The switch from September to October marked the arrival of fall in Bowling Green, Ohio, and it brought with it the intensity that comes with a Mid-American Conference season in the world of women’s soccer.
As each game becomes more important and every point is vital to the survival of playoff chances, Northern Illinois (6-3-3, 0-2-2 MAC) takes on Bowling Green (2-1-1, 5-3-2 MAC) on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium.
Both teams are coming off rough stretches with NIU getting the short hand of the stick, losing back-to-back games to Central Michigan and the MAC leading Buffalo Bulls after back-to-back draws to Miami (OH) and Ohio to open conference play.
After wins over Ball State and Toledo, the Falcons have come down to earth with a 3-0 home loss to Ohio followed by a 1-1 draw to Miami (OH) at Ross HS after weather-forced play away from Oxford.
WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer and Henry Kosko will have the call of the match starting at 1 p.m. on the WBGU-PBS YouTube channel.
Click the link below to watch:
Scouting the Past
The Huskies saw success in non-conference play with a 6-1-1 record where their only loss came to the now 17th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
However, all six of their wins on the season have come against opponents ranked below 250th out of 348 Division I teams in the current RPI rankings, while six other games against more viable opponents have not gone the way of the Huskies.
Bowling Green’s non-conference slate was a similar story, as they beat up on most weaker opponents in wins over Detroit Mercy, Findlay, and Cleveland State while struggling against teams such as Atlantic 10 contenders Duquesne and Loyola Chicago.
Conference play has been a different story for the Falcons, as a 2-1-1 MAC record slots them into the fifth-place position in the MAC standings thanks to a four-game stretch that saw five goals scored, compared to the last four non-conference games of 2024, which saw only two goals scored and the Falcons getting shutout three times.
NIU’s 0-2-2 record to start conference play is their worst since 2021 when a 1-3-0 start was highlighted with a lone win against the Falcons at Cochrane Stadium by a score of 2-1.
That was the only success the Huskies have had against BG in the past eight seasons, as the Falcons have won six of seven games dating back to 2016.
If Bowling Green can avoid a loss on Saturday, it will be the first time they have had less than four losses through the first 11 games of the season since 2018, when they were 6-3-2 through the stretch.
The Falcons grip the all-time series between BG and NIU, winning 13 while losing 11 and drawing only two in a series dating back to 1997.
Michael O’Neill will be leading the Huskies into Cochrane Stadium in his 3rd year as head coach after immediate improvement in 2022 and 2023 from four disappointing seasons under previous head coach Julie Colhoff.
Falcons to Watch
The fifth-year midfielder continues to be in career form ahead of a Saturday matchup with the Huskies after she scored a team-leading third goal of the season in the Falcons’ 1-1 draw against the RedHawks last Sunday.
Czerwien also scored the opening Falcon goal against Toledo in a 2-1 Battle of I-75 win for BG, and her confidence is at an all-time high thanks to her impressive start to MAC play.
The midfielder role is where she has found her comfort and success as a player at Bowling Green, and she took control of an offense that needed someone to step forward ahead of early offensive struggles.
Her third goal of the season already gave her a career-high in the points department, but a fourth in a crucial matchup against Northern Illinois would solidify her fifth year in collegiate soccer as her best and solidify Czerwien as a star of this Falcons squad if she wasn’t already.
After junior goalkeeper Madison Vukas was unable to play in Bowling Green’s matchup against Miami (OH) last Sunday, the freshman was given the opportunity where she registered three saves with one goal allowed on 12 total shots from the RedHawks.
O’Malley will likely get her second career start on Saturday while Vukas remains sidelined, putting the pressure on the Pittsburgh native who was the second-ranked goalkeeper in the state of Pennsylvania by PrepSoccer upon her recruitment and a National ID recipient with Century United.
It may be unusual to see an unexpected face in the back of the net that isn’t Madison Vukas, but O’Malley will certainly be one to watch for the Falcons on Saturday.
Huskies to Watch
The sophomore forward has had a breakout season after already doubling her 2023 goal total with six goals and four assists in 2024 for a Husky offense that has been keeping the team afloat, scoring 18 goals, tied for fourth most in the MAC in 2024.
From the first minute that King stepped on the pitch for the Huskies, she has been a contributor, scoring her first career goal in only her second game against Eastern Illinois, and her three goals on the year earned her a spot on the Freshman All-MAC team.
King has been a goal scorer all her career, earning 2023 Naperville Sun Girls Soccer Player of the Year after scoring 23 goals on top of eight assists in her senior year at Metea Valley High School.
Watch out for King as the Falcons look to create a new shutout streak after their three games without allowing a goal was put to an end by Toledo in the second game of MAC play.
Zipse has about as much experience and knowledge of the college game as you can ask for from a fifth-year midfielder who has started every game for the Huskies in 2024.
The veteran has been a staple for Northern Illinois since she made her freshman debut against Western Michigan in 2021, as she will be making her 79th career start for the Huskies on Saturday against BG.
The Batavia, Illinois native will be playing in her fourth match against the Falcons, and she will be hungry to return to the win column after back-to-back losses in 2023 and 2022.
