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Bowling Green State University Athletics
From São Paulo to the Stroh: Sofia Moschen’s journey to BGSU
February 05, 2026 | Women's Basketball
One of three international players on the BGSU women's basketball roster is Brazilian forward Sofia Moschen. A redshirt freshman for the Falcons with a unique story, Moschen hails from the city of São Paulo, Brazil. She arrived at Bowling Green in the spring semester of 2025.
Like any athlete, choosing a school and finding the right fit is important. And after a meeting with the coaching staff, Moschen knew Bowling Green was the right fit for her.
"They all seemed so good and so helpful and enjoyed helping me go through and get better in my game and the aspects that I wanted to get better at," said Moschen. "The physicality, the defense, the speed. So I think Bowling Green was a choice that I had to make."
Assistant coach Kadie Hempfling spoke about her first impression of Moschen.
"She has a certain characteristic of genuine kindness about her," said Hempfling. "She just gives off this warm, good vibe."
Going from Brazil to Northwest Ohio, Moschen had to make sacrifices. One challenge was not seeing her family for an extended period of time until winter break.
"I had been going on maybe five or six months without seeing them," Moschen said. "Their support is everything to me. It's one of the reasons I keep doing it… and going through hard times."
One family member was eager to make their trip to the United States to see Moschen.
"My brother hasn't traveled to the United States in a long while, so he was so happy to be here," Moschen said.
Hempfling was able to meet Moschen's family over winter break and spoke about how she felt being an influence in Moschen's life.
"Her parents came over Christmas break and visited her. So I was able to meet them and get to know them a little bit too," said Hempfling. "It's an amazing opportunity as a coach to have an impact… and help her grow on and off the court."
Aside from Hempfling and the rest of head coach Fred Chmiel's staff, Moschen receives encouragement from her teammates. Mentioning sophomore forward Lauren Gerken and junior forward Taya Ellis as some of the players who help her get comfortable with the team.
"Lauren [Gerken]… always helps me understand stuff during practice," Moschen said. "I talk to Taya [Ellis] a lot too… she's always saying 'keep your head up and everything will go well with you."
Hempfling admires Moschen's work ethic and her willingness to become a better basketball player.
"She does a great job of realizing and asking for help. Extra shots… watching film… and a genuine love for the game."
Outside of basketball, Moschen has multiple hobbies that she enjoys.
"Going outside…going to the beach, having nature around me… and I like to surf," Moschen said.
She has also found comfort in meeting other international students.
"I found some girls from Mexico and Costa Rica… and I have some friends from Brazil," Moschen said. "They have houses, and we join [together] and have a good night."
Moschen has adjusted to life in Bowling Green on and off the court, and has a couple of goals for her time at the university.
"Grow my game. I've seen my game grow since I've been here. I've talked to people about it, but I want to grow more," said Moschen. "I want to be a three-way player, and I want my [shooting] distance to get better in any way I can. And of course, get a degree over here in psychology and work with that as well in the future."
From São Paulo to Bowling Green, Moschen is pursuing her basketball dream and is willing to go the extra mile to develop her basketball skills while being a part of the small and inspiring group of international student athletes at BGSU.
