BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University men's soccer team closed the 2022 season with a 6-0 setback at Bowling Green on Sunday evening (Nov. 6) at Cochran Stadium. 

NIU had the first look at goal in the contest as the Huskies created a turnover and the ball found Miguel Maynez Jr. (El Paso, Texas/New Mexico) near the top of the box, but his shot was comfortably held by Bowling Green goalkeeper Brendan Graves. 

On the quarter-hour mark, Kale Nichols found the ball with space inside the box for the Falcons and Martin Sanchez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) came up with a pair of good saves for the Huskies to keep the contest scoreless. 

Bowling Green opened the scoring in the 20th minute through Nichols. Sergi Martinez floated a corner beyond the penalty spot to Nichols for a first-time volley from about 15 yards that snuck inside the post to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage. 

The Huskies were back on the front-foot after the goal as NIU created a turnover and Malcolm Ward (Youngs, Australia/Newington College) whipped a low cross into a dangerous area but just didn't get the final touch it needed. Cesar Cuellar (Miami, Fla./FIU) then had a chance with a shot from just inside the box that was blocked by a Falcon defender.

Zachariah Thomas (Burnaby, British Columbia/Moscrop Secondary) then had an opportunity was the blocked in the 29th minute before getting another chance less than a minute later that was held by Graves.

Bowling Green doubled its advantage in the 36th minute. Nathan Masters whipped a free kick into the box near the penalty spot and Joey Akpunonu rose above the crowd and headed the ball past Sanchez, who had come off his line, to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead. 

Two minutes later, Masters added a third for Bowling Green. Andrew Shaffer sent a cross in from the right side and found Masters whose first-time volley found the back of the net to increase the Bowling Green advantage to three heading into the interval. 

In the second half, Sanchez made an outstanding save in the 55th minute on a shot by Masters as the Huskie goalkeeper was at full stretch diving to his right to make the stop. 

Just past the hour mark, Bowling Green played a quick free kick with Alberto Anaya finding Martinez just inside the box and his looping shot went over Jakub Rojek (Chicago, Ill./Von Steuben), who had come on in goal for Sanchez, and into the net to give the Falcons a fourth. Bowling Green scored again in the 68th minute when Martinez converted from the penalty spot. 

Parker Jeppson (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest) had a chance to get a goal back for the Huskies in the 85th minute on the back post from a free kick, but his two attempts were blocked as the Falcons preserved the clean sheet. Bowling Green added a final goal in the 90th minute as Trace Terry got on the scoresheet. 

Graves made two saves in goal for the Falcons; Sanchez made three stops for the Huskies before giving way to Rojek who made two saves. 

NIU finishes the season at 5-8-4 overall, 2-5-1 in the Mid-American Conference, while Bowling Green ends the year with a 6-5-5 mark, including a 4-2-2 record in league play.