BGSU women’s soccer team tied with the defensively stacked Buffalo Bulls, the third-ranked team in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), 1-1, in a midday Sunday matchup.   

How did the Buffalo Bulls, with a 9-1-4 record on the season, only score one goal against the Falcons?  

One of the main reasons was the performance of freshman goalkeeper Payton O’Malley, who has been starting in the place of redshirt junior Madison Vukas, who is currently out with an injury.  

O’Malley has started the last four games in the place of Vukas, as a freshman, she has played against Miami OH, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan and Buffalo, with a 1-1-2 record in that stretch.   

Against the Bulls, O’Malley made six saves, allowing only one goal and finishing the match with a 0.857% save percentage. O’Malley’s six saves against the Bulls are her second-highest amount on the season, just behind a seven-save performance against NIU.  

“Yeah, I mean, she’s just growing into her performances every single week,” head coach Chris Fox said postgame. “We’ve never had question marks about her as a goalkeeper, she’s just fantastic, is able to make big saves, and I think she’s getting better every week and growing with confidence.”  

Senior defender Isabelle Gilmore issued similar praise for her teammate post-game.  

“Payton just plays with so much heart all the time,” Gilmore said. “This entire season, even last year, she came early, but she played unreal. She stood in her head, and she bailed us out a couple of times, so I’m really, really proud of her. She has been stepping up huge in this game, and I’m really glad she got that result for her.   

Next, O’Malley and the Falcons will travel to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas on Oct. 17th, with kick-off at 7 p.m.