2024 MACtion on the Pitch: Week 5

Akron and Buffalo end non-conference play unbeaten, finishing off an exciting non-conference schedule.

Welcome back to MACtion on the Pitch, your weekly recap of Mid-American Conference women’s soccer. This is the last non-conference recap of the season.

#MACtion is upon us!

Let’s take a look at the final tune-ups for each team:

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Akron (5-0-2)

9/12 vs Cleveland State (W)
9/15 vs Saint Francis (W)

Akron welcomed the visiting Vikings. Neither team would find the early advantage, and both teams would go into the halftime break tied at 0-0. Akron would only need 2:12 to get on the board. Emma King would score the opener (Olivia Heskett and Anna Simmons assists). The Zips defense would hold the 1-0 shutout. Penelope Cuirinier (three saves) and Sara Bower (seven saves) combined for ten saves in the shutout. Akron remained unbeaten through six matches.

The Zips then welcomed Saint Francis for their final tune-up before MAC play. It was also Senior Day. Neither team would get a first half advantage. In the 68th minute, Akron’s Allie McMillen would put the Zips up for good (Emma King assist). The Zips would win 1-0. Penelope Cuirinier would make seven saves in the shutout. Take a look at McMillen’s game winner here:

Akron would finish conference play unbeaten for the first time in program history.

Upcoming matches:

9/19 vs Buffalo
9/22 at Central Michigan

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Ball State (5-2-0)

9/12 vs IU Indy (W)

Ball State welcomed the Jaguars to the Briner Sports Complex. This match was a high scoring affair. Emily Roper scored two goals. Addie Chester would notch one goal and two assists. Delaney Caldwell also notched one goal and two assists. Avery Fenchel had one goal and one assist. Kaitlyn Fraser scored one goal. Kylie Archer, Alex McPhee, and Ainsley Schaufele would notch one assist each. IU Indy would score one goal in each half. After all was said and done, the Cardinals won 6-2 in their final non-conference matchup.

Brayden Goins/Ball State Athletics

Upcoming Matches:

9/19 vs Bowling Green
9/22 at Kent State

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Bowling Green (3-2-1)

9/12 vs Oakland (D)

Bowling Green would welcome Oakland to Cochrane Stadium. This one is short and sweet. Despite the Falcons leading shots on goal 7-1, Bowling Green and Oakland would not find the net. The Falcons would end non-conference play with a draw. Madison Vukas would only need to make one save in the shutout.

Upcoming matches:

9/19 at Ball State
9/22 vs Toledo

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Buffalo (5-0-2)

9/12 at Colorado College (D)
9/15 at Northern Colorado (W)

Buffalo would take a Colorado road trip and start at Colorado College. Colorado College is normally NCAA D-III, but their women’s soccer is part of the Mountain West Conference. The Tigers got on the board early, only needing 2:56 to find the opening goal. Buffalo would not score in the first half, despite leading 7-2 in shots. In the second half, the Bulls would increase their attack. In the 67th minute, Olivia Bizzoni would weave through defenders, and score the equalizer (Kelly Severini assist). The Bulls would escape Colorado Springs with a draw.

The Bulls then traveled to Greeley to take on Northern Colorado. In the 25th minute, the Bulls would get a goal off the corner kick (own goal for Northern Colorado). Buffalo would hold the halftime lead at 1-0. In the 60th minute, Northern Colorado would concede a penalty. Ellie Simmons would convert to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead. The Bulls would leave Colorado unbeaten in non-conference play. Lexie Thompson would make four saves in the shutout.

Upcoming matches:

9/19 at Akron
9/22 vs Eastern Michigan

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Central Michigan (2-4-1)

9/11 vs Purdue Fort Wayne (W)

Central Michigan would travel to take on the Mastodons. Like Ball State’s match, this one was a high scoring affair. Lauren Walker and Rachel Jackson each notched one goal and one assist. Claudia Muessig, Camryn Dunn, Libby Van Wagnen, and Jenna Little each scored a goal in the contest. Ashley Scesniak would notch an assist as well. The Mastodons would find a goal in consolation in the 68th minute. Central Michigan would end non-conference play with a 6-1 victory. Check out all of the goals here:

Upcoming matches:

9/19 at Eastern Michigan
9/22 vs Akron

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Eastern Michigan (4-3-0)

9/12 at Valparaiso (L)
9/15 at Loyola Chicago (L)

The Eagles traveled to take on Valparaiso. The Beacons would get on the board in the 33rd minute. The Eagles would fail to find the net, and drop only their second contest of the year. Ella Holland would make one save on two shots.

Eastern Michigan would then travel to take on the Ramblers. Loyola Chicago would score in the 31st minute, and stay in the lead. Holland would make six saves on seven shots. The Eagles would finish non-conference play on a three match losing streak.

Upcoming matches:

9/19 vs Central Michigan
9/22 at Buffalo

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Kent State (3-2-1)

9/13 at Kentucky (L)

The Flashes would travel to Lexington to take on the Wildcats. Kentucky would find the net early in the fifth minute. Kelsey Salopek would net the equalizer in the 13th minute (Ava Todd assist). Check out the equalizer here:

The Wildcats would take the lead back with 5:04 left in the first half, and take the halftime lead 2-1. Six minutes into the second half, Kentucky would score their third goal. Kent State would drop their final non-conference match 3-1 after putting up zero shots in the second half.

