Just two days ago, the Buffalo Bulls (9-1-3, 4-1-1 MAC) and the BGSU Falcons (6-4-2, 3-2-1 MAC) were tied for second place in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), but after a pivotal Thursday that saw both teams go steadily in different directions, the situation is completely different for the matchup on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium.
While Buffalo’s 2-0 win over Toledo and Ohio’s 1-0 win over Eastern Michigan kept them tied for second place in the MAC, Bowling Green’s 4-0 loss to Western Michigan on Thursday sent them in the opposite direction, now in fourth place in the MAC with a conference win percentage of .583, 167 points behind the Bulls and the Bobcats.
With only five more regular season matches to be played, Bowling Green’s chances of a regular season championship are hanging on by a thread, and without a quality result against Buffalo on Sunday, they will become slim to none.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer and Henry Kosko will have the call of the match on the WBGU-PBS YouTube channel.
Scouting the Past
With only a lone loss to Western Michigan in the season, Buffalo’s results have been impressive as they return to the top of the MAC after a regular season championship in 2022 that was followed up by a disappointing yet solid sixth-place finish in 2023.
The Bull’s resume includes a win against then-seventh-ranked Pittsburgh on the road, followed by an undefeated finish to non-conference with wins over Canisius, Colgate, and Northern Colorado.
More recently, Buffalo has won 2 of their last three against Toledo and Northern Illinois on top of their most recent road result, a 0-0 draw at Ball State.
BG’s 4-1-1 record at home will be put to the test after they rebounded from a 3-0 loss to Ohio with their most recent result at Cochrane Stadium, a 2-1 win over Northern Illinois last Saturday.
Buffalo’s defense has been completely stifling with only four goals allowed in 13 games this season, the least in the MAC and the second least in Division I, only trailing the fourth-ranked team in the country, the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
The Bulls have allowed only one goal in conference play in their 1-0 loss to Western Michigan on Sept. 26, meaning they haven’t allowed a goal in nearly two and a half weeks.
Their offense has rivaled many of the best in the MAC as well with 19 goals on the year and eight in conference play, good for fifth place out of 12 teams.
Bowling Green has dominated the all-time series as they will look to improve to 19-10-3 with their fourth straight match against the Bulls without a loss.
The last two matches between the two MAC powerhouses have ended in 0-0 draws, and no more than one goal has been scored since 2020 when Buffalo beat BG 2-1.
Falcons to Watch
The captain of the BGSU women’s soccer enters her final five games as a member of the team, and they couldn’t be more vital for a squad that’s looking to keep themselves in the hunt for a home playoff game.
Gilmore has been a constant presence in the center of the Falcon defense, playing 1068 of 1080 total minutes of the 2024 Falcon season, and facing a defensive team like the Bulls that will make it a challenge to get any sort of offensive rhythm going, conceding even one goal could be fatal for the Falcons on Sunday.
Look for the defense to have a huge impact on the result as they look to keep freshman goalkeeper Peyton O’Malley out of trouble against Buffalo.
The sophomore striker has been a force off the right side of the Falcon attack, and she’ll be looking for her fourth goal of the season against the Bulls on Sunday.
Stransky’s ability to create chances through deep runs has been a centerpiece of the offensive strategy, as her ability to either put a ball into the box or put a shot on goal herself has created many valuable chances throughout the year in huge positions for Bowling Green.
Watch Stransky and her physical one-on-one matchup off the right side as the Falcons look to break through against the best defense in the MAC, and one of the best in the country.
Bulls to Watch
The sophomore goalkeeper has been a staple of one of the best defenses in the country, and after a freshman season that ended prematurely after only seven games.
The two-time MAC Defensive Player of the Week has been on a hot streak after the Bulls have amassed six shutouts in their last seven games. In that span, Thompson has 27 saves with only one goal allowed.
Thompson has been the perfect complement to a top-tier Bull defense that has perfected the formula in 2024 as they look to make it four straight shutouts against Bowling Green on Sunday.
Simmons is now a junior, two years gone from earning MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022 as a freshman, and she hasn’t swayed from the pedestal since then.
Simmons leads one of the best defenses in the country in minutes while scoring two goals in the process, and with the talented Canadian defenders of Frederique St.-Jean and Maya Galko around her, it’s allowed this team to flourish into its current form.
Simmons is a professional talent who played in the development program of the Washington Spirit of the NWSL, and she has proved that in her time at Buffalo. Look for Simmons to lead a confident Bull team against the Falcons on Sunday.
