Bowling Green State University Athletics
Butera, O'Malley Earn MAC Player-of-the-Week Honors
September 08, 2026 | Women's Soccer
CLEVELAND, Ohio (BGSU Strategic Comm.) -- A pair of Bowling Green State University women's soccer standouts have earned Mid-American Conference Player-of-the-Week honors, as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 8). Senior Emme Butera has been named MAC co-Defensive Player of the Week, while junior Payton O'Malley is a co-Goalkeeper of the Week.
O'Malley has been recognized twice in the last three weeks, having earned her first-ever league GK-O-T-W honor on Aug. 25. Butera earns the Defensive P-O-T-W award for the first time in her BGSU career.
Butera, a native of Willoughby Hills, Ohio (Willoughby South), played a key role in both BG goals as the Falcons posted a 2-1 win at Kentucky on Sunday (Sept. 6). The victory was BGSU's first over a Power 4 opponent in 25 years. Butera played a ball into the box that led to BG's first goal, as Ella Kane headed that serve back to Audrey Oliver, who scored in the 19th minute. Then, with just over four minutes to go in the match, Butera's long free kick was headed home by Lizzie Bultynck to break a 1-1 tie. At the other end of the field, Butera helped limit the Wildcats, who entered the game ranked third in the nation in scoring (4.50 GPG), to just eight total shots and one goal.
O'Malley, who hails from Pittsburgh, Pa. (Chartiers Valley), made four saves, all in the second half, in the win over UK. The junior allowed just one goal against the Wildcats, who as mentioned entered the match ranked third in the nation in goals per game. O'Malley has a goals-against average of 0.57 this season, and currently has a school record-low career GAA of 0.84.
The Falcons, 3-1-1 on the season, wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule on Thursday night (Sept. 10), taking on the University of Detroit Mercy on Senior Night at Cochrane Stadium. First touch is set for 7:00 p.m., and admission is free.
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.
2026 MAC Women's Soccer Players of the Week
Week 1: Meaghan Cochrane, Ohio (Off.); Eva Blatz, Buffalo (Def.); Lexie Thompson, Buffalo (GK)
Week 2: Ella Zoerhoof, Toledo (Off.); Taylor Green, Bowling Green (Def.); Payton O'Malley, Bowling Green (GK)
Week 3: Monica Curry, UMass (Off.); Reese Carpenter, Eastern Michigan (Def.); Ella Holland, Eastern Michigan (GK)
Week 4: Monica Curry, UMass (Off.); Coltie Carson, Miami (Co-Def.); Emme Butera, Bowling Green (Co-Def.); Payton O'Malley, Bowling Green (Co-GK); Leah Shaffer, Kent State (Co-GK)
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O'Malley has been recognized twice in the last three weeks, having earned her first-ever league GK-O-T-W honor on Aug. 25. Butera earns the Defensive P-O-T-W award for the first time in her BGSU career.
Butera, a native of Willoughby Hills, Ohio (Willoughby South), played a key role in both BG goals as the Falcons posted a 2-1 win at Kentucky on Sunday (Sept. 6). The victory was BGSU's first over a Power 4 opponent in 25 years. Butera played a ball into the box that led to BG's first goal, as Ella Kane headed that serve back to Audrey Oliver, who scored in the 19th minute. Then, with just over four minutes to go in the match, Butera's long free kick was headed home by Lizzie Bultynck to break a 1-1 tie. At the other end of the field, Butera helped limit the Wildcats, who entered the game ranked third in the nation in scoring (4.50 GPG), to just eight total shots and one goal.
O'Malley, who hails from Pittsburgh, Pa. (Chartiers Valley), made four saves, all in the second half, in the win over UK. The junior allowed just one goal against the Wildcats, who as mentioned entered the match ranked third in the nation in goals per game. O'Malley has a goals-against average of 0.57 this season, and currently has a school record-low career GAA of 0.84.
The Falcons, 3-1-1 on the season, wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule on Thursday night (Sept. 10), taking on the University of Detroit Mercy on Senior Night at Cochrane Stadium. First touch is set for 7:00 p.m., and admission is free.
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.
2026 MAC Women's Soccer Players of the Week
Week 1: Meaghan Cochrane, Ohio (Off.); Eva Blatz, Buffalo (Def.); Lexie Thompson, Buffalo (GK)
Week 2: Ella Zoerhoof, Toledo (Off.); Taylor Green, Bowling Green (Def.); Payton O'Malley, Bowling Green (GK)
Week 3: Monica Curry, UMass (Off.); Reese Carpenter, Eastern Michigan (Def.); Ella Holland, Eastern Michigan (GK)
Week 4: Monica Curry, UMass (Off.); Coltie Carson, Miami (Co-Def.); Emme Butera, Bowling Green (Co-Def.); Payton O'Malley, Bowling Green (Co-GK); Leah Shaffer, Kent State (Co-GK)
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