After Bowling Green women’s soccer (5-2-1, 2-0-0 MAC) went 2-0 to start MAC play for the first time since the postponed 2020 season, the expectations are soaring far beyond the levels of a Falcon ahead of a big matchup with the Ohio Bobcats (5-1-3, 0-0-2 MAC) on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
The first seven games were kind to a streaky Bobcat team that finished out non-conference play with four straight wins won by a combined score differential of 16-1 in games that included a 7-0 win over Oakland (2-7-2, 1-1-0 Horizon League) and a 5-0 victory over Valparaiso (4-6-2, 0-2-0 MVC).
The 2023 MAC champions started slowing within conference play after back-to-back draws to Western Michigan (4-1-4, 1-0-1 MAC) and Northern Illinois (6-1-3, 0-0-2 MAC) dropped their record to a less frightening 5-1-3.
The Falcons have been on a similar tear after their streak of three straight shutouts was broken by Toledo defender Dalaney Ranallo in BG’s 2-1 win on Sunday, and with MAC championship potential lingering within the reach of both historic programs, the match on Thursday night is sure to be one to watch.
Scouting the Past
Bowling Green trails the all-time race with an 11-13-7 record against Ohio dating back to a 4-0 Bobcat win on a chilly October Sunday in 1997.
More recently, the success has arrived at both teams’ doorstep via MAC championships, OU’s being the more recent with their 2023 victory over Kent State in Kalamazoo, but Bowling Green being the more fortuitous with their four straight MAC championships spanning between 2018 and 2021.
Bowling Green has dominated the matchups between the two mammals with an 8-1-2 record against the Bobcats dating back to 2016, and with a win, Bowling Green would avoid back-to-back losses against Ohio for the first time since 2013.
Ohio head coach Aaron Rodgers is entering his twelfth year as the head coach of the Bobcats, and he will be looking for the first ever back-to-back champion title in program history.
Falcons to Watch
It is my belief, that Brynn Gardner, 2023 team points leader and sister of Emilie Gardner, is due.
After fittingly scoring the game-sealing goal in the season-opening 3-1 win over Detroit Mercy, Gardner has gone bone dry on the scoring front, maintaining a spot in the four-way tie for the team points lead only through three assists in the first eight games.
A goal by the leader of the Falcon strikers that seals the fate of Bowling Green’s first 3-0 start to MAC play since they started 7-0 back in 2019 is what the fans want to see, and it’s what the team wants to see if they have belief of a win at Cochrane Stadium on Thursday night.
This is the final year of Czerwien’s collegiate soccer she has amassed 57 games played over five seasons, across two opposite sides of Ohio and multiple different positions, the Rochester Hills native finds herself in the spotlight after scoring the opening goal of the Battle of I-75 on Sunday.
With only nine career points to her name, Czerwien’s presence has been felt whenever and wherever she is on the pitch, and with nine games left in her career as a Falcon, more points could be on the way courtesy of an increased offensive role.
Despite being listed as a defender, Czerwien played a fantastic attacking midfielder type throughout the opening games, and she will continue to show energy in Sunday’s matchup with Ohio.
Bobcats to Watch
The junior forward from Chicago, Illinois was the recipient of the game-winning goal in a 2-1 Bobcat win over the Falcons in the 2023 MAC tournament semifinals, and Murray has picked up right where she left off.
Four goals give the forward eight total points so far in 2024 courtesy of a hat trick in Ohio’s 5-0 win over Valparaiso.
Look for Murray to make a big difference on the pitch despite only playing 40-60 minutes a game as Ohio looks to replicate the scenes of last November, this time at Cochrane Stadium.
The junior goalkeeper from Columbus has had an outstanding season guarding the net to this point in 2024 after she led the MAC in save percentage in 2023, making her a staple of the Bobcat defense.
Sloma currently ranks third in save percentage as well as third in average goals against, and she can thank her current streak for that, as she has only allowed two goals in her last six matches wearing the gloves.
Sloma and BGSU junior goalkeeper Madison Vukas will be in a duel despite being on opposite sides of the pitch on Thursday night, and in a rematch of the 2023 MAC tournament semifinal, Vukas will be looking for that sweet revenge.
