Two Late Strikes Lead to BGSU Victory in Season Opener

Sunday, August 16

Bowling Green, Ohio

1 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Robert Morris

0-2-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Robert Morris	0	0	0
Bowling Green	0	2	2

Taylor Green (center) scored the Falcons' second goal in Sunday's win over RMU

Photo by: Hailey Pettit-Mastroianni, BGSU Athletics

August 16, 2026 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

Falcons top Robert Morris, 2-0, Sunday Afternoon

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Seniors Isabella Mazzaferro and Taylor Green scored second-half goals to lift the Bowling Green State University women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Robert Morris University Sunday afternoon (Aug. 16). The match, the season opener for the Falcons, took place at Cochrane Stadium.

The Falcons (1-0-0) held a 15-6 advantage in shot attempts, but did not break through until just 14:20 remained in the match. Mazzaferro settled a left-side cross from junior Alexis Tsaprailis and poked the ball past RMU goalkeeper Kally Prescott for what would prove to be the winning goal.

Then, with just under two minutes to go, Green got on the end of a corner kick from senior Emme Butera and headed it home to double the Falcons' lead.

Junior Lexi Grundler made three saves en route to a clean sheet in her collegiate debut. Prescott had four stops for the Colonials (0-2-0).

BGSU had threatened early, with two quality scoring chances in the game's first quarter hour, but did not break through. Just four minutes into the match, senior Lizzie Bultynck fired a shot off of a Mazzaferro cross, but Bultnyck's header rang off the crossbar.

Then, in the 13th minute, Green got her head on a Butera corner kick, putting a hard shot toward the lower-right corner of the goal, but it was blocked off of the goal line by RMU's Sophia Cucchetti.

Arguably the best scoring chance for the visitors came with just over 15 minutes gone, as Cucchetti's shot from distance was on target, but was tipped over the crossbar by Grundler.

photos

NOTEWORTHY
• BGSU is now 13-15-2 in regular-season openers through the years, but the Falcons have won the last three.
• BGSU is 17-13-0 all-time in home openers. The Falcons have won four-straight home-opening games and eight of the last nine such contests.
• Senior Isabella Mazzaferro's goal vs. Robert Morris on Sunday was her fourth as a Falcon. Three of those four goals have proven to be game-winning scores. She now has nine career points at BGSU.
• In her career, which includes two seasons at Niagara before coming to BGSU in 2025, Mazzaferro now has 13 goals (including seven winners) and 34 points.
• Senior captain Taylor Green's goal on Sunday was the second of her career and her first since her freshman year. Green also found the back of the net in a 3-2 win over Eastern Michigan at Cochrane Stadium on Oct. 8, 2023.
• With an assist on Green's goal Sunday, senior Emme Butera now has career totals of nine assists and 15 points. She leads all current Falcons in career assists.
• Junior Alexis Tsaprailis picked up the second assist of her Falcon career. Her first came two years and a day ago, in a 3-1 win over Detroit Mercy in her collegiate debut (Aug. 15, 2024).
• Tsaprailis was making her first appearance in a regular-season match in nearly a year. She started the first six matches last season, but was injured in last year's Robert Morris game in Western Pennsylvania (Sept. 4, 2025).
• Junior Lexi Grundler kept a clean sheet in her collegiate debut, making three saves.
• In addition to Grundler, freshman Olivia McCuen and Mia Ugarte each made their respective collegiate debuts on Sunday.
• Sophomore Timea Thorel made her BGSU debut against RMU. Thorel, a transfer from Ole Miss, saw action in 10 contests for the Rebels last fall.

HIGHLIGHT: The opening goal from Bella proved to be the winner today!#AyZiggy 🟠⚽️🟤 pic.twitter.com/YZlTmAFMax
— BGSU Women's Soccer (@BGSU_WSoccer) August 16, 2026

UP NEXT
• The Falcons hit the road for the next two matches, beginning with a Thursday night (Aug. 20) contest at Oakland. First touch is set for 7:00 p.m.
• Then, after a match at Cincinnati next Sunday (Aug. 23; 4:00 p.m.), the Orange and Brown will return to Cochrane Stadium to face Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 30. The Falcons and Wolverines will meet in a 3:00 p.m. start.

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.