After a road win against Robert Morris. BGSU women’s soccer (5-1-1) returned to Cochrane Stadium this past Sunday to face off against the Duquesne Dukes (4-2-0) for their final game before conference play.
A goal from junior forward Emma Stransky proved to be the difference in the match. After scoring a goal in the first half from a cross by sophomore defender Haley Wolf.
The game had its fair share of offensive moments, but the star of the show was the defensive shutdown the Falcons would have throughout the afternoon.
The first half of the game was off to an intriguing start; both teams had a shot on goal in just the first seven minutes had a shot on goal, the main being from freshman forward of the Dukes, Kaitlyn Killinger, which would be deflected off of sophomore goalkeeper Payton O’Malley, her first of many in the match.
The first score of the match wouldn’t come until past the halfway mark, when Wolf assisted a pass to Stransky to create a lead for the Orange and Brown, 1-0.
The Falcons’ defense would continue its strong presence for the remainder of the half. O’Malley and the rest of the defenders kept the Dukes in check, forcing them to only two shots on goal. The first half would end with the Falcons having the early advantage, 1-0. An early showing that head coach Chris Fox was loving from beginning to end.
“Another clean sheet for Payton,” Fox said. “She’s been growing as the season has gone on. The confidence, the quality, I’m really happy for her.”
The second half of the match maintained the same tempo. Duquesne would have a very slow start to the half, even with senior forward Maya Matesa leading the way with the most shots, with three early on.
While BG would try to find multiple avenues to increase the deficit, the defense on the backline continued to show its worth as O’Malley would have three more saves to keep the Dukes from having any sense of momentum. A site that fellow teammate, junior defender Taylor Green, took notice of.
“I don’t even know what to say about Payton,” Green said enthusiastically. “She makes a ton of great saves for us, and she communicates very well. Overall, she’s just a really good goalie for us back there.”
The last 10 minutes were a war of attrition for the Dukes, but the dominance of BG’s defense would ultimately prevail and capture their fifth win on the young season, 1-0.
Without conference play finally being wrapped up for the Falcons, it leaves coach Fox and others with optimism moving forward.
“I wouldn’t have expected to be 5-1-1, but you never really know,” Fox said. “MAC play is a different animal. The intensity and pressure start to go up, but we’ve got strength, depth, quality, and the right mindset.
“Something feels very different this year,” Green said. “We’ve put in the work and have all bought in. We know what we have to, and if we do that, we’ll look great for MAC play.”
The Falcons will have a week to prepare for the next challenge, which is Mid-American Conference (MAC) play. Starting right back at Cochrane Stadium with the Kent State Golden Flashes arriving in town on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 1:00 p.m.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Henry Kosko and Tyler Kavalecz will be on the call on WBGU-PBS YouTube channel.
