard line. Naeemy came out and knocked the ball away from Terry, but Andrew Shaffer collected the ball, took several touches and blasted a shot into the net from just over 18 yards out.

Then, Shaffer struck again. Dyson’s diagonal ball nearly found Masters in the box, but CSU ‘keeper Ryan Poling came out to knock the ball away just before Masters arrived. The ball caromed to Terry, who quickly hit a shot that was blocked by Poling. This time, the rebound bounded outside the penalty area.

Shaffer ran onto it and hit a gorgeous curving shot that found the far upper corner of the net. Poling very nearly got back to the goal line in time, but could not get a hand on the perfectly-placed shot.

With six minutes to go, Anthony Hernandez used a nifty move to beat a would-be CSU defender along the end line, and the Falcon freshman slid a low cross into the box. The ball went to Shaffer just inside the 18-yard line, and Shaffer hit a low shot toward the left post. But, Poling was able to grab the shot and thwart Shaffer’s bid for a hat trick.

The Falcons were able to control the ball for the remainder of the match, and BGSU had the season-opening win.

BGSU goalkeeper Brendan Graves was credited with one save in the victory, while CSU’s total of three saves on the night included one ‘team save.’

A total of five BGSU players made their respective Falcon debuts. That group included freshmen Mads Christensen, Anthony Hernandez and Bennett Painter, along with transfers Taylor Dyson and Rodrigo Montez Silva. BOth Christensen and Dyson were in the starting lineup.

The Falcons now have a record of 43-25-12 over the last 80 games, dating to midway through the 2018 season. Sixteen of the 25 setbacks in that time have come by a single goal.

The Falcons are now 58-29-21 in home matches since Nichols took the helm prior to the 2009 season. BG is 54-21-19 at Cochrane since the start of 2011. BG is 36-11-13 at home since the start of the 2015 season and 30-9-13 since the beginning of 2016.

In the Eric Nichols Era, BGSU is now 82-9-6 when scoring two or more goals..

The Falcons open the road portion of the 2023 regular-season schedule on Monday night, heading to East Lansing, Mich., to face Michigan State. First touch is set for 7 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium.