BGSU women’s soccer (6-5-3, 3-3-2 MAC) fell to the Central Michigan Chippewas (5-6-4, 3-2-3 MAC) in a match where relentless offensive pressure that produced 15 total shots and six shots on goal wasn’t enough to outpace two CMU goals that came on their only two shots on goal of the game.
Especially in the second half, BGSU dominated possession and dictated the pace, but broken plays and defensive miscues led to a Central Michigan team capitalizing on their opportunities well and earning their fifth victory of the season.
An even first half would come to a halt after CMU point leader Claudia Muessig put one past BGSU freshman goalkeeper Peyton O’Malley and into the back of the net to put the Chippewas ahead 1-0 only 20 minutes into the match.
Bowling Green threatened in the second with a header by defender Taylor Green that earned a corner kick, which would gift the Falcons their equalizing goal in the 51st minute courtesy of junior forward Brynn Gardner, who won the ball in the box via passes from Isabelle Gilmore and Emma Stransky, earning her second goal of the season.
Opportunities for the winning goal were abundant in the rest of the second half, but the Falcons could not convert despite nine shots after Gardner’s goal. They would pay the price as only the second Chippewa shot on goal would get past the line, giving junior forward Lauren Walker her fourth goal of the season and CMU a 2-1 lead.
A frustrating loss where the Falcons dominated the offensive side of the ball, especially throughout the second half, comes at a frustrating time in which a win would have helped the Falcons immensely in their hunt for the MAC championship.
Instead, Central Michigan jumps three spots in the MAC standings and sits in fourth place, while Bowling Green falls into a three-way tie for fifth with Toledo and Kent State, who both achieved quality results against quality teams on Thursday.
The Falcons have only three games left before the conclusion of the 2024 season. With three teams tied for fifth and only six spots in the MAC tournament, every result will be crucial for BGSU head coach Chris Fox and his squad.
First, the Falcons will host Eastern Michigan (5-6-4, 1-3-3 MAC) for their final home game of the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 24, before going on the road for the final pair of matches between Akron (5-6-4, 0-6-2 MAC) on Sunday, Oct. 27 and Kent State (6-5-3, 3-3-2 MAC) on Halloween.
