Eli Shope gave the Bowling Green State University men’s soccer team the lead midway through the second half, and Brendan Graves (Perrysburg) and the Falcons’ back line made that lead hold up in a 2-1 win over the University of Michigan Monday afternoon at a sun-drenched Cochrane Stadium

Kyle Cusimano also scored for the Falcons (2-1-1), with his diving header opening the game’s scoring with just over 26 minutes gone.

The Falcons thoroughly dominated the opening half, but went to the intermission with just that one-goal lead. The Wolverines (1-1-2) came out strong to start the second half, and tied the score on a Michael Leon goal in the 52nd minute.

But, Shope took a Trace Terry pass and put a ball past UM goalkeeper Hayden Evans and just inside the far post in the 67th minute of action.

The Wolverines had a total of 14 shots in the match, including seven in the final 20 minutes. But, Graves made a save, and several UM shots were blocked in the six-yard box during that time, including a ball that Amer Dedic blocked off the line with just over seven minutes to go.

BGSU had advantages of 7-1 in shot attempts, 2-0 in shots on goal and 4-1 in corner kicks during the opening 45 minutes.

BG came close several times in the first 15-plus minutes of the match. Trace Terry hit a shot from the left side of the box that went just wide of the near post, hitting the outside netting, with just over four minutes gone. In the 16th minute, a blast by Eli Shope was parried by U-M goalkeeper Hayden Evans.

The Falcons broke through in the 27th minute. Alberto Anaya was taken down on the left side of the field, just outside the 18-yard box, and a yellow card was shown to the Wolverines. Anaya took the ensuing free kick, and played a curving ball into the center of the penalty area.

Kyle Cusimano met the ball with a diving header from approximately six yards out, nodding it down, and Evans had no chance as the ball bounced and hit the back of the net.

The opening minutes of the second half, however, belonged to Michigan. Just four minutes into the period, a through ball sent Duilio Herrera in alone behind the defense. Brendan Graves, however, went to the ground to not only stop the shot, but hold onto the ball and prevent a rebound.

Several minutes later, however, the Wolverines tied the match on another breakaway. This time, a long ball by goalkeeper Evans put Michael Leon in alone, and Leon was able to put his shot past Graves and just inside the right corner of the net, knotting the score at 1-1.

UM fired the next three shots of the game, including two by Herrera, but Graves made a save, one effort was blocked and another sailed high.

Shope – who had a game-high six shot attempts – ran onto an Anaya chip in the 57th minute in the right side of the box. With Evans racing off of his goal line, Shope quickly knocked the ball over the ‘keeper, but it hit the near-side netting, less than a foot wide of the post. But, less than 10 minutes later, Shope would have another chance.

The go-ahead goal came after Anthony Hernandez stole a U-M pass near midfield and quickly played it ahead to Terry. Terry, near the center of the park, in turn put a low through-ball between a pair of defenders. Shope raced onto the ball and hit a one-time shot that eluded the outstretched arms of a diving Evans and found the far corner of the net.

But the Falcons were not out of the proverbial woods. Half of Michigan’s team total of 14 shots on the day came in the final 20 minutes.

Back-to-back shots off of a corner kick were blocked by BG defenders with 16 minutes to go, and with just over seven minutes remaining, Amer Dedic cleared another UM shot off of the goal line.

Cusimano now has a career total of 25 points and Shope now has seven points as a Falcon, scoring three of those points last year and four this season to date.

Shope has scored a goal in back-to-back home games, as he scored BGSU’s first goal of the season in the 3-2 win over Cleveland State on Aug. 24.

For what it’s worth, Shope has now scored five goals against Michigan in the 2023 calendar year. BGSU picked up a 6-2 victory over the Wolverines during the spring schedule, as part of the College Spring League, and Shope had four of the Falcons’ goal in that win.

The Closer: Amer Dedic blocked an opponent shot off the line for the second-straight game. He blocked a Duquesne shot with roughly a minute to go on Thursday night, and cleared a Michigan shot off of the goal line with seven minutes remaining on Sunday.

Alberto Anaya had an assist on Cusimano’s goal on Monday, giving him 10 assists and 26 points as a Falcon. Both of Anaya’s assists in 2023 have come on goals by Cusimano.

The Falcons’ three-match homestand continues with a Friday contest vs. DePaul, beginning at 7 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium. Admission is free to all home regular-season matches.

The homestand concludes with a matchup vs. Northern Kentucky, before BG heads to Kalamazoo to begin Missouri Valley Conference play with a Sept. 16 contest against Western Michigan.