BGSU women’s soccer (8-2-6, 3-1-5 MAC) looks to bounce back after they suffered their first loss since Aug. 17 on Sunday afternoon at the hands of the Ball State Cardinals, who won their fourth game in a row despite being outshot 16 by the Falcons at Cochrane Stadium.
Things won’t get easier for BG, as they take a nearly six-hour bus ride to UB Stadium, where the Buffalo Bulls (11-3-1, 7-2 MAC) will host them on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m. The Bulls will be looking for their third straight victory as they look to pull away and secure the second seed in the MAC Tournament and a bye in the quarterfinal round.
Bowling Green is trying to secure a MAC Tournament spot of their own, currently holding a one-point advantage over Eastern Michigan in the sixth position in the standings, and with only six teams going to Columbus in two weeks, the results in the final three games will be crucial to hold on to that spot.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Falcons went 1-1 last week, defeating Northern Illinois in Dekalb, Illinois 1-0 after junior forward Emma Stransky scored her seventh goal of the season in the 81st minute to give the Falcons three points, but they fell 1-0 at home on Sunday afternoon in a rainy match that BG dominated offensively, especially in the second half, but fell victim to an early first half mistake that allowed senior forward Addie Chester to score her 10th of the season and give the Cardinals their fourth straight victory.
Junior captain Taylor Green returned to the pitch in the center of the Bowling Green back line after missing five games due to injury, playing 66 minutes off the bench. Green coming back will be a huge help for a Falcon defense that has been lights out all season, still maintaining their streak of games without allowing more than one goal in 16 out of 16 games played in 2025.
Green will join junior defenders Gabby Lamparty and Jayna Searles alongside sophomore Haley Wolf in a back line that is back in full form for the final three games of the 2025 regular season.
Midfielders Minah Syam and Audrey Oliver continue to maintain a stout presence in the BG lineup alongside junior Emme Butera, who has been leading the charge on set pieces for the Falcons and playing lockdown defense alongside it, filling in at center back at times in Green’s absence.
Bowling Green and Buffalo drew in their latest meeting in 2024 at Cochrane Stadium, with then junior forward Emily Hollar scoring the game-tying goal in the 75th minute to prevent the Bulls from earning their first victory over BG since 2021.
After the trip to New York, the Falcons will return home for senior day against the Akron Zips on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. before heading on the road for the regular season finale against UMass on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m.
Scouting Buffalo
This Buffalo program that has been so consistent over the past decade under head coach Shawn Burke, who is in the midst of his 12th season with the team, is on pace for another appearance in the MAC Tournament, its ninth in the last 11 seasons.
The Bulls have been on a remarkable span in conference play, winning seven of their last eight games, including five in a row between Sept. 21 and Oct. 5. Most recently, UB went on the road and beat Ohio 2-1 in Athens, earning the first two goals of the game and scoring two of their six shots through the entire 90 minutes.
With 27 goals for and only nine goals allowed, Buffalo boasts the largest goal differential in the MAC at 18. 11 of those goals have come off the feet of grad student forward Jasmine Guerber or junior midfielder Laiken Kiser, who has two multi-goal games on the season. Guerber is tied for third in the MAC with six on the year, and she leads the conference by a wide margin with 3.27 shots per game while earning two MAC Offensive Player of the Week awards in week one and week seven.
Junior goalkeeper Lexie Thompson, who has three MAC Goalkeeper of the Week awards to her name, is looking to earn her second straight MAC Goalkeeper of the Year Award. With shutouts in eight of her 15 games started and nine goals allowed on 52 total shots on goal, she leads the conference in average goals against, .613 allowed per match.
After the match with BG, Buffalo will wrap up the season with their road slate against Toledo on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. before returning home for the regular season finale in a huge matchup with the current top team in the MAC, the Western Michigan Broncos, on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m.
