BGSU women’s soccer (10-2-8, 4-1-7 MAC) completed their first Mid-American-Conference (MAC) Tournament victory under head coach Chris Fox on Saturday afternoon, beating the Buffalo Bulls in overtime to advance to the semifinal round, where they will take on the Miami (OH) RedHawks (11-5-2, 8-2-2 MAC) on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
The regular season matchup between the two squads ended in a 1-1 draw at Cochrane Stadium on Oct. 12. The RedHawks scored in the 36th minute, but were unable to hold on to the lead after a penalty was awarded to the Falcons, with junior Emme Butera scoring her first goal of the season on a penalty kick.
Miami enters the matchup on a four-game winning streak, most recently beating Kent State 1-0 to elevate themselves above Buffalo in the MAC standings and earn a bye into the semifinal round that they will play in on Tuesday. The Falcons enter on a two-match winning streak of their own, after beating UMass to make the tournament and Buffalo to make the semifinal.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Falcons will have to attempt to forget the fatigue that may affect them entering Tuesday’s match, as the squad will have played five matches in 13 days after Tuesday afternoon. That stint included trips to Buffalo, New York, and Amherst, Massachusetts, two of the longest trips a MAC team can make in conference play.
The nearly 20 overtime minutes that were played against Buffalo on Saturday add on to that total as well.
On the other hand, the RedHawks will enter the match well-rested after a six-day break between the regular season finale and their first MAC Tournament match, thanks to the bye that was awarded to them in the quarterfinal round.
Of course, momentum can outweigh any fatigue that a team may be feeling, and their momentum and confidence may be at the highest it has been throughout the entire season after the 106th minute game-winner by junior forward Isabella Mazzaferro that sent the Bulls packing after a scoreless stalemate up to that point.
Junior forward Ella Kane returned to the pitch after missing the final three matches of the regular season due to injury, and she played a vital role, earning the assist on the game-winning goal and playing 36 minutes of high-energy soccer at the forefront of the Falcon offense.
Six Falcons played 100 minutes or more in Saturday’s match, including midfielder Audrey Oliver, who played 100 minutes and registered the only Falcon shot on goal besides the shot that scored the game-winner. Oliver’s role in the lineup has steadily increased as the season has progressed, as she earned her first start of the season on Sept. 7 against Duquesne, and has moved up to full 90-minute stints in the last six matches of the regular season.
Scouting Miami
The RedHawks have already outpaced their 2024 squad that was eliminated by Kent State in the quarterfinal round of the MAC Tournament, but eighth year head coach Courtney Sirmans will still be hungry for the team’s first MAC Tournament victory since 2022 and their first MAC title since 2012.
Miami hasn’t lost a conference match since falling in back-to-back games against Western Michigan and Buffalo on Sept. 18 and Sept. 21, going 7-0-2 in their last nine, outscoring their opponents 13-2 in that span. Their defense has gotten better throughout the season, and ultimately, became the strong suit of a RedHawk squad that is ranked fourth in the MAC with 15 goals allowed.
Junior forward Katie O’Malley was the only member of Miami to earn a spot on the All-MAC First Team by earning 17 points on six goals and five assists, the sixth-most points of any player in the conference. Three RedHawks managed to earn a spot on the All-MAC Second Team, including defenders Sophia Penegor and Juliann Kidd, who combined for over 3,200 minutes of stellar defensive play as leaders of the RedHawk back line.
Junior goalkeeper Dominique Popa has been in front of the net for the entire 2025 season, registering a goals allowed average of .833 and a .727 save percentage.
