Sept. 1, 2006
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Ohio field hockey club suffered a 3-1 setback in a rain-drenched non-conference tilt on the road Friday night against 19th-ranked Virginia.
The Bobcats (1-2) stuck first with a goal midway through the first half. Torrie Albini (Escondido, Calif.) threw a reverse shot at the net, which the Virginia goalie deflected right to Estienne Coetzee (Bloemfontein, South Africa), who flipped it home for a 1-0 Ohio lead 9:17 into the game.
"I was happy how we started tonight," Ohio Head Coach Neil Macmillan said. "We kept pressure on them early on and did a lot of things well."
The tally was all that Ohio would muster on the evening, however, as a trio of Cavalier netminders held the Bobcats scoreless the final 63 minutes of the contest.
Virginia (2-0) broke through with a tally from Lindsay O'Bannon at 21:40 and took the lead with a goal just prior to halftime, a shot from Mia Link at 34:32.
After a first half that saw a steady drizzle of rain, Virginia's University Hall Astroturf Field experienced the full effects of Tropical Depression Ernesto as nearly the entire second half was played in a wind-blown downpour.
The Cavaliers added an insurance goal at 58:46 on a shot from Biffy Cornelison following a penalty corner.
"We were outplayed from a hockey standpoint tonight," Macmillan said. "Physically and mentally, we played with them, but they executed well. They capitalized on our mistakes, and on the chances they created."
Bobcat goalie Jessie Martin (Louisville, Ky.) made seven saves between the pipes, a new career high.
"Jessie played exceptional," Macmillan said. "She was aggressive and really kept us in it. It was good to see how she went out there and played tonight."
The Bobcats will resume action on the road trip this Sunday, Sept. 3, when they move on to Harrisonburg, Va., to take on No. 18 James Madison. The game will get underway at 1 p.m. It will mark the fourth time in as many outings that the Bobcats have played a ranked team.
