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KALAMAZOO, Mich. – After taking down the third-seeded Ball State Cardinals, the Ohio soccer team (7-7-5) is set to take on Bowling Green (10-5-2) in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
The Bobcats defeated Ball State by a score of 2-0 on Sunday (Oct. 29) with goals by seniors Shae Robertson (Lexington, Ky.) and Izzi Boyd (Gibsonia, Pa.). Ohio was dominant in their performance on the road, limiting the Cardinals to just one shot on goal.
Bowling Green finished second in the MAC regular season with 26 points, just one behind Western Michigan. Ohio concluded the regular season with 15 points, narrowly edging out Miami and Buffalo on goal difference for the final postseason spot.
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio holds a slight edge in the all-time record against Bowling Green at 12-11-6. However, in the last ten matches, the Bobcats are 0-8-2 against the Falcons with their last win coming in 2015.
This will be the second time the two programs have met in the MAC Tournament. The last time, Nov. 2, 2019 (exactly four years from Thursday's match), Bowling Green knocked off Ohio in the semifinals with a 1-0 win at Cochrane Stadium. Bowling Green would go onto win the tournament, beating Ball State on penalty kicks.
LAST MATCHUP
Bowling Green traveled to Athens earlier this season, fighting to a 2-0 victory over the Bobcats (Oct. 1). The Falcons opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a goal from senior Lexi Czerwien. While Ohio was able to create scoring opportunities during the opening half, they were unable to find the back of the net.
In the 54th minute, Bowling Green added to their lead with a goal from sophomore forward Brynn Gardner. With an assist from freshman Emma Stransky, Gardner was able to find the bottom corner to seal the game.
While the score fell in the favor of the Falcons, Ohio battled for the full 90 minutes. Totaling 10 shots with two on target and two corner kicks, Ohio posed several threats to the Falcon defense. On the other end, Bowling Green recorded seven shots, five on target, and three corner kicks in the win.
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN
The Falcons were consistently towards the top of the standings throughout the regular season. With a conference record of 8-1-2, Bowling Green just missed out on the regular season title to Western Michigan. Their lone loss came at home to Kent State by a score of 2-0 (Oct. 12).
Throughout their season, Bowling Green scored 25 goals and allowed 21. The Falcons were more impressive during the 11 conference games, finding the back of the net 19 times while allowing just eight goals. The Falcons present a well rounded attack with four players recording at least three goals.
Sophomore forward and All-MAC First Team selection Brynn Gardner led Bowling Green with six goals and four assists. Gardner was not the only Falcon to be named to the All-MAC First Team. Junior defender Isabelle Gilmore also earned the recognition after playing in all 90 minutes in the 13 games she was available.
Bowling Green also had two student-athletes selected to the MAC All-Freshman team: forward Emma Stransky and defender Taylor Green. Stransky found the back of the net three times on the year and added two assists, including one in the win over Ohio. Green started in 12 of the 15 games she played, recording one goal on the year.
Other Falcons to look out for are senior forwards Ellie Pool and Lacee Bethea. Pool, a transfer from Toledo, scored four goals and tallied five assists on the year. Bethea, the 2021 MAC Tournament MVP, found the goal three times and added two assists.
In goal, two Falcons shared time throughout the season, each playing a total of 765 minutes. Redshirt sophomore Madison Yukas started nine of the 17 games this year. The Pittsburgh native led the team with eight goals against, 39 saves, and a goals against average of 0.94. Her save percentage of 0.83 led the MAC. Senior Lili Berg spent the other 765 minutes in goal for the Falcons. The senior allowed 13 goals, made 37 saves, and a goals against average of 1.53. Her save percentage of 0.74 was good for tenth in the conference.
The Falcons have a winning percentage of 0.694 in MAC Tournament play, compiling a record of 21-7-8 in the postseason competition. Bowling Green last won the MAC Tournament in 2021, their fourth consecutive tournament title. Last year, the Falcons looked to win their fifth in a row, but fell to Ball State in the semifinals on penalty kicks.
With six MAC Tournament titles, Bowling Green has more than any other school.
SCOUTING OHIO
With their 2-0 win over Ball State in the MAC Quarterfinals, Ohio recorded their third consecutive clean sheet. Behind sophomore goalkeeper Celeste Sloma (Columbus, Ohio), the Bobcats are currently tied with their 2021 team record of 17 goals against (not including the 2020 shortened season).
Sloma was named to the All-MAC Second Team for efforts during the 2023 season. She was second in goals against average with 0.895 and second in save percentage with 0.817. Also receiving the recognition were senior forward Shae Robertson and junior defender Quintin Tostevin (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Robertson led the Bobcats with eight goals on the year, including the game-winner over Ball State in the quarterfinal match. Tostevin has been a crucial member for Ohio all year long. Starting in all 19 games the Bobcats played, Tostevin was critical in Ohio's defensive success. She also assisted Robertson's last-second goal in the Bobcats' crucial tie against Central Michigan (Oct. 12).
Freshman Jaimason Brooker (Powell, Ohio) also received recognition from the MAC, being named to the All-Freshman team. Brooker played in all 19 games for Ohio, showing impressive versatility bouncing back-and-forth from up front to the midfield. The freshman recorded one goal and two assists on the year.
In addition to the MAC honorees, seniors Izzi Boyd and Carsyn Prigge (Lexington, Ky.) were critical for the Bobcats late season push. Boyd has scored five goals on the season, two in the regular season finale against Akron (Oct. 26) and one in the quarterfinal match against Ball State. Prigge, a central midfielder, was able to help the transition Ohio from defense to offense, recording two assists during her senior campaign.
Alongside Prigge in the middle, sophomore Eve Berish (Hudson, Ohio) was a standout player for the Bobcats. A member of the 2022 All-Freshman team, Berish has displayed impressive technical skills and a high motor to slow transitions from opposing offenses.
More players to watch for the Bobcats are sophomores Scout Murray (Chicago, Ill.) and Maia Soulis (Sylvania, Ohio). Murray, a forward, has used her speed throughout the year to challenge opposing defenses. Soulis, like Tostevin, has started in all 19 games for Ohio. A member of the Bobcat backline, Soulis has been central to the team's defensive efforts.
Ohio is seeking their first trip to the MAC Tournament Championship since 2002. While the Bobcats have three MAC regular season titles, they are looking to win their first MAC Tournament.
MAC TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
The semifinal and championship matches are hosted by regular season champions Western Michigan. With Ohio and Bowling Green's match set to kick off at 11:00 a.m., Western Michigan and Kent State's match will be played at 2:00 p.m. The winners will face off in the MAC Tournament Championship on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 1:00 p.m.
Find a full breakdown of the MAC Tournament structure and schedule here.
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