BGSU women’s soccer (5-3-1, 2-1-0 MAC) was shut out for the fourth time in their 3-0 loss to the Ohio Bobcats (6-1-3, 1-0-2 MAC) that changed perceptions and brought the team down to earth after their 2-0 start to MAC play. Still, the Falcons have a chance to redeem themselves in a battle of birds against Miami (OH) (5-2-3, 1-1-1 MAC) on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m.
The two programs sit in with only Kent State separating them in the MAC standings with the Falcons in fifth and the RedHawks in seventh place.
Their placement in the standings creates a great metaphor of how evenly these two teams are matched up, and how marginal the result at Oxford will be.
Scouting the Past
Bowling Green’s winning streak against Miami (OH) will reach eight games with a win on Sunday afternoon, with the most recent RedHawk victory coming in September of 2015, and the most recent Falcon victory coming with a 3-2 win in October of last season.
Miami are pursuing their fifth MAC championship after they’ve failed to reach the title game every year since 2015.
The most recent championship for Miami came in 2012 with a 2-1 win over Central Michigan that gave them their first set of hardware since they won three straight MAC championships from 2000-2002, including a 1-0 overtime win over Bowling Green in the 2000 MAC championship.
Miami is led by seventh-year head coach Courtney Sirmans, who has seen steady improvement since her first year in 2018 when the RedHawks only managed one conference win en route to a 3-14-1 record.
Sirmans and company finished with a 9-5-6 record in 2023 while reaching the semifinals in the head coach’s first appearance in the MAC tournament, and her squad has proved their hunger for improvement in 2024.
The RedHawks’ only loss of the 2024 season came in a crushing 6-0 defeat to the Western Michigan Broncos a week prior to Sunday afternoon’s matchup with BG, but they bounced back with a 1-0 win over the Golden Flashes in Kent.
Miami (OH)’s resume also includes an impressive 0-0 draw with the 2022 SEC champion South Carolina Gamecocks (5-0-4, 2-0 SEC) in Oxford.
Falcons to Watch
The 2024 season has treated the sophomore breakout defender well through the first nine games, as she has adapted well to her increased role next to Bowling Green captain Isabelle Gilmore in the back line.
Bowling Green was exposed by an Ohio team that was the first to score more than two goals on the Falcons all season, but it will be the responsibility of the Falcons to bounce back from the tough outing and return to their consistent defensive ways.
Taylor Green’s outstanding defensive ability combined with her ability to command and facilitate offensive chances has made her play on the field a pleasure to watch from the stands, and her confidence in the role that she portrays with her playstyle contributes greatly to one of the more successful sophomore seasons we have season at Bowling Green in recent memory.
In a similar tone to Green, Vukas will be looking to bounce back after allowing three goals for the first time in her collegiate career, but if there is anyone who can do it, it’s the junior goalkeeper from Pittsburgh.
Vukas’ three straight shutouts streak ended with BG’s 2-1 win over Toledo last Sunday, but it provided confidence that Vukas and the defensive core can produce at a high level.
Look for Vukas to be a leader against the RedHawks as the Falcons attempt to get back in the win column.
RedHawks to Watch
Hamlett is the points leader for the second straight season for the RedHawks, scoring six goals on two assists, which is good for 14 total points, more than double the second-most on the team.
The fifth-year from Mars, PA has certainly been playing like she is from Mars, as back-to-back two-goal games to start the year is about as much as you can ask for from a striker.
Hamlett does have a three-game scoreless streak but look for her to get back in the scoring column as she attempts to lead the RedHawks to back-to-back victories.
The Miami (OH) defense has struggled to this point in 2024, allowing the fourth most goals in the MAC while registering the third-worst save percentage, but improvement will start with the fifth-year transfer from Mercer.
The defender already has an impressive two goals on the season, but her goalscoring won’t be the key to the RedHawks’ success on Sunday, it will be her defense.
After the Falcons scored two goals in back-to-back wins over Ball State and Toledo, look for them to be hungry to get the offense back going, and look for Hlebec to be the one to stop them.
