BGSU soccer player Kyle Cusimano (2) scored the first goal of the night, with Brendan Graves (33), a Perrysburg graduate, making 10 saves at Duquesne. (Lauren Laudato/BGSU Athletics)
PITTSBURGH — First-half goals by Kyle Cusimano and Rodrigo Montez Silva, along with a career night from Brendan Graves (Perrysburg), helped the Bowling Green State University men’s soccer team earn a 2-2 draw on the road vs. Duquesne University Thursday night at Rooney Field.
Graves made a career-high 10 saves, including several world-class stops, for the Falcons (1-1-1). Graves’ previous career best was seven stops vs. Western Michigan two years ago (Oct. 30, 2021). His total also was the highest by a Falcon in nearly five years.
Jayden Da and Zach Mowka scored goals for the Dukes (also 1-1-1), with Zoltan Nagy making five saves in net.
For Graves, it was the highest save total of his career. It also was the highest save total by a BG ‘keeper in nearly five years, since Anthony Mwembia made 10 stops in a scoreless draw vs. Akron (Oct. 6, 2018).
Graves made several early saves, stopping a hard shot by Cameron Territo, then going to the ground to save another effort from a difficult angle.
The Falcons’ first shot attempt of the match found the back of the net in the 18th minute. Alberto Anaya took a corner kick, and Kyle Cusimano met the ball with a header. The shot glanced off of the bottom of the crossbar, landing just across the goal line.
But, the Dukes equalized four minutes later. Jayden Da got past a defender and put a low shot into the far side of the net.
An Anaya curving free kick forced DU ‘keeper Zoltan Nagy into a diving save in the 25th minute, as Nagy kept the ball from finding the upper left corner.
Two minutes later, however, a hard free kick by Anaya led to another goal. The ball was blocked by a DU defender, but Rodrigo Montez Silva quickly hit a low shot that found the far-side netting.
The Dukes knotted the score once again, however, as Zach Mowka scored with two minutes left before halftime. Graves attempted to knock the ball away after it was played into the box, but he was screened by a Duquesne player and went to the ground. The ball went to Mowka near the top of the box, and hit shot found the net to tie the score at halftime.
In the 63rd minute, Anaya was fouled as a DU player held his jersey. The junior captain took the ensuing free kick and hit a hard shot on frame, but Nagy was able to make the stop.
Ten minutes later, an Anaya corner kick sailed into the box, and the onrushing Josh Erlandson met it with a hard header. The ball hit off of a Duquesne player and rang off the crossbar.
In the 79th minute, a second yellow card to a BG player meant the Falcons would play the rest of the match a man down.
Four minutes later, a DU right-side cross was deflected into the 18-yard box. Graves was able to reach the ball and smother it before Da could arrive.
Graves made back-to-back point-blank saves against Dragisich to keep the match tied.
Then, with just over one minute remaining, Da found Dragisich with the Dukes on a counterattack. Dragisich uncorked a blast, but it was headed off the goal line by Amer Dedic, and after DU regained possession, Graves stopped an Anthony DiFalco effort.
For Silva also scored his first goal as a BGSU player. The junior came to BGSU from Keiser University, where he scored five goals in his two seasons with the Seahawks. Cusimano’s goal on Thursday night was his sixth as a Falcon. He now has 23 career points.
Anaya recorded his ninth assist as a Falcon, and increased his career point total to 25.
The Falcons begin a three-match homestand on Monday afternoon. BGSU will host Michigan in a Labor Day matchup, beginning at 3 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium.
That homestand continues with matchups vs. DePaul (Sept. 8) and Northern Kentucky (Sept. 12), before BG heads to Kalamazoo to begin Missouri Valley Conference play with a Sept. 16 contest against Western Michigan.
