BGSU women’s soccer (6-1-2, 1-0-1 MAC) travelled down to Southern Ohio for a match with the Ohio Bobcats (3-4-2, 1-0-1 MAC), where each squad saw late goals cross the line in an even battle that saw both teams earn a point in a 1-1 draw.
As the Athens thermostat reached 87 degrees Fahrenheit, both teams fought, but failed to convert until late in the second half, when the Bobcats struck first thanks to a rebound goal from sophomore midfielder Iro Fakinou. Only a few minutes later, junior Gabby Lamparty would convert on a free kick to bring the Falcons back to equalizing territory at 1-1, where the game would end shortly after.
With the draw, Bowling Green maintains their streak of over one month without a loss, and it achieves the first positive or neutral result against Ohio since 2023.
After a back-and-forth start to the first half, junior forward Emma Stransky would begin the offensive push after a dangerous ball from junior Isabella Mazzaferro finds the BG leading scorer right in front of the OU goal, forcing goalkeeper Celeste Sloma into action as Stransky puts Mazzaferro’s pass on goal for the first Falcons shot on goal.
The possession percentage heavily favored the Falcons through the first 20 minutes, allowing them to dictate the pace and force Ohio’s forwards to press the BG back line relentlessly.
Senior forward Emily Hollar earned another shot on goal near the halfway mark in the first half via a nice cross from midfielder Emme Butera, who gave Hollar a perfect ball for a header that was put on goal and knocked away by Sloma.
The Bobcats came out fast after the hydration break, forcing BG goalkeeper Payton O’Malley into action on a shot from forward Jaimason Brooker that would’ve reached the back of the net if it weren’t for a firm hand from the sophomore goalkeeper. O’Malley would recover the ensuing corner kick, sending the ball back the way of Bowling Green.
The Falcons received a dangerous free kick just outside the box after sophomore Evie Underhill went down on a yellow card by Ohio’s Maia Kaufman. With under four minutes, Butera would take the kick, but it would be collected by Sloma without contest.
The beginning of the second half brought much of the same, with Bowling Green maintaining consistent control, especially in the back half, putting two shots on the stat sheet as the clock reached the halfway mark in the second half.
Eventually, the relentless high press put forward by Ohio paid off, and with just under 13 minutes left, the Bobcats drew a turnover, allowing a rocket from Brooker to bounce off the bar and right to the feet of Fakinou, who buried her second goal of the season.
Despite going down late, BG would only be trailing for just over five minutes, as a beautiful free kick by Butera finds Lamparty, who lays out for a header that finds the back of the net, bringing the score back even at 1-1.
As the buzzer sounded, the score would stand at 1-1, earning the Falcons their second draw of the season.
The Falcons manage to stay atop the Mid-American Conference (MAC) standings for another day, but yet another challenge awaits them when they return to Cochrane Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 21, to take on the Western Michigan Broncos (4-2) at 1:00 p.m.
