Sept. 4, 2009
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio Field Hockey team didn't pepper the opposing goalkeeper with shot after shot on Friday night, but they did score the one that mattered. The Bobcats beat the Indiana Hoosiers by a score of 1-0 on a beautiful late-summer evening at Pruitt Field.
The first few minutes of the match belonged to the Bobcats, with Marcy Dull (Ephrata, Pa.) and Patty Donahue (Powell, Oh.) firing shots in the offensive third. The next few minutes featured some nice possession by both squads, but no real chances at goal.
This changed in the 23rd minute, when Indiana opened up a barrage of shots at goalkeeper Courtney Seiders (Mt. Joy, Pa.). She was equal to them all, making five solid saves in a span of approximately five minutes. The Bobcat defense did a tremendous job of bending without breaking during most of the game by allowing one shot but immediately clearing the goalmouth once Seiders made the save. There were very few, if any, quality second-chance opportunities for the Hoosiers, and this was a big factor in the Bobcats' success.
Katherine Ballard (Charlottesville, Va.) found the net with just four minutes remaining in the first half for her team-leading second goal of the season. She fired a hard, low shot that was too much for Indiana's Alex Mann, and just like that the Bobcats were on top.
The Green and White never looked back and refused to concede the equalizer, though it wasn't for lack of trying on the part of the visiting Hoosiers. Indiana accumulated 21 shots on the night, 13 of which were on goal. Seiders made a total of 13 saves in the game, and the Bobcat defense simply refused to allow any quality rebound opportunities.
"We gave up too many corners and too many shots, but we were very good on the defensive corners," said head coach Neil Macmillan. We were very good defensively around the goal and kept them out."
The defense wasn't the only thing discussed, as Macmillan was pleased with the opportunistic nature of the offense. "KB (Ballard) scored an excellent goal. It was a great individual effort, the way she found some space and hammered that home."
The next challenge for the Bobcats (1-2) will be when the Michigan State Spartans come to Pruitt Field this Sunday. Game time is set for 1 pm.
