Western Michigan and UMass Secure Top Seeds as MAC Tournament Field is Set

MAC tournament field is set as Columbus quarterfinals loom

The top six teams in the Mid-American Conference have been decided following a decisive Sunday of regular season play, with the tournament bracket now finalized ahead of the opening round in Ohio. Western Michigan secured its spot a week prior as the conference’s lone team with a previously promised tournament berth, leaving five remaining slots up for grabs during the final stretch of conference play.

The postseason action starts Saturday, Nov. 7, at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, featuring a doubleheader with Game 1 kicking off at 1 p.m. and Game 2 following at 5 p.m.

Chasing the bye and bracket seeding

Following the Broncos atop the standings, the University of Massachusetts claimed a bye straight into the tournament semifinals. The Minutewomen earned their positioning in dramatic fashion late in the second half against Eastern Michigan, overcoming a 1-0 halftime deficit by scoring two goals within three minutes of each other. UMass finished regular season play with an 11-2-5 overall record and a 5-1-5 conference mark.

Kent State and Miami finished the regular season tied with 19 points apiece, earning the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in the tournament bracket. The Golden Flashes extended their six-game unbeaten streak by defeating Central Michigan 2-1 in a back-and-forth match, while the RedHawks secured a 2-1 victory over Toledo in a must-win game. Miami’s late-season surge was propelled by senior forward Kayla Perfect, who contributed crucial points in five straight games and netted seven goals this season. That performance followed a 2-2 home draw against Bowling Green earlier in the week.

Bowling Green and Ball State round out the field

The Bowling Green Falcons faced a similar spot to last year, making the last stretch of games more important. Playing Ohio on home turf in a must-win situation, the Falcons secured the No. 5 seed with the help of UMass’s result against Eastern Michigan. Saturday’s quarterfinal matchup pits Bowling Green against familiar faces of the RedHawks.

Rounding out the top six is Ball State, which earned its tournament ticket. Finishing with one less loss than the Eagles, the Cardinals narrowly clinched the final spot after results across the conference broke in their favor on the final day of the regular season.

The final conference standings

Eastern Michigan fought until the final whistle, finishing the year with 15 points and falling just short of the postseason field. Akron struggled to maintain a consistent winning record throughout the conference slate, finishing with three conference wins and managing no more than one goal against any MAC opponent all season.

Toledo and Buffalo finished within a single point of each other in the table. Their regular-season meeting ended in a 0-0 draw, contributing to a nine-game winless streak for the Bulls and an eight-game winless streak for the Rockets. Ohio and Central Michigan rounded out the bottom of the table, finishing with eight and four points respectively as both programs struggled to find a consistent rhythm.