O'Malley, Falcons Move Past Miami; BGSU Advances to MAC Tournament Final

Tuesday, November 4

Columbus, Ohio

1 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

10-2-9, 4-1-7

Miami (OH) (Semifinals)

11-5-3, 8-2-2

Bowling Green

Miami (OH)

Payton O'Malley & her teammates celebrate after O'Malley's final save in the PK phase

Photo by: Drake Harlett, BGSU Athletics

O'Malley, Falcons Move Past Miami; BGSU Advances to MAC Tournament Final

November 04, 2025 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Final Stats (PDF)Support BGSU Women's Soccer Photo Gallery

Sophomore Shot-Stopper Stops Two Shots in PK Phase After Posting Clean Sheet

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Payton O'Malley, as she has done all season, came up big on Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 4).

The sophomore goalkeeper saved two penalty kicks as the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team advanced past Miami University in the semifinal round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Historic Crew Stadium.

After the teams played 90 minutes of regulation and 20 more minutes of overtime without producing a goal, O'Malley put the Falcons on the front foot during the PK phase. Emme Butera converted BG's first try before O'Malley stopped an effort by MU's Kayla Perfect.

Each team scored in the next three rounds, as the sixth-seeded Falcons (10-2-9 [4-1-7 MAC]) got goals from Minah Syam, Emma Stransky and Ellie Pool, while the second-seeded RedHawks (11-5-3 [8-2-2 MAC]) responded with successful tries by Katie O'Malley, Shae Taylor and Millie Cook.

In the fifth round, MU 'keeper Dominique Popa guessed correctly and made a diving stop on Gabby Lamparty's shot. But, O'Malley countered with a diving save of her own, blocking Jaden Sink's effort to send the Falcons to the final.

The championship match is set for Friday evening (Nov. 4). BGSU will face top-seeded Western Michigan University.

Moving on to Friday's Final!#AyZiggy | 🟠⚽️🟤 pic.twitter.com/zuzgzyCmyR
— BGSU Women's Soccer (@BGSU_WSoccer) November 4, 2025

NOTE OF THE DAY: FALCONS IN THE FINAL
• BGSU is advancing to the MAC Tournament's championship match for the 11th time, the highest total among conference schools. Western Michigan, the Falcons' opponent this Friday, is second on that list, as the Broncos will be heading to the final for the eighth time. The complete list: BGSU 11*; WMU 8*; Miami 7; Central Michigan, Toledo 5; Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois 4; Buffalo, Ohio 3.
* including the 2025 tourney championship

ALSO NOTEWORTHY
• The Falcons are now 22-9-9 all-time in MAC Tournament matches. BG is now 7-4-4 in semifinal-round matches, and the Falcons are 4-4-4 in neutral-site matches and 4-3-9 in overtime contests in the league tourney.
• BGSU has advanced past the opponent (winning outright or via penalty kicks) a total of 29 times in 40 MAC Tournament matches over the years.
• The Falcons have seen a MAC Tournament match go to penalty kicks nine times in program history, and BGSU has advanced past the opponent on seven of those nine occasions.
• The Falcons are 5-0-5 in all matches played away from home in 2025 (road and neutral-site matches).

BIG PLAYS / THINGS THAT HAPPENED
• After Emma Stransky was fouled in the 12th minute of play, Emme Butera took the ensuing free kick. The junior put a hard shot on goal from approximately 25 yards out, but Miami goalkeeper Dominique Popa was able to leap and tip the shot over the crossbar.
• Late in the opening half, Quinn O'Neil took a pass from Audrey Oliver and got past her defender. O'Neil took the ball along the end line before that Miami player knocked it out of play with a last-ditch sliding effort. Off of the ensuing corner kick, Oliver put a shot on frame, but it was saved by Popa.
• Eight minutes into the second half, Ellie Pool settled a Butera corner kick and put a shot on frame, but Popa was there to make the stop.
• With 16 minutes to go, Miami's Kayla Perfect was nearly in on goal all alone. But, as she cut the ball back to attempt to get past Taylor Green, Gabby Lamparty knocked the ball away at the top of the 18-yard box.
• With under 11 minutes remaining, the Falcons had a pair of shots, by Minah Syam and Butera, blocked within 15 seconds of one another.
• Miami's first shot on goal of the match came with under one minute left in the first overtime period, when Millie Cook hit a one-timer off of a right-side cross. Payton O'Malley made the save easily, before being fouled by another MU player.
• After a combined total of 10 shot attempts in the 110 minutes, the teams headed to the penalty-kick phase, where O'Malley and the Falcons, as mentioned, emerged on top.

PENALTY-KICK PHASE
• BGSU – #4 Emme Butera – GOAL
• MU – #9 Kayla Perfect – SAVED by Payton O'Malley
• BGSU – #20 Minah Syam – GOAL
• MU – #15 Katie O'Malley – GOAL
• BGSU – #36 Emma Stransky – GOAL
• MU –#6 Shae Taylor – GOAL
• BGSU – #32 Ellie Pool – GOAL
• MU – #4 Millie Cook – GOAL
• BGSU –#12 Gabby Lamparty –SAVED by Dominique Popa
• MU – #20 Jaden Sink – SAVED by Payton O'Malley

UP NEXT
• As mentioned, the sixth-seeded Falcons have advance to the championship match, which is set for Friday evening (Nov. 7) at 7:30 p.m. BGSU will face Western Michigan..
• The complete tournament schedule is listed below.

2025 MAC WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
(all times Eastern [ET]; all matches at Historic Crew Stadium; Columbus, Ohio)
QUARTERFINALS – Saturday, November 1
Game 1 – No. 6 Bowling Green 1, No. 3 Buffalo 0 (2-OT)
Game 2 – No. 4 Ball State 0, No. 5 Kent State 0 (2-OT) (BSU 5-4 via PKS)

SEMIFINALS – Tuesday, November 4
Game 3 – Bowling Green 0, No. 2 Miami 0 (2-OT) (BGSU 4-3 via PKs)
Game 4 – No. 1 Western Michigan 1, Ball State 0

FINAL – Friday, November 7
Game 5 – Bowling Green vs. Western Michigan, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

FOR MORE INFORMATION...
• For more information on the women's soccer program, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGSU_Athletics and @BGSU_WSoccer) and Instagram (bgsu_wsoccer), as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.