Upcoming matches:

9/19 at Toledo
9/22 vs Ball State

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Miami (4-1-2)

9/12 at Chicago State (W)

The Redhawks would travel to take on Chicago State. Spoiler alert, this match was all Redhawks. Jamie Hlebec would open the scoring in the 16th minute (Maris Jennings assist). The halftime lead would stay at 1-0 for Miami. The Redhawks would score again in the 58th minute (presumed own goal for Chicago State). Makenna Morrison would make it 3-0 in the 64th minute (Maris Jennings assist). Talia Whitesel would make it 4-0 in the 68th minute. Miami would end non-conference play with a 4-0 victory. Dominique Popa would not have to make a save in the shutout.

Upcoming matches:

9/19 vs Northern Illinois
9/22 at Western Michigan

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Northern Illinois (6-1-1)

9/12 at Illinois State (W)
9/15 vs Valparaiso (W)

The Huskies would travel to Normal, Illinois to take on Illinois State. Neither team would find an early advantage, but NIU would score with eight seconds left in the half. Kelsi McLaughlin would score her third goal of the season (Tyra King assist) to give the Huskies a 1-0 halftime lead. The defense would hold strong through the second half, as Northern Illinois would hold on for the 1-0 victory. Ary Purifoy would make three saves in the shutout.

The Huskies would then return home to welcome Valparaiso. NIU only needed 4:46 to get on the board. McLaughlin would score her second goal in as many games to give the Huskies the advantage. The Huskies lead at halftime 1-0. In the 68th minute, Amber Best would double the lead to 2-0 (Tyra King assist). 3:23 later, Valpo would get on the board, but it wasn’t enough. NIU would finish non-conference play with a 2-1 win. Check out both goals here:

Upcoming matches:

9/19 at Miami
9/22 vs Ohio

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Ohio (5-1-1)

9/12 at Western Kentucky (W)
9/15 vs Oakland (W)

Ohio would travel to Bowling Green… Kentucky, not Ohio. They would take on the Hilltoppers. Ohio would start the scoring early in the ninth minute. Jaimason Brooker would score her second goal of the season. Western Kentucky would equalize in the 20th minute. Ohio’s Anna Burchett would give the Bobcats the lead in the 29th minute, and that would be all the scoring for the match. Ohio would win 2-1.

Ohio would then return to Athens to take on Oakland for Senior Day. This one was all Bobcats. Aubrey Rea scored two goals. Sania Dearing also scored two goals. Eve Berish, Sydney Crowe, and Hailey Jeng would add one goal each. Brooker would add two assists. Iro Fakinou and Rayann Pruss added one assist each. Ohio would win 7-0. Celeste Sloma would make three saves in the dominating shutout. Check out the recap from WOUB:

Upcoming matches:

9/19 vs Western Michigan
9/22 at Northern Illinois

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Toledo (3-3-1)

9/15 vs Ohio Dominican

Toledo would then welcome NCAA DII Ohio Dominican. The Rockets only needed 2:30 to get on the board. Alli Macbeth would net the opener (Morgan Spitler and Olivia Dault assists). Toledo would hold the 1-0 halftime lead. 3:32 in the second half, Dalaney Ranallo would increase the lead to 2-0 (Grace Turski assist). In the 54th minute, Cameron Cole would cap off the scoring with her first goal of the season. Toledo would win 3-0, with Agnes Stenlund making three saves in the shutout.

Upcoming matches:

9/19 vs Kent State
9/22 at Bowling Green

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Western Michigan (3-1-3)

9/15 at DePaul (D)

The Broncos traveled to Chicago to take on the Blue Demons. Neither team would find the early advantage. DePaul conceded a penalty with 4:10 left in the first half. Drew Martin would convert giving the Broncos a 1-0 halftime lead. The Bronco defense would hold strong, until DePaul found the back of the net with 4:13 left to go in the game. Western would leave Chicago with a 1-1 draw.

Upcoming matches:

9/19 at Ohio
9/22 vs Miami

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MAC Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week

• Kelsi McLaughlin, junior forward, Northern Illinois

The Greenfield, Indiana native scored two goals this past week to lead NIU to a 6-1-1 start before conference play

Defensive Players of the Week

• Penelope Cuirinier, redshirt junior Goalkeeper, Akron

The Mionnay, France native posted ten saves helping the Zips to their fourth and fifth shutouts of the season. She anchors a defense that has gone over 529 total minutes without allowing a goal in their program’s best start ever.

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Goal of the Week

Our goal of the week goes to Buffalo’s Olivia Bizzoni. She weaved through traffic to give the Bulls the equalizer against Colorado College.

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Moments of the Week

Our moments of the week go to both Akron and Buffalo. Both finished non-conference play unbeaten. Akron starts unbeaten for the first time in program history, while Buffalo starts unbeaten for the first time since 1999.