BGSU vs. OHIO
Thursday, Sept. 26 | 7:00 p.m.
Cochrane Stadium | Bowling Green, Ohio
Video/Web Stream: BCSN/ESPN+
Live Stats: BGSUFalcons.com BGSU at MIAMI
Sunday, Sept. 29 | 1:00 p.m.
Bobby Kramig Field | Oxford, Ohio
Video/Web Stream: Chatterbox Sports
Live Stats: MiamiRedHawks.com

• The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team puts an undefeated Mid-American Conference record on the line with a pair of matches this week. Head coach Chris Fox and the Falcons face Ohio University at Cochrane Stadium on Thursday evening (Sept. 26). The match will begin at 7:00 p.m., and admission is free.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will head to Oxford for a Sunday afternoon (Sept. 29) meeting with Miami. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at Bobby Kramig Field.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• Thursday's Ohio match will be aired by BCSN in the Toledo area, and also will be streamed via the BCSN Now app as well as ESPN+. Sunday's Miami meeting will be streamed via Chatterbox Sports (subscription required). Live stats and periodic Twitter updates (@BGSU_Wsoccer) will also be available during the match.

• Links to live audio/video/stats for all 2024 matches can be found on the web at BGSUFalcons.com (on the women's soccer schedule page and in the right column on the main page) on match day.

#MACTION
• The Falcons are off to a 2-0-0 start to the MAC schedule, continuing a multiple-year trend of success.

• BG finished with a record of 8-1-2 in MAC play in 2023, good for second place in the conference. The Falcons have definitely enjoyed more than their fair share of success in league action over the last few years. BG won four-straight regular-season and tournament titles from 2018-21, before finishing third in the MAC in 2022 and second in '23.

• Since the start of the 2018 season, the Falcons have a record of 49-8-6 in MAC regular-season matches, good for a winning percentage of .825. BGSU has nine more wins than any other team during that span, and all of the other 11 programs have at least twice the amount of losses as the Falcons in that time.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
• The Falcons enter the Ohio match with an overall record of 5-2-1, and BGSU is off to a 2-0-0 start in the MAC. BGSU opened league action with a 2-0 win at Ball State last Thursday (Sept. 19). Redshirt sophomores Alaina Uncapher and Emily Hollar scored second-half goals, while Madison Vukas and the BGSU back line kept a clean sheet for the third consecutive match.

• Then, on Sunday (Sept. 22), the Orange and Brown bounced back after an early Toledo goal to defeat the visiting Rockets, 2-1. Lexi Czerwien scored the tying goal early in the second half, with Emma Stransky recording the late winner.

• BGSU opened the season with home wins over Detroit Mercy and Findlay, outscoring those foes by a combined 6-1. The Falcons went on the road and suffered losses to Duquesne and Loyola Chicago, but then picked up a road victory at Cleveland State, 2-0 (Sept. 8).

• Four days later (Sept. 12), BGSU closed out the non-conference portion of the schedule by playing to a scoreless draw with Oakland.

• BGSU's balanced scoring has seen seven different players register at least one goal, with no Falcon recording more than two. Uncapher and her former high-school teammate, junior Brynn Gardner, are part of a four-way tie for the team scoring lead with five points each. Uncapher and Stransky each have two goals and an assist on the year, while Gardner and Emme Butera each have a goal and are tied for the BG lead with three assists. 

• In goal, Vukas has played all 720 minutes to date, and has 24 saves, a goals-against average of 0.63 and four clean sheets. Vukas, who split time in every match last season, combined on seven shutouts a year ago.

• Along with Vukas, Butera also has played all 720 minutes this fall, while backs Isabelle Gilmore and Taylor Green have been on the field for 708 and 705 minutes, respectively.

 • The Falcons returned 17 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last season's club. The 2023 team went 10-6-2, and BGSU finished in second place in the MAC with a league ledger of 8-1-2.
 
• Chris Fox is in his first season at the BGSU helm after two highly-successful seasons leading Morehead State. Assistant coaches Kerry Edwards and Kate Larbes round out the coaching staff.

• The Falcons lost seven letterwinners from last year's squad, but the returning players combined to score 19 of the team's 26 goals last season.

• A total of 24 different players saw action in at least one match last season, with 18 players starting at least once. This season, a total of 21 Falcons have played, and 16 of those 21 have made at least one start in 2024.

SUCCESSFUL AT HOME
• Heading into Thursday's Ohio match, BGSU has a record of 47-11-9 at home since the start of the 2017 season. The Falcons are 36-6-6 against MAC teams at Cochrane in that time, having outscored the opposition, 92-33, in those 48 games.

SUCCESSFUL ON THE ROAD
• After last week's win at Ball State, the Falcons have a record of 29-6-3 on the road against MAC opponents since the start of the 2017 season. BG is 26-3-2 in league road contests since the beginning of 2018, having outscored the opponents by a 78-18 count. In those 31 matches, BGSU has scored at least two goals 25 times, and at least three goals on 14 occasions.

