Women's Soccer Set For MAC Quarterfinals
MAC Women's Soccer Championship Central
MAC Women's Soccer Championship Bracket
MAC Women’s Soccer Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinals | Sunday, October 28 (at campus sites/higher seed)
Game 1 -- #1 Bowling Green vs #8 Eastern Michigan, 1:00 PM ET
Game 2 -- #4 Ohio vs #5 Kent State, 1:00 PM ET
Game 3 -- #3 Western Michigan vs #6 Akron, 1:00 PM ET
Game 4 -- #2 Ball State vs #7 Buffalo, 1:00 PM ET
Semifinals | Friday, November 2 | Time: TBD (Location: TBD)
Game 5 -- Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 2
Game 6 -- Winner of Game 3 vs Winner of Game 4
Championship | Sunday, November 4 | Time: TBD (Location: TBD)
Game 7 -- Winner of Game 5 vs Winner of Game 6
Thursday's Scoreboard
Bowling Green 2, Toledo 1
Ball State 3, Miami 2
Akron 3, Buffalo 2
Western Michigan 4, Northern Illinois 0
Kent State 1, Ohio 0
Eastern Michigan 3, Central Michigan 2
Stories Courtesy of MAC Sports Information
Bowling Green 2, Toledo 1
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Junior Maureen Kennedy scored one goal and set up another as the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team posted a 2-1, come-from-behind victory over the University of Toledo Thursday afternoon (Oct. 25). The Mid-American Conference match was held at Cochrane Stadium.
With the victory, the Falcons (12-4-2 overall) end the regular season with a MAC record of 10-1-0, the best conference mark in program history. BGSU will be the number-one seed for the upcoming MAC Tournament, and will host No. 8 Eastern Michigan on Sunday (Oct. 28) in the league tourney quarterfinal round.
The Rockets (8-9-2, 4-6-1 MAC) took the lead just 7:35 into the match, when Hannah Scafaria got her head on a corner kick and knocked it home. And, UT took that 1-0 advantage into the half.
But, freshman Sarah Allen got the Falcons on the board midway through the second half. Kennedy's diagonal ball from the left side found a host of players near the far corner of the six-yard box. Allen, senior Marissa Swindell and a UT defender all went up for the ball, and Allen got her head on it, nodding it down to her feet and hitting a shot past Rocket goalkeeper Madison Perrin and into the net at the 65:09 mark.
With the clock ticking down toward the eight-minute mark, redshirt sophomore Nikki Coxplayed a nifty through ball to junior Chelsee Washington, who was heading toward the 18-yard box with a head of steam. Washington stayed on her feet through one UT tackle attempt, but as she attempted to fire a shot from near the six-yard line, a Rocket defender pulled her down and a penalty kick was awarded.
Kennedy stepped up and blasted that kick into the back of the net with 8:58 remaining. The Rockets attempted to apply pressure and find the equalizer, but the Falcons fought off every Toledo foray, and BG kept possession for much of the remaining eight-plus minutes.
Ball State 3, Miami 2
Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. – Freshman Tatiana Mason scored another game-winning goal in overtime, and the Ball State University soccer team defeated Miami, 3-2, on the final day of the regular season on Thursday at Briner Sports Complex.
With the win, the Cardinals finish the season with a record of 12-3-2 overall and 8-2-1 in conference play. Ball State has secured the second seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament and will host Buffalo on Sunday (Oct. 28) at 1:00 p.m. ET. BSU enters the tournament on a seven-game winning streak.
The Cardinals started quickly as Julia Elvbo scored in the seventh minute off a corner kick from teammate Paula Guerrero. Elvbo found the pass and launched it into the upper left corner of the net to give Ball State the early lead. In the 29th minute, Sam Kambolextended BSU's lead to 2-0 when she took a pass from Amanda Shaw at the top of the box and beat the keeper.
Miami would pull within one before the half was over, and the Cardinals took a 2-1 advantage into the break.
Both teams had chances out of the locker room, but it was Miami that capitalized as it found the back of the net off a free kick in the 68th minute for the equalizer. Ball State pressed to get a game winner in regulation but was unable to do so.
Within seconds of overtime beginning, the match was over. The MAC's leader in game-winning goals struck again as Mason rocketed a shot into the bottom-right corner of the goal to give BSU the 3-2 victory just 41 seconds into the overtime period. Alessandra Fistrovich was credited with an assist on the goal.
The Cardinals doubled up the RedHawks in shots by a tally of 22-11. BSU put nine on goal while Miami had six. Ball State earned eight corner kicks to Miami's three.
