KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Last season, the goal for the Western Michigan women's soccer team was to make the Mid-American Conference Tournament. It did so with a win in its last game of the regular season against Toledo, making the MAC Tournament as the final seed in the field. 

However, in 2023, the expectations were higher in Lewis Robinson's second year at the helm and with a new-look team taking the field. It started with an undefeated spring season and extended into the fall with a couple big wins early. The Broncos began the season 3-0, including a win over Butler. 

The team has taken that momentum to an undefeated conference season, a program record 11-game unbeaten streak and the first regular season MAC Title in program history. As fate would have it, the record-breaking regular season again ended with a win over Toledo. 

The Broncos upended the Rockets, 3-1, at the WMU Soccer Complex this afternoon to move to 12-3-3 overall and 8-0-3 in MAC play. Western Michigan earned the No. 1 overall seed in the MAC Tournament and will host the semifinals and finals. WMU is just the fifth team in MAC history to end the regular season with an undefeated conference record. 

FIRST HALF
Toledo tried to steal the show early on, scoring in the opening five minutes to take a 1-0 lead. However, it was all Broncos from there, with Jen Blitchok netting the game-tying goal in the 24th minute. 

Western Michigan would get several more looks down the stretch, including a Jaden Peck shot in the closing minutes, but the two teams would head to the half tied at 1-1. 

SECOND HALF
The Broncos turned up the offensive pressure in the second half, as Blitchok scored the game-winning goal in the 56th minute. It marked her second goal of the match. 

About 20 minutes later, Madison Cotta found Bria Telemaque who then hit Jenna Blackburn for an open look on net. Blackburn knew what to do with it and buried it to give the Broncos a two-goal cushion. Western Michigan would go on to close out the victory and claim its first regular season MAC Championship in program history. 

Overall, WMU was dominant throughout the game, leading in shots (23-3), shots on goal (8-3) and corner kicks (8-3). 

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Junior forward Lexi Fraley scored her third brace of the season, helping lift the Ball State soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Central Michigan Thursday afternoon in the final regular season match of the 2023 season.
 
With the win, the Cardinals (8-7-3; 6-2-3 Mid-American Conference) secured the third seed and a home quarterfinal match in the 2023 MAC Women's Soccer Championship and will battle No. 6 seed Ohio Sunday at 1 p.m. back on the Briner pitch.
 
Sophomore forward Delaney Caldwell had a helped on both goals, sparking each with a steal of the ball. In the eighth minute, she battled for the ball and just outside the defending third and found an open junior midfielder Kaitlyn Fraserwith a pass.
 
Fraser took the ball to the midfield line and found an open Fraley in the attacking third, who dribbled around the goalie and found the back of the net.
 
In the 48th minute, another steal from Caldwell was passed to Fraley who made another run and goal, giving her 10 on the season. With her two helpers, Caldwell raised her season total to eight. Fraser's primary assist on the opening goal was her second of the season.
 
Overall, the Ball State defense did a solid job shutting down the CMU attack, limiting the Chippewas to 13 shots, only six of which were on goal. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Bethany Moser finished the day with six saves, raising her Ball State single season record total to 107.

ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio soccer (6-7-5) ended the regular season today (Oct. 26) with a 3-0 win over Akron (3-14-1) at Chessa Field. 

In the first minute, an early attack from senior Shae Robertson (Lexington, Ky.) led to a corner kick for Ohio. Sophomore Ella Deevers' (Streetsboro, Ohio) cross proved to be dangerous, finding senior Carsyn Prigge (Lexington, Ky.) but her header went just above the bar. 

Robertson and sophomore Scout Murray (Chicago, Ill.) combined to create another chance for the Bobcats. Their connection led to a shot from Robertson from just inside the 18-yard-box. Her shot in the bottom right corner was denied by a nice save from the Akron goalkeeper. 

Ohio continued to show their defensive prowess with a strong performance in the first half. Prigge, along with junior Quintin Tostevin (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) and sophomore Eve Berish (Hudson, Ohio) made several tackles to stymie the Zips' offensive opportunities. 

The Bobcats took the lead in the game with just under two minutes left in the first half. After dispossessing Akron, freshman Jaimason Brooker (Powell, Ohio) and sophomore Maia Kaufman (Westerville, Ohio) combined down the left-wing. Kaufman's cross found senior Izzi Boyd (Gibsonia, Pa.) who fired the ball into the back of the net. The goal, Boyd's third goal of the season, put the Bobcats ahead 1-0 heading into the break. 

In the opening half, Ohio had eight shots, four on goal, and three corner kicks. On the other end, Akron had one shot and one corner kick. 

An indirect free kick inside the box presented an early chance for Ohio. After a touch from sophomore Rayann Pruss (Perrysburg, Ohio), Berish rifled a shot towards the frame but it was blocked by an Akron defender. Ohio gathered the rebound and Prigge found Pruss down the left wing. Pruss approached the net but her shot missed narrowly outside of the post. 

Prigge once again dispossessed an Akron midfielder and carried the ball into the offensive zone. She played a perfect through ball to Boyd who's shot found the back of the net for the second time today. 

The Bobcats kept the pressure on. Robertson found the ball in the box but her shot deflected off the post, out for a goal kick. Off the ensuing goal kick, Berish intercepted a pass and volleyed the bouncing ball over the Akron keeper. The goal put Ohio ahead 3-0 with just a few minutes remaining. 

Ohio finished the game with 20 shots, nine on target, and five corners. The Zips had three shots, one on target, and one corner kick. 

This concludes the end of the 2023 regular season. Ohio is awaiting official word from the Mid-American Conference for their postseason fate.