• BGSU is 23-2-2 in the last 27 MAC road contests, dating to late in the 2018 season.

• Overall, the Falcons are 19-13-3 in true road games over the last four-plus years. No fewer than eight of those 13 road losses have come against opponents from Power 5 conferences, with a ninth coming to a team (Xavier in 2022) that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships that season.

PRETTY DARN SUCCESSFUL AGAINST THE MAC, NO MATTER THE SITE
• As mentioned, the Falcons have enjoyed great success against MAC competition in recent years. BGSU advanced to the MAC Tournament final in 2017 before falling in OT, then won both the regular-season and tourney titles in both 2018 and '19.

• In 2020 (actually 2020-21), the Falcons went 5-1-0 in MAC regular-season action, then defeated Ball State in the MAC Championship to advance to the NCAAs for the third-straight season. Then, in the fall of 2021, BG captured the MAC's regular-season title, then shut out both Buffalo and Kent State in the league tournament to head back to the national tourney yet again.

• Entering the Ohio match, the Falcons are 31-6-7 in the last 44 games vs. MAC opponents, having outscored the foes by an 86-28 count in that span.

• BGSU is 82-39-19 overall since the start of 2017. The Falcons are 55-12-7 in MAC regular-season matches and 65-14-10 in all games vs. MAC foes in that time. Since the beginning of 2018, BG is 69-32-18 overall, 49-8-6 in MAC regular-season action and 57-9-9 in all games vs. league opposition. A handy list can be found in the PDF version o' these notes.

SENIOR DAY
• Sunday (Sept. 22) was Senior Day at Cochrane Stadium, with five team members recognized in ceremonies prior to the match against Toledo. After that win, BGSU is now 8-0-1 in the last nine 'Senior Day' games. The Falcons have outscored the opponents by a 23-3 count in those nine matches.

THE OPPONENTS
• Ohio enters Thursday's match with an overall record of 5-1-3 on the year, and the Bobcats are 0-0-2 in the MAC after draws vs. Western Michigan and Northern Illinois last week. Ohio's only loss this season came to the team currently ranked number one in the nation, Michigan State. The 'Cats have outscored their other eight opponents by a 22-3 count. Jaimason Brooker leads the team with 11 points, including five assists, while Scout Murray has eight points on a team-high four goals. Celeste Sloma has started every game in goal and has 28 saves, five shutouts and a GAA of just 0.59. Head coach Aaron Rodgers welcomed back 19 players from last season. That 2023 club went 9-8-5 overall and 4-4-3 in MAC play. The 'Cats, seeded sixth for the six-team MAC Tournament, proceeded to win the tourney and advance to the NCAA Championships. Ohio was picked to finish third in the MAC in '24, according to the league's preseason poll.

• Miami is 4-2-3 on the season, and the RedHawks are 0-1-1 in the MAC heading into a Thursday game at Kent State. MU tied Northern Illinois in the MAC opener before falling, 6-0, at Western Michigan on Sunday. Individually, Taylor Hamlett leads the team with six goals and 14 points on the season. Dominique Popa has started seven of Miami's nine matches in goal, and has 26 saves, three shutouts and a 1.43 GAA. Head coach Courtney Sirmans and the 2023 club went 8-10-1 overall and 5-6-0 in the league.

THE SERIES
• The Falcons trail Ohio, 13-11-6, in the all-time series, and the Bobcats won the most recent meeting. Ohio ended BGSU's 2023 season by picking up a 2-1 victory in the semifinal round of the MAC Tournament in Kalamazoo, Mich. (Nov. 2, 2023). The Falcons had won the regular-season meeting, 2-0, in Athens (Oct. 1). Ohio's tourney win snapped a 10-match unbeaten streak for the Falcons in the series, as BG had been 8-0-2 vs. the 'Cats since 2016. All time, BGSU is 8-5-3 at home, 3-7-3 on the road and 0-1-0 in neutral-site meetings with Ohio. 

• BGSU leads Miami, 14-13-3, in a series which has been full of streaks. Miami won the first eight series meetings, before BGSU captured the next seven. Then, the RedHawks were 5-0-3 in the next eight contests, but BGSU has won seven-straight meetings since 2017. Last season saw the Falcons capture a narrow 3-2 decision in Oxford (Oct. 5, 2023). BGSU is 9-5-1 at home, 5-7-2 on the road and 0-1-0 at neutral sites vs. Miami through the years.

UP NEXT
• Following the Miami match, the Falcons will return home to face Northern Illinois in a rare Saturday conference game. The teams will meet at 1:00 p.m. on Oct. 5.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will head to Kalamazoo to face preseason favorite Western Michigan on Thursday, Oct. 10.

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) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.