Ohio soccer picks up first MAC win in shutout of BGSU

The Ohio soccer team (6-1-3, 1-0-2 MAC) returned to action on Thursday (Sept. 26), battling Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green (5-3-1, 2-1-0 MAC) and securing its first MAC win with a decisive 3-0 victory.

Ohio outshot Bowling Green, 19-11, with the Bobcats putting 12 shots on target compared to the Falcons' six.

Junior goalkeeper junior Celeste Sloma (Columbus, Ohio) made six saves, while the team earned four corner kicks during the match.

Individually, sophomore Jaimason Brooker (Powell, Ohio) tallied four shots on goal and one assist. Junior Rayann Pruss (Perrysburg, Ohio) and sophomore Anna Burchett (Prestonburg, Ky.) both recorded two shots on goal and contributed one goal each. Graduate student Aubrey Rea (Akron, Ohio) added two shots on goal, and sophomore Sydney Crowe (Wilmington, Ohio) scored one goal with one shot on target. Freshman Iro Fakinou (Athens, Greece) also made her mark with one shot on goal and one assist.

The Bobcats started the half with energy, as Brooker recorded an attempt in the third minute, but Bowling Green goalkeeper Madison Vukas made the save, keeping the score at 0-0. In the closing seconds of the first hlaf, in th 44th minute, Crowe found the back of the net with an assist from Fakinou, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.

At the break, Ohio had outshot Bowling Green 7-6, with the Bobcats registering five shots on goal.

In the second half, Brooker continued to press, taking two consecutive shots on goal that were saved. However, Burchett broke through in the 48th minute, scoring Ohio's second goal to extend the lead to 2-0. In the 82nd minute, Pruss added a third goal, sealing the victory at 3-0.

The Bobcats will return to Chessa Field for on Sunday, September 29, at 1 p.m. for a MAC matchup against Kent State. The game can be viewed on ESPN+.