Ball State now shifts its focus to the postseason which begins with the matchup against Buffalo. The Bulls and Cardinals met earlier this season in Muncie where BSU claimed a 1-0 victory on an own goal from the Bulls.
Akron 3, Buffalo 2
Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. – With the season in the balance and a berth to the 2018 Mid-American Conference tournament on the line, the Akron women's soccer team went into Buffalo, N.Y., and came out the victors with a 3-2 win over Buffalo courtesy of a game-winning goal by sophomore Lexie Kolano (Trafford, Pa.) in the 75' of the match, on Thursday afternoon.
The Zips are now headed to their second MAC Tournament in four years and their sixth appearance in program history. Akron enters postseason play as the sixth seed.
"This team hasn't quit all year, and when you give it everything whether on the pitch or in life, you put yourself in a position to do good things. This group has matured through the season and have kept pushing forward. That's the thing we as coaches are most proud of, they haven't quit," said head coach Noreen Herlihy. "They have earned the right to be in the postseason and we are absolutely thrilled for them. We look forward to going out Sunday and look to win. We don't fear anyone, but whatever the outcome, they have done us all proud."
The Akron offense went on to post 19 shots in the contest, which is just one shot shy of the teams season-high, which also included seven shots on goal. Sophomore Lexie Kolano (Trafford, Pa.) garnered the best game of her Akron career with a season-best five shots, two on goal, and two scores for the first multi-goal performance of her career. Senior Erica Schrader (Blacklick, Ohio) pitched in four shots in the match, while freshman Sydney Worthy (Groveport, Ohio) chipped in three shots, all on goal, and junior Ashley Amato (Pittsburgh, Pa.) posted a pair.
In the net, freshman Erin McKinney (Belvidere, Ill.) picked up her fourth straight win on the strength of eight saves, including a handful of big saves in the final minutes with Akron holding a one-goal lead. The Zips goalkeeper now has 95 saves on the season.
An action-packed first half of play between Akron and Buffalo resulted in a 1-1 tie game heading into the locker room.
Akron was very aggressive in its offensive end of the field totaling 11 first-half shots, including four shots on goal. Additionally, the Zips were awarded three corner kicks.
The Bulls earned the first goal of the contest in the 13' to get ahead of the Zips, 1-0, early in the contest. A pass that split three Akron defenders and a successful strike to the lower right post by Buffalo found the back of the net.
On a counter-attack in the 23rd minute of the match, Worthy's extra effort notched Akron's first goal of the contest. As the Zips began their march down the field, Worthy went sprinting down the middle of the field. The Zips forward received the ball 25 yards out from senior Erica Schrader and went full steam ahead. The Bulls keeper came out to meet Worthy 15 yards out from the goal while the freshman registered her first shot that was blocked. As the ball deflected to the left of Worthy, the forward regained possession and scored to the right side of the goal despite a Buffalo defender standing at the goal line.
The Zips continued to the offensive pressure in the offensive side of the field as the second half got underway.
On their fourth corner kick of the match in the 49', sophomore Ryley Watt (Irwin, Pa.) sent the ball into play and into the middle of the box. As the Bulls defenders attempted to clear the ball away, the ball continued to bounce free. After a high bounce, Kolano floated a high kick over the head of a UB defender and into the upper left corner of the goal to hand Akron a 2-1 lead.
At the 65:37 mark of the tilt, Akron was called for a foul in the box and the Bulls were awarded a penalty kick.
Despite allowing the equalizing goal, the Zips did not go away and continued to apply pressure to the Buffalo defense and keeper.
In the 75' of the match, Kolano again struck gold and reclaimed the lead for Akron for the second time in the contest, this time with a 3-2 advantage. Freshman Carly Pcholinsky (South Park, Pa.) rushed down the left side of the field racing past a Buffalo defender. As the Zips midfielder inched closer and closer to the net, the Bulls keeper came out to make a play, but Pcholinsky would make her pay.
Pcholinsky curled a cross into the box out of the reach of a diving keeper and Kolano was at the receiving end and won the battle against the defender for the score and the eventual game-winning goal.
In the final 15 minutes of the match, Buffalo attempted four shots, but the results did not land on frame.
As the clock hit all zeroes, the Akron Zips clinched a spot in the 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
No. 6 Akron now heads to Kalamazoo, Mich., where the Zips will take on No. 3 Western Michigan in the quarterfinal round on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m.
