Ohio and Kent State advance to the semifinals for the second-straight season.
Welcome back to MACtion on the Pitch, your weekly recap of Mid-American Conference women’s soccer!
Ohio would host a quarterfinal match for the second straight season. Kent State would host a quarterfinal match for the first time since 2021.
Bowling Green at Ohio (1-0 Ohio)
It didn’t take long for the Bobcats to get on the board. Ella Deevers would score the match winning goal in the 15th minute (Aubrey Rea assist). Check out the goal:
Ella Deevers gets the first goal of the game
https://t.co/HQilnQMohf#OUohyeah pic.twitter.com/krysKfo4Ot
— Ohio Soccer (@OhioWSoccer) November 3, 2024
Bowling Green would have the advantage in shots on goal 3-2, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Celeste Sloma would make two saves for the Bobcats, while Peyton O’Malley made one save for the Falcons. Ohio would move on to the semifinals for the second straight season.
Miami at Kent State (2-1 Kent State)
Alisa Arthur scored 2:42 into the game (Jules Dolinski assist). Check out the opener:
A glimpse at Alisa Arthur’s goal⚡️#GoFlashes x #DeepWater https://t.co/aazEMAghH1 pic.twitter.com/jsC8QpRWlC
— Kent State Soccer (@KentStSoccer) November 3, 2024
After almost the whole half passed, Miami’s Makenna Morrison would score the equalizer with 35 seconds left in the first half (Katie O’Malley assist). Neither team would score in the second half, and the match would go to overtime. 9:53 into overtime, Siena Stambolich would score a goal directly off a corner kick to give Kent State the 2-1 win. The Flashes move on to the semifinal for the second straight season.
Goal of the Round
Our goal of the round goes to Kent State’s Siena Stambolich. She scored an olimpico for the second straight game, sending the Flashes to Kalamazoo.
SIENA STAMBOLICH FOR THE WIN IN OT
@KentStSoccer | #SCTop10 | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/9cMau1adUY— #MACtion (@MACSports) November 3, 2024
Players of the Week
The MAC announced the final set of weekly honors.
Offensive Player of the Week
- Alisa Arthur, senior midfielder, Kent State
The Miamisburg, Ohio native notched two goals to clinch the home quarterfinal match for Kent State. Arthur tied for second in goals with ten.
Defensive Player of the Week
- Mercedes Schroer, senior defender, Miami
The O’Fallon, Missouri native played all 90 minutes against Ohio to help the Redhawks clinch a tournament spot. She was also crucial in helping Miami finish unbeaten at home for the first time since 1999.
Tournament Success
The remaining teams have hoisted the trophy before, some more recent than others.
Western Michigan: Winner (2003, 2013, 2015)
Buffalo: Winner (2014, 2022)
Ohio: Winner (2023)
Kent State: Winner (2016)
Will Ohio go back-to-back? Will we have a rematch of last year’s final? Buckle up for a fantastic finish!
Upcoming Schedule
The semifinals take place on Thursday, November 7th in Kalamazoo.
- #3 Ohio vs #2 Buffalo, 11 AM ET on ESPN+ (subscription required)
- #4 Kent State vs #1 Western Michigan, 2:30 PM ET on ESPN+ (subscription required)
The winners will face off on Sunday, November 10th at 1:00 PM Eastern time.