After losing three of its last four games to end the 2024 regular season, Ohio (11-4-4, 5-3-3 Mid-American Conference) dropped to third in the MAC, setting itself up with a gauntlet if it wishes to defend its 2023 MAC title. The first game of that gauntlet ended in a 1-0 victory over No. 6 Bowling Green (7-7-4, 4-4-3 MAC), the team’s tenth shutout of the season.
Before its last four games of the regular season, the Bobcats had gone on an eleven-game lossless streak, winning eight and tying three, propelling the team to the top of the conference. Had they stayed in the top spot, they would have received a first-round bye and home-field advantage for the tournament semifinals and potentially finals.
The subsequent matchup against No. 6 Bowling Green played at Ohio’s Chessa Field saw the team from the lossless streak return, although not without some offensive struggles.
Ohio was outshot six to three, as well as three to two in terms of shots on goal. Both teams registered five corner kicks, while Ohio out-fouled its opponent, registering 10 penalties to Bowling Green’s eight.
The Bobcats started with offensive aggression, as by the eighth minute, the team had already registered two corner kicks. The Falcons would return the aggression shortly after; however, they tallied two corner kicks of their own in the ninth and tenth minutes, as well as a shot in the tenth minute from junior Brynn Gardner that was saved by the Bobcats.
In the 14th minute, the only goal of the match would be scored by Ohio junior Ella Deevers, delivering a clean shot into the back of the net off an assist from graduate student Aubrey Rea, taking a 1-0 lead.
Both offenses would stall for the remainder of the first period. The two teams would record five total fouls in the last 25 minutes, and only one shot from Bowling Green graduate student Lexi Czerwien in the 29th minute, saved by junior goalkeeper Celeste Sloma.
Sloma, a multi-time MAC Defensive Player of the Week this season, was lights out against Bowling Green. Sloma played all 90 minutes — as she’s done many times this season — saving two of the Falcons’ three shots on goal.
In the 46th minute, Ohio would come out quickly, with Rea getting a shot opportunity that went over the goal. The shot was followed by Sloma’s second save in the 50th minute, stifling sophomore Emme Butera’s attempt.
Bowling Green would follow the attempt by earning three corner kicks against the Bobcats in the 51st, 56th and 60th minutes, although none would amount to scoring. Falcons sophomore Michelle Hochstadt would find an opening for a shot in the 61st minute, but it would go over the top of the goal.
A yellow card on Ohio junior Eve Berish in the 65th minute would make for the first of two ejections in the game’s second period. Butera would find another shot attempt just a minute later, going out top this time.
In the 67th minute, Ohio had a corner kick and a shot, the shot coming from sophomore Ellie Greenwell. The shot would be followed shortly by another corner kick in the 68th minute, although it would amount to nothing on the scoreboard.
The remainder of the match featured just one more shot, coming from Hochstadt, going out top left, while Ohio recorded one more corner kick in the 89th minute, again, not resulting in a score. Just fifteen seconds prior, Isabelle Gilmore would be issued a foul and a red card, being ejected from the game.
The match would finish 1-0, advancing Ohio to the MAC Tournament Semifinals, where it will face No. 2 Buffalo Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