Western Michigan 4, Northern Illinois 0
Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan wrapped up the 2018 regular season by securing home field advantage for the Mid-American Conference Tournament Quarterfinals after defeating Northern Illinois, 4-0, at the WMU Soccer Complex on Thursday afternoon.
WMU (13-6-0, 7-4-0 MAC) ends the season in third place in the conference standings and earned the third seed in the MAC Tournament. The Broncos will host Akron on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Western Michigan smothered the Huskies, allowing five total shots. Bailey Korhorn led the attack with two goals and an assist, while Morgan Otteson and Colleen McKay also scored. Senior midfielder Alyssa Burke had a game-high two assists.
After a scoreless first half the Broncos wasted no time taking the lead to start the second. Otteson pounced on an errant pass and played the give-and-go with Bailey Korhorn. Korhorn played Otteson into the right-side of the box and the freshman buried it for her fourth goal of the season, giving WMU a 1-0 lead just 46 seconds into the half. The assist was Korhorn's first of the season.
Korhorn put the Broncos up 2-0 on her first of two-straight goals. Burke flicked the ball into the air and toward the box and Korhorn outran a NIU defender before slotting it home in the 57th minute. Just over a minute later she made it 3-0, finishing a feed from Burke for a tap-in goal. The goal was her team-best ninth on the season.
McKay kept the game out of reach with her fourth goal of the season, coming in the 64th minute. Sophomore forward Ashley Garcia played a through-ball that split NIU's center backs to play McKay into space. McKay took the ball into the box and buried it in the right side of the net to push the lead to 4-0.
Sophomore goalie Hannah Sargent was called on just three times to make saves to earn her sixth shutout of the season.
Sunday's MAC Quarterfinals game against Akron is free to the public.
Kent State 1, Ohio 0
Box Score
Kent State (10-7-2, 6-4-1 MAC) defeated Ohio (8-7-3, 6-3-2 MAC) 1-0 on the road to wrap up regular season play. Maddie Holmes scored her sixth goal of the season in the 48th minute to clinch the victory for the Flashes and secure the fifth seed in the Mid-American Conference tournament this weekend.
Early in the second half, the Golden Flashes attempted one of their 10 free kicks. After a scrum in front of the net, Maddie Holmes banged home one of her team-high three shots to give Kent State the advantage.
The one goal was all that was needed with freshman goalkeeper Faith O'Neill recording her sixth shutout of the season to help lift the Flashes to a victory.
The defense continued to dominate, not allowing a goal for the third time in the last four games.
Kent State outshot the Bobcats 12-11 and held a 10-1 advantage on corner kicks.
The Golden Flashes will head back to Ohio on Sunday to take on the Bobcats at 1 p.m. in the MAC tournament. If the Flashes win, they will play the winner of Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan.
Eastern Michigan 3, Central Michigan 2
Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University soccer team punched its ticket to the Mid-American Conference Tournament with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over Central Michigan University Thursday, Oct. 25, at Scicluna Field. Eastern Michigan led 2-nil at halftime before CMU stormed back, but sophomore Haley Tausend (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington (Eastern Illinois)) scored the golden goal off a corner in the 94th minute to give EMU the win.
After Central Michigan's Lexi Pelafas was red carded three minutes into extra time, Eastern earned a corner on its counter. Redshirt junior Kristin Nason(Brooklin, Ontario-Donald A. Wilson) delivered a service to the far post, where Tausend tapped it home for her first goal of the season. Defensively, EMU was led by senior goalkeeper Kaylin Williams' (Kansas City, Mo.-Winnetonka) match-high four saves.
With the win, the Eagles secured the No. 8 seed in the MAC Tournament, their first postseason appearance since 2016. Additionally, the victory moved EMU to 10-10-0 on the season, clinching Eastern's first 10-win season since 2014.
A penalty kick by redshirt sophomore Sabrina McNeill (Whitby, Ontario-Henry Street) was converted in the 10th minute to put EMU up, 1-nil early, and sophomore Madeline Olson (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) doubled EMU's lead 10 minutes later. A corner service from McNeill rattled around in the box before sophomore Tessa Osborne (Mentor, Ohio-Lake Catholic) touched a pass to Olson who buried the shot to extend Eastern's advantage to 2-nil.
EMU remained in front through 69 minutes, but a pair of miscues allowed CMU to get right back in it and level the score at two apiece.
In overtime, Eastern came away with a crucial 3-2 win on Tausend's strike to keep its season alive.
Eastern Michigan will head to Bowling Green, Ohio for the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals Sunday, Oct. 28, for a clash with No. 1 seed Bowling Green State University. The match is slated for 1 p.m.
