Oct. 26, 2006
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio women's soccer team won its third straight contest Thursday as the Bobcats shut out Akron 2-0 in the regular season finale at Chessa Field. The win, coupled with a Toledo loss, placed Ohio all alone in second place in the Mid-American Conference standings.
"I think (the difference) was the same that we've shown the last several games," Head Coach Stacy Strauss said. "We moved the ball very well, we played one-and-two touch and we had some good dynamic runs in the attack. Fortunately in the second half, they were really pressing and we were able to get a counter-attack."
The win gave Ohio the second-seed for the MAC Tournament, which begins on Sunday. Ohio, as one of the top four seeds, will play host for the tournament quarterfinals. The Bobcats will host seventh-seeded Northern Illinois Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Chessa Field. Northern Illinois earned a 3-0 win over Western Michigan Thursday to earn a birth into the MAC Tournament. Ohio will play host to the semifinals and finals of the tourney next Friday and Sunday if the Bobcats win and top-seeded Ball State loses on Sunday.
The Bobcats got on the board early against Akron with a goal in the eighth minute of the contest. Senior Tiffany Horvath (Strongsville, Ohio) lofted a shot over Akron keeper Krystin Wilson for her third goal of the season and the 23rd goal of her Bobcat career. Sophomore Courtney Mink (Mason, Ohio) and freshman Rachael Goulding (Toronto, Ontario) each recorded assists on the goal.
"I just got the ball at the top of the box and waited for (the defender) to come out," Horvath said. "She just stood there so I placed it over the goalie's head."
The Bobcats fended off a couple of Akron scoring opportunities midway through the second half. On an indirect kick, Akron's Jacque Pitchford had a shot from point-blank range but freshman keeper Dominique Wright (Durango, Colo.) made a nice diving save to preserve the lead. On the ensuing corner kick, the Zips had a ball loose in the Ohio box but junior Lindsey Price (West Chester, Ohio) made a nice play to clear the ball away.
"I told her I thought that was the nicest save of the year," Strauss said. "That was just pure quickness and it kept us in the game. I think had we given up that goal everything would have changed. (The save) was huge, as was Price's clearance off the line."
Right after the scoring opportunities by Akron, Ohio extended its lead when freshman Amy Lower (West Chester, Ohio) scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season to give the Bobcats a 2-0 advantage. Senior Amy Switzer (Noblesville, Ind.) set up the goal with her first assist and point of the season. Lower came into Thursday's contest tied for fourth in the MAC in goals and tied for seventh in the conference in points. Her eight goals this season is tied for the 10th most in a single season by a Bobcat player. Ohio was able to hold on the rest of the way to earn the 2-0 win.
"(The win) feels great," Horvath said, "It was definitely a game we wanted to win because it insured we get home-field advantage for the tournament, which is huge for us because I love playing on our field."
Wright played the entire game in goal for the Bobcats and recorded her third collegiate shutout in the process. She finished with three saves in the victory. The Bobcats and Zips each finished with three shots on goal. Ohio finished with a 9-to-7 edge in total shots.
Ohio begins MAC Tournament action Sunday when the second-seeded Bobcats take on seventh-seeded Northern Illinois at 1:00 p.m. at Chessa Field.
