Bowling Green lacrosse came out strong, but couldn't maintain momentum in the NCLL Midwest Division Championship, falling to Kent State 15–7 at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio on Sunday afternoon. The Falcons struck first, scoring the game's opening goal and setting a confident tone early in the title matchup. Their offense looked sharp in the scoring on 2 of their first 3 possessions , and the defense held firm against the Golden Flashes' early pushes.
However, adversity struck minutes into the first quarter when Bowling Green lost one of its starting defensemen
Avery Earls to an injury. The absence was immediately felt, as Kent State began to exploit gaps in the defense and surged ahead by halftime with a multi-goal lead.
Despite the setback, Bowling Green showed grit coming out of the break, regrouping to win the third quarter and outscore Kent State in that stretch. Improved possession control and sharper execution on both ends of the field gave the Falcons a much-needed spark, briefly cutting into the deficit.
But in the fourth, Kent State pulled away for good, capitalizing on transition opportunities and extending their lead beyond reach to claim the Midwest Division crown. Though the loss ends Bowling Green's title hopes, the team displayed heart and promise—especially in their opening and third-quarter performances—on the conference's biggest stage. The Falcons are only losing one Senior,
Noah Stoddard, who had this to say about the game and his time here.
"Kent state was a good competitor; we started off strong with the first goal and had some good offensive possessions. We played tough and showed them that we deserved to be there. It was disappointing seeing that trophy go to Kent but we'll be back next year to claim what's ours! As a graduating senior, I'm so proud of how far the program has come, from being captain led and having a scarce amount of games, to being in the NCLL and playing for the conference championships is a great accomplishment. I'm excited to see the program continue to grow and proud to say I was apart of it."
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