Oct. 1, 2005

Final Stats

Springfield, Mo. - - It took more than 96 minutes, but Ohio's Megan Rentschler scored the game's lone goal in double overtime to lift the Ohio field hockey team to a 1-0 victory over Missouri State and a 3-0 start in the Mid-American Conference Saturday at the Plaster Sports Complex.

Rentschler (Akron, Pa.), who scored her first-career goal earlier this season, punched in the game-winner after a scramble in front of the goal off an Ohio (4-6 overall, 3-0 MAC) penalty corner at 96:45. Amanda Arnold (Oceanport, N.J.) was credited with the assist.

Senior goalkeeper Jennifer Cote (Raynham, Mass.) notched her first shutout of the season and number 7.5 of her career in Athens.

Ohio moves to 3-0 in the MAC and, coupled with a Central Michigan loss on Friday, the Bobcats now sit all alone atop the MAC standings, one-half game ahead of the Chippewas.

"It's a good place to be," said Ohio Head Coach Neil Macmillan. "But as I reminded the team, we've only played three games. We have seven left in the MAC and we need to take care of business when we have our five-game home stand."

Ohio took 28 shots--16 on goal--in Saturday's victory. The Bobcats took 15 shots in the second half alone, more than double Missouri State's (1-9, 1-3 MAC) shot total for the entire game. Rachelle Coetzee (Bloemfontein, South Africa) took eight shots--one on goal--while senior Lindsay Rothenberger (Fleetwood, Pa.) managed six shots--five on goal.

Ohio also managed 14 penalty corners on the afternoon, while limiting the Bears to just one.

Cote recorded four saves between the pipes

"We held them to only two shots in regulation and that was superb," Macmillan said. "If it wasn't Cote making a stop, then it was the other players on defensively making a great play."

Ohio will step out of conference play and finish up a six-game road trip Sunday. The Bobcats will face the Atlantic-10's St. Louis Billikens at the Anheuser-Busch Center. Game time is set for 2 p.m. EDT.