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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Photo by: Ben Zetocha/BGSU Athletics
Falcons Tabbed for Sixth in the MAC in 2024
August 13, 2024 | Women's Soccer
Fox & Staff Have 17 Letterwinners From Last Year's Club
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference women's soccer coaches have had their say, and Bowling Green State University has been picked to finish sixth in the league regular-season race this season. The 2024 preseason poll, the result of voting by the conference's 12 head coaches, was released by the league office on Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 13).
Head coach Chris Fox's club garnered a total of 84 points, along with one first-place vote, in the poll. Western Michigan was picked to win the league regular-season title, receiving 116 points and eight first-place votes. Ball State earned 101 points and one first-place votes, followed by Ohio (90 points, one first-place vote), Buffalo (86 points) and the Falcons.
Northern Illinois was picked to place seventh and Toledo eighth. Miam, Eastern Michigan, Akron and Central Michigan rounded out the poll.
WMU was predicted to capture the conference tourney crown by six coaches, while BSU and UB received two votes apiece and BGSU and KSU one vote each.
The Falcons return 17 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last season's club. The 2023 team went 10-6-2 on the season, and BGSU finished the MAC regular-season schedule with a record of 8-1-2, good for second place in the 12-team league. The Falcons lose seven letterwinners from last year's squad, but the returning players combined to score 19 of the team's 26 goals last season.
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Junior Brynn Gardner is back after leading the 2023 team with 16 points, while another third-year Falcon, Ellie Pool, was second with 13 points. Emma Stransky had nine points in her freshman campaign to rank among the top-five scorers on the '23 squad. Brynn Gardner scored a team-high six goals, with Pool having found the back of the net four times and Stransky three. Pool led the team with five assists, while Brynn Gardner had four and Stransky and Emilie Gardner three apiece.
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Madison Vukas played in all 18 matches in goal a year ago, as she split time with the graduated Lili.Berg – each 'keeper played 45 minutes in each game. Vukas ended the season with a goals-against average of 1.11. In MAC matches, Brynn Gardner finished with 14 points, while Pool had 10 and Lexi Czerwien five. Vukas had a GAA of just 0.55 in MAC games, and led the entire conference in saves percentage in MAC matches (.889). She and Berg combined to post seven shutouts last fall, with six coming against league foes.
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Since the start of the 2018 season, the Falcons have a record of 47-8-6 in MAC regular-season matches, good for a league-best winning percentage of .820.Â
BGSU begins the regular-season schedule on Thursday (Aug. 15), facing Detroit Mercy in a 7:00 p.m. start at Cochrane Stadium. The MAC opener is set for Sept. 19 at BSU.
The complete poll, along with recent poll predictions and the Falcons' actual league finishes, can be found below. For more information on the women's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSU_WSoccer), Instagram (bgsu_wsoccer) and Facebook (bgsuwsoc) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
MAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
1. Western Michigan – 116 (8 first-place votes)
2. Ball State – 101 (1)
3. Ohio – 90 (1)
4. Kent State – 88 (1)
5. Buffalo – 86
6. Bowling Green – 84
7. Northern Illinois – 60
8. Toledo – 50
9. Miami – 47
10. Eastern Michigan – 29
11. Akron – 23
12. Central Michigan – 18
Predicted MAC Tournament Winner: Western Michigan 6; Ball State, Buffalo 2; Bowling Green, Kent State 1.
RECENT MAC PRESEASON POLL PREDICTIONS AND BGSU'S ACTUAL FINISH
2016 – Sixth in East Division (Actual Finish: Fourth in East)
2017 – Sixth in East (AF: Second in East; Advanced to MAC Tournament Final)
2018 – Third (AF: Won MAC Regular-Season and MAC Tournament Titles)
2019 – First (AF: Won MAC Regular-Season and MAC Tournament Titles)
2020 (spring '21) – First in East (AF: Won MAC Regular-Season and MAC Tournament Titles)
2021 – Second (AF: Won MAC Regular-Season and MAC Tournament Titles)
2022 – Second (AF: Third; Advanced to MAC Tournament Semifinals)
2023 – Fourth (AF: Second; Advanced to MAC Tournament Semifinals)
2024 – SixthÂ
Head coach Chris Fox's club garnered a total of 84 points, along with one first-place vote, in the poll. Western Michigan was picked to win the league regular-season title, receiving 116 points and eight first-place votes. Ball State earned 101 points and one first-place votes, followed by Ohio (90 points, one first-place vote), Buffalo (86 points) and the Falcons.
