The BG women’s soccer team fell to Central Michigan Thursday, Oct. 31. The Falcons ended their season with an overall record of 0-15-2 and a MAC record of 0-9-2. They failed to qualify for the Mid-American Conference post-season tournament.
CMU defeated the Falcons 2-0 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The Chippewas scored one goal in each half, posting the shutout on the Falcons. Both teams recorded 18 total shots on the match, and BG led 4-2 in corner kicks. CMU had a narrow margin in total saves, finishing with eight while the Falcons tallied six.
Head coach Lindsay Basalyga said she was proud that her team remained competitive through the entire match and got some “dangerous” opportunities to score. She added that CMU was able to capitalize early on the Falcons’ “flat” first half.
On the season, seven of BG’s losses have been by a single goal. The Falcons went 0-6-2 at home on the season. Three of those home losses were by one goal. Four of the eight overall games at Cochrane Field went into overtime.
Senior Madeline Wideman leads the team in several individual categories. She scored three goals this season for the Falcons, which puts her in a team-high tie with fellow senior Kaitlyn Tobin. Wideman’s goals came at Evansville, Kent State and Akron this season.
She also leads the team with three assists on the year. Wideman was involved in six of the Falcon’s nine total goals scored this fall, including five straight goals during one stretch.
Tobin’s three goals this season came against Michigan State, Ohio and Miami.
Junior Ashley Garr, freshman Taylor Bucaro and freshman Haley Malaczewski each have one goal on the season for the Falcons.
Behind Wideman, junior Sidney Huth tallied two assists on the season. Seniors Alyssa Carmack and Ivi Casagrande recorded one assist each as well.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Lauren Cadel leads the MAC in both saves and saves per game. In her first season of play for the Falcons, Cadel already ranks fifth on the BGSU career saves list with 109 saves. Those saves also moved her into a tie for seventh place on the BG single-season saves list. As a team, the Falcons rank first in the MAC in saves and in saves per game.
Freshman Paige Amodio, Carmack and Wideman each have a team-high 16 matches started for the Falcons. Carmack has played all 1489-plus minutes this season.
Coach Basalyga said their goal this season was, “Break the Cycle— Change the Culture.” She added that their goal was not measured in results, and that she and her players did see the change throughout the season.
“This season has been much more than results,” Basalyga said. “We had to change training habits, learn how to compete consistently, build team chemistry, and we also changed our overall style of play. That’s a huge undertaking, but the players bought in, and it’s largely due to our senior class. They set the bar high individually, and they led— not only on the field but off— and held their teammates accountable along the way.”
Basalyga said it is now up to the remaining players to continue to “uphold [the] new standards” of the program into next season.
