BGSU women’s soccer (7-6-4, 4-4-3 MAC) fell to the Kent State Golden Flashes (5-4-2, 8-6-3 MAC) after an intense Halloween match that saw six goals in the Falcons’ 4-2 loss, the most of any Falcon match in 2024.
With the loss, the Falcons fall to the sixth seed in the upcoming MAC tournament, where they will take on the Ohio Bobcats (10-4-4, 5-3-3 MAC) in Athens on Sunday.
Kent State didn’t waste a second, getting on the board in the fourth minute from senior midfielder Siena Stambolich, who used the wind to score a wonderful Olimpico goal, as the corner kick curled around BGSU goalkeeper Payton O’Malley and into the far side of the net.
A careless foul from the Falcons in the 11th minute allowed a dangerous free kick taken by top Golden Flash scorer Alisa Arthur, but she would soar it just over the top crossbar.
Fouls within the defensive line and midfield continued to trouble BG throughout the rest of the half, with Stambolich putting competitive balls towards the net that caused Falcon defenders to look on with worry.
BG would earn three corners in five minutes with around 10 minutes left in the first half, as BG forward Brynn Gardner continued to get pressure from the right wing, but nothing would come of them.
As the pressure from BG continued to ramp up, they would find the back of the net from a quick run with under a minute to go in the first half, as beautiful passes up the field would lead to a cross into the box that skated just past the hands of the diving Heidi Marshall and into the possession of freshman forward Lilly Boebel, who put the Falcons on the board with only 23 seconds left in the half.
A second Olimpico goal would cross the goal line in the second half, this time on the side of the Falcons on a corner kick from sophomore midfielder Emme Butera that gave BG a 2-1 lead.
Bowling Green’s tactical changes towards the end of the first and into the second saw a faster-paced offense that started to create chances at a much higher rate than they saw early in the game, and it proved to make a difference as the momentum swung the way of the Falcons with 30 minutes left.
Arthur would retaliate with a goal of her own, shaking and baking through defenders and slotting one in the back of the net, tying the game up at 2-2.
Kent State, with their MAC tournament hopes on the line, came up clutch only a few minutes later as defender Ava Todd slotted a third Golden Flash goal into the back of the net as they would take over the fourth seed for the time being with a 3-2 lead.
Arthur would put in her second goal of the game and seal the deal with five minutes left in the match, putting Kent State up 4-2.
An intense game on both ends led to a result that favors Kent State, as they will host a MAC tournament match for the second straight season, while BG will travel to Athens to take on the third-seeded Ohio Bobcats in the MAC quarterfinal on Sunday, Nov. 3. at 1 p.m.
