With the Mid-American Conference tournament just around the corner, the BGSU women’s soccer team’s performance in their upcoming games is crucial to their post-season seeding.

The squad hits the road this weekend to play at Central Michigan on Friday and Eastern Michigan on Sunday.

The team is full of confidence as it attempts to extend its school record five-game winning streak. And winning five games in the MAC is no easy feat. BGSU’s 6-2-0 conference record (10-6-0 overall) ranks them second in the conference behind Western Michigan 7-1-0.

Central Michigan, ranked fourth in the MAC with a 5-2-1 conference record, will attempt to take the Falcons down a place or two. The Chippewas will try to shake off a rough weekend that included a 2-0 loss to Northern Illinois and a 2-1 loss to Western Michigan. CMU’s leading goal scorer, Erica Rohren, has four scores on the season and will look to lead the squad offensively. On the other end of the field, keeper Anne Decker will look to thwart the Falcon offense.

Eastern Michigan enters this weekend ranked seventh in the MAC with an even 4-4-0 conference record. The Eagles lost to top-ranked Western Michigan before beating Northern Illinois in a 2-1 decision last weekend. Michele Lawrence has been an offensive force all season for the Eagles, accounting for half of the squad’s offensive production with eight goals on the season. Teammate Lauren Clyne has three goals this season and will pair with Lawrence to provide a serious offensive threat to the Falcons. Both Clyne and Lawrence scored in the Eagles’ win over Northern Illinois.

The Falcons’ deep bench is full of both offensive and defensive talent, with players ready to step up when necessary. Samantha Meister and Britt Anderson lead the offense with six and five goals, respectively. Julie Trundle has accumulated eight assists already this season and is a tremendous force in the midfield. Defensively, keeper Ali Shingler has proved solid in goal all season, recording four shutouts.

With a few Falcons out of the lineup with injuries, the team’s strength has been in their talented reserve of players. After last weekend’s victories, BGSU coach Andy Richards praised the team not only for a strong performance as a unit, but also noted the squad’s ability to adapt and step up in tough situations with various combinations of players.

With just three games left in the regular season, Richards is hopeful that whatever combination of players he fields will bring a positive result.

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