Bowling Green State University Athletics
Barnes, Muller Each Earn College Player Award of Distinction
June 14, 2021 | Women's Soccer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A pair of Bowling Green State University women's soccer standouts have been named College Player Award of Distinction recipients for the 2020-21 academic year. Falcon seniors Sophia Barnes and Rachel Muller earned the honor from United Soccer Coaches.
Barnes, a native of Valley City, Ohio (Buckeye), played in seven of BGSU's eight matches in 2020(-21), making one start. She played a season-high 63 minutes in the MAC Championship match, as BGSU downed Ball State by a 2-1 score at Cochrane Stadium. Barnes was named to the Academic All-MAC Team in her senior season. She played in a total of 72 matches, making 38 starts, as a Falcon, and had seven career points on three goals and an assist. The Falcons advanced to the MAC Tournament's championship match in her freshman season of 2017, then won MAC titles and advanced to the NCAA Championships in each of her final three years.
Muller, a native of Castle Rock, Colo. (Douglas County), started all eight matches in 2020(-21), and joined Barnes on the Academic All-MAC Team. Muller, a team tri-captain in her senior season, helped the Falcons record six shutouts in eight matches, as BGSU tied for first in the nation in shutout percentage. She started 11 matches as a true freshman in 2016, then missed the entire 2017 campaign due to injury before returning to the pitch to help the 2018 Falcons to MAC regular-season and tournament titles. Muller was injured in the 2019 regular-season opener and missed the remainder of that championship season, but she returned in 2020-21, playing at least 71 minutes in each of BGSU's eight matches, including every second of the Falcons' MAC Championship and NCAA Championships matches.
The United Soccer Coaches College Player Award of Distinction was established this spring for its member head coaches to submit deserving players based on one or more of the following criteria:
- Player has achieved quality performance on the field;
- Represented the highest ideals of team leadership;
- Exhibited quality character attributes including sportsmanship and respect for teammates, opponents, officials and the game in general;
- Made other significant contributions to the benefit of the program and the community.
BGSU went 6-1-1 overall and 5-1-0 in MAC play in 2020(-21), outscoring opponents by a 17-3 count this spring, and the Falcons tied for first in the entire nation in shutout percentage (.750), recording six shutouts in eight matches. The Falcons earned the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive season.
BGSU is 47-19-8 overall, 31-7-1 in MAC regular-season matches and 38-8-3 in all games vs. conference foes since the start of the 2017 season.
Since the beginning of the 2018 campaign, the Falcons are 34-12-7Â overall, 25-3-0 in MAC regular-season action and 30-3-2 in all games vs. league opposition.
For more information on the women's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUWSoccer), Instagram (bgsuwsoccer) and Facebook (bgsuwsoccer) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
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