BGSU’s women’s soccer (7-1-6, 2-0-5) hosted the Miami Redhawks (7-5-1, 4-2-1) at Cochrane Stadium in a Mid-American Conference (MAC) duel, battling to a 1-1 draw.
That was Bowling Green’s third draw in a row and sixth on the season.
With the draw, The Falcons have extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games, which is the longest in program history. The last loss Bowling Green suffered was Aug. 17 against Illinois
Both teams were struggling offensively early on, as the defenses were playing phenomenally. Miami’s defense hadn’t given up a goal in three games, and Bowling Green had only given up one goal in their last three games.
After the game, head coach Chris Fox talked about BG’s struggles in the first half.
“Lots of unforced errors, kicking the ball out of bounds, missed touches, missed passes. It just kinda played into the hands of Miami.”
Despite their offense playing behind schedule, junior forward Ellie Pool provided some life for the offense, taking a shot on goal and just missing to the right.
BG had another promising performance on offense, capitalizing on a missed pass by Miami. Freshman midfielder Quinn O’Neil took a shot, although it was blocked.
The Redhawks were the team to break the defensive stalemate. Junior midfielder Morhea Hoefen scored for Miami, and she was assisted by senior midfielder Shae Taylor.
At the conclusion of the first half, Miami had the lead over the Falcons 1-0.
Coming into the second half, Bowling Green changed formations. In the first half, they had four in the back and four forwards. Their adjustments involved only having three in the back to create space for an extra forward.
“We knew we weren’t going to lose this game because we were switching formations, which helped us,” said junior midfielder Emme Butera after the game. “They didn’t really know what we were doing, so that created opportunities in the midfield.”
The defenses continued to shine, with neither team able to generate much momentum. The Orange and Brown did have an opportunity to score, with back-to-back corner kicks, but the Redhawks remained stout.
Bowling Green had another opportunity to score a goal. Butera had an opening for a shot, but an impressive save by Miami’s junior goalkeeper Dominique Popa kept them off the board.
The second half remained a defensive slugfest. Both teams were moving the ball, but were unable to finish the series and score. Bowling Green’s best chance yet was taken by freshman midfielder Minah Syam, and a great save by the Redhawks once again prevented points.
The Falcons finally got on the board in the 81st minute off a goal by Butera, her second goal of the season. This goal tied the game up, 1-1.
Junior forward Ella Kane nearly had BG’s second goal with Popa out of place, but her shot just hit the post, ending the chance to take the lead. She had missed five games of the season due to an injury, and this was her second game back healthy.
“She’s a game changer. Just tenacity, speed and her ability to dribble,” Fox said after the game. “She can dribble at pace and in tight spaces.”
Defense remained strong for both teams, with no more goals registered the rest of the match.
The Falcons now turn their attention to Northern Illinois, where they travel to DeKalb on Oct. 16, at 8:00 p.m.
