It was much of the same yesterday for the Falcon women’s soccer team.

BG traveled to play I-75 rival Toledo, and for the 12th time this season, the Falcons lost, dropping the match 1-0. Once again, the Falcons played tight and with pride, but in the end wound up in the wrong column of the standings.

The Falcons kept the game tied at zero until the 82nd minute of the game where Toledo scored the game-winner off BG goalie Laura Arnold.

‘You know we finished 5-12-3. It could have easily been 12-5-3 instead, and I would have at least been content,’ said coach Andy Richards.

For the Falcons though it has just been an off season. It has been a combination of not seizing opportunities, a lack of offense, and just some untimely luck, Richards said.

‘We lost two of our best freshmen within the first week of the season,’ Richards said. ‘And some of our returning sophomores who had great freshman years kind of hit that sophomore slump.’

With all of these things combined, the Falcons finished well below expectations. BG definitely had their eyes on returning to the MAC Tournament and capturing that elusive championship.

But despite all of these things, Richards has kept the ray of optimism alive by looking at the positive side of things.

‘We played freshman goalie Laura Arnold for 90 minutes today, and she played really well,’ Richards said.

Arnold, a native of Mayfield, Ohio, will be among several younger Falcons expected to keep contributing and adding depth and talent to the team next year.

And Richards is already excited about starting next season.

‘The girls will have a couple days off, but then it’s back to lifting,’ he said. ‘We’ll be practicing again in January.’

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