Northern Illinois was picked to place seventh and Toledo eighth. Miam, Eastern Michigan, Akron and Central Michigan rounded out the poll.
WMU was predicted to capture the conference tourney crown by six coaches, while BSU and UB received two votes apiece and BGSU and KSU one vote each.
The Falcons return 17 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last season's club. The 2023 team went 10-6-2 on the season, and BGSU finished the MAC regular-season schedule with a record of 8-1-2, good for second place in the 12-team league. The Falcons lose seven letterwinners from last year's squad, but the returning players combined to score 19 of the team's 26 goals last season.
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Junior Brynn Gardner is back after leading the 2023 team with 16 points, while another third-year Falcon, Ellie Pool, was second with 13 points. Emma Stransky had nine points in her freshman campaign to rank among the top-five scorers on the '23 squad. Brynn Gardner scored a team-high six goals, with Pool having found the back of the net four times and Stransky three. Pool led the team with five assists, while Brynn Gardner had four and Stransky and Emilie Gardner three apiece.
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Madison Vukas played in all 18 matches in goal a year ago, as she split time with the graduated Lili.Berg – each 'keeper played 45 minutes in each game. Vukas ended the season with a goals-against average of 1.11. In MAC matches, Brynn Gardner finished with 14 points, while Pool had 10 and Lexi Czerwien five. Vukas had a GAA of just 0.55 in MAC games, and led the entire conference in saves percentage in MAC matches (.889). She and Berg combined to post seven shutouts last fall, with six coming against league foes.
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Since the start of the 2018 season, the Falcons have a record of 47-8-6 in MAC regular-season matches, good for a league-best winning percentage of .820.Â
BGSU begins the regular-season schedule on Thursday (Aug. 15), facing Detroit Mercy in a 7:00 p.m. start at Cochrane Stadium. The MAC opener is set for Sept. 19 at BSU.
The complete poll, along with recent poll predictions and the Falcons' actual league finishes, can be found below. For more information on the women's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSU_WSoccer), Instagram (bgsu_wsoccer) and Facebook (bgsuwsoc) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
MAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
1. Western Michigan – 116 (8 first-place votes)
2. Ball State – 101 (1)
3. Ohio – 90 (1)
4. Kent State – 88 (1)
5. Buffalo – 86
6. Bowling Green – 84
7. Northern Illinois – 60
8. Toledo – 50
9. Miami – 47
10. Eastern Michigan – 29
11. Akron – 23
12. Central Michigan – 18
Predicted MAC Tournament Winner: Western Michigan 6; Ball State, Buffalo 2; Bowling Green, Kent State 1.
RECENT MAC PRESEASON POLL PREDICTIONS AND BGSU'S ACTUAL FINISH
2016 – Sixth in East Division (Actual Finish: Fourth in East)
2017 – Sixth in East (AF: Second in East; Advanced to MAC Tournament Final)
2018 – Third (AF: Won MAC Regular-Season and MAC Tournament Titles)
2019 – First (AF: Won MAC Regular-Season and MAC Tournament Titles)
2020 (spring '21) – First in East (AF: Won MAC Regular-Season and MAC Tournament Titles)
2021 – Second (AF: Won MAC Regular-Season and MAC Tournament Titles)
2022 – Second (AF: Third; Advanced to MAC Tournament Semifinals)
2023 – Fourth (AF: Second; Advanced to MAC Tournament Semifinals)
2024 – SixthÂ
Players Mentioned
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