BGSU women’s soccer (8-2-6, 3-1-5) battled Ball State (9-5-2, 6-3-1) on a cold, windy and rainy October afternoon on Sunday, falling 1-0 to the Cardinals at Cochrane Stadium, snapping their program-record 13-match unbeaten streak.
“I think that was a complete performance from us today. I was happy from minute one to minute 90 in terms of executing the game plan…I felt like we did enough to win the game today,” head coach Chris Fox said postgame. “It’s a difficult one to take. The girls are hurt. When you feel like you’ve done everything right and the result doesn’t go the way you want it, it’s not easy to take.”
The decider was a strike by Ball State senior forward/midfielder Addie Chester, who found the back of the net for her Mid-American Conference (MAC)-leading 10th goal of the season in the 34th minute.
“Addie’s one of the best players in the league, there’s no question about it,” Fox said.
Chester found the opportunity after junior defender Taylor Green fell to the pitch after slipping while on the ball in front of the box.
Conditions were slick throughout the game, following a night of rain, paired with temperatures in the mid-50s and wind howling at 20 miles per hour.
Green returned to action for the first time since the draw against Western Michigan on Sept. 21, following a successful surgery on a broken collarbone, playing 66 minutes.
“(Green’s) our captain, she’s our leader; I think she’s colossal back there,” Fox said. “She is a tremendous, tremendous player, and we’ve missed her dearly, for sure.”
Chester was the main offensive weapon for the Cardinals, contributing three of the team’s four shots, including both shots on goal.
She nearly had a brace, with a goal off a set piece around 20 minutes into the match wiped off the board due to an offside call.
Bowling Green had plenty of opportunities to find an equalizer, but was unable to capitalize.
The Falcons outshot the Cardinals 15-4, including recording six shots on goal compared to just two from Ball State.
BGSU dominated action in the second half, outshooting the Cardinals 10-2, including a sequence in the final few minutes where three shots by the Falcons around the box were unable to get past the stingy Ball State defense.
Ball State sophomore goalkeeper Kate Pallante tallied a career-high six saves.
“It’s difficult to score goals in the MAC, for sure. I think if you look at how (Ball State) defended, they defended with a lot of bodies behind the ball. So, then, it was a lot of half-chances. We had a few quality chances, but testament to them in terms of putting bodies on the line and getting numbers in the box,” Fox said. “But outside of that, we had some chances that probably could have, should have been goals, and that was just about execution.”
Graduate student forward Ellie Pool and sophomore defender Haley Wolf led the Orange and Brown with two shots on goal apiece. Junior forward Emma Stransky and junior midfielder Michelle Hochstadt also each recorded a shot on goal.
Meanwhile, junior midfielder Emme Butera, redshirt sophomore midfielder Audrey Oliver and junior forward Ella Kane combined for six shots.
“(Stransky) was great. She did everything you asked of her. I was really, really impressed with her, impressed with Ellie Pool’s performance. I think, obviously, the back line, Emme Butera, unsung hero in this group,” Fox said. “I think Emma leading the line from the top in the press, ready for second balls, putting her body on the line, attacking balls in the box; she had a really, really good performance, just shy of a goal.”
With the loss, Bowling Green now sits in sixth place in the MAC standings, holding the final MAC Tournament spot, just one point ahead of Eastern Michigan with three games remaining in the regular season against Buffalo, Akron and UMass.
“We need one win, I would say, and we’re in…I think three points should do it, I’d almost guarantee four points should be enough at this point,” Fox said.
Next, the Falcons head on the road to the Empire State to face the Buffalo Bulls on Thursday at 6 p.m.
