SETTING THE SCENE / FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team, off to one of the best starts in program history, begins Mid-American Conference action this weekend. Head coach Chris Fox and the Falcons face Kent State University in the league opener on Sunday (Sept. 14), with first touch at 1:00 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium. Admission is free.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will venture to Athens to face Ohio University on Thursday (Sept. 18), before returning home to meet defending MAC champion Western Michigan three days later (Sunday, Sept. 21).

WHERE TO WATCH
• Sunday's Kent State contest – as well as the following Sunday's WMU matchup – will be streamed on YouTube, and produced by WBGU-TV.

• The match at Ohio will be streamed on ESPN+.

STATS & SOCIAL MEDIA
• Links to live stats (as well as to any available audio/video) for all 2025 matches can always be found on the web at BGSUFalcons.com – both on the women's soccer schedule page and in the right column on the main page – on match day.

THE STARTING XI
I – The Falcons are 5-1-1, which is the second-best start in school history. In the 29 seasons since the program was started, the only better record through seven games came in the spring of 2021. That team began the year 6-1-0 before being eliminated via penalty kicks against Ole Miss in the NCAA Championships and ending the abbreviated season with a 6-1-1 mark.

II – Head coach Chris Fox and Company will put a five-match unbeaten streak on the line when Kent State comes to town Sunday. BGSU is 4-0-1 in the last five matches.

III – The Falcons went 4-0-0 against Horizon League opponents during non-league play, with wins over Oakland and Cleveland State at home, and Detroit Mercy and Robert Morris on the road. BGSU's lone loss this fall was a 1-0 decision vs. Illinois, and the Falcons battled Cincinnati to a scoreless draw.

IV – Most recently, the Falcons picked up a 1-0 win over Duquesne on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 7). Junior Emma Stransky headed home a cross from sophomore Haley Wolf in the 27th minute, and soph Payton O'Malley made four saves as she and the Falcons kept a clean sheet.

V – O'Malley has played every second in goal this season, and has 26 saves, a goals-against average of 0.57 and a save percentage of .867. She leads the MAC in GAA and is second in save pct. and third in total saves. O'Malley is tied for the league lead with three shutouts.

VI – At the other end of the pitch, Stransky leads the team with three goals and six points, while three of her teammates – sixth-year collegian Ellie Pool and juniors Ella Kane and Isabella Mazzaferro – each have a pair of goals and five points.

VII – A total of 25 different players have seen action this season to date, with 17 Falcons having made at least one start. Five players – O'Malley, Pool, Emme Butera, Taylor Green and Gabby Lamparty – each have started all seven games.

VIII – BGSU finished the 2024 season with an overall record of 7-7-4 and a MAC ledger of 4-4-3. The Falcons finished in sixth place in the 12-team conference. BG went 4-1-3 at home and 3-6-1 on the road in 2024.

IX – Fox and his staff – first-year assistant coaches Steven Samuel and Kyle Pettican – have a total of 20 returning student-athletes. That group includes seven starters from a year ago. Six of the top-nine scorers from '24 returned.

X – Kent State is 2-2-3 heading into Sunday's game. The Golden Flashes most recently battled Oakland to a 1-1 draw. Samantha Miller and Mia Cleroux each have two goals and five points, and a total of eight players have scored at least one goal. Leah Shaffer has played every minute in goal for coach Rob Marinaro's club, and has 38 saves and a 2.14 GAA.

XI – The Falcons lead Kent State, 18-10-5, in the all-time series, but the Flashes have won the last three meetings, including a 4-2 victory on the final day of the regular season last fall (Oct. 31, 2024). Two years ago, KSU came away with a 2-0 victory in the teams' last matchup at Cochrane Stadium. Prior to KSU's current three-game streak, the Falcons had won seven-straight meetings. BGSU is 9-3-5 in home games and 9-7-0 in road games vs. the Flashes through the years.

BGSU WSOC FEATURES & LINKS
Sept. 8 - BG Falcon Media - Zig Zone One on One: Taylor Green
Aug. 15 - BG Falcon Media - Searles' Spotlight: Fourth-Year Falcon Earns First Collegiate Start
Aug. 9 - BCSN - Pool Returns to the Pitch for Final Season as a Falcon

FOR MORE INFORMATION...
• For more information on the women's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSU_WSoccer), Instagram (bgsu_wsoccer) and Facebook (bgsuwsoc), and on the web at BGSUFalcons.com.