Oct. 10, 2010

Final Stats

ATHENS, Ohio - Three first-half goals, including two from Rachael Philpot, lifted Ohio soccer to 3-2 win in a wild, action-packed contest Sunday at Chessa Field. Toye Famodu also got on the board with a score for the `Cats.

Philpot (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored both of her goals within a minute of each other during a crazy first-half span that saw three goals scored between the two squads in 10 minutes and four goals overall in the frame.

The `Cats (5-5-3, 2-2-2 MAC) won the shots battle, outshooting the Huskies (7-3-1, 3-2-1 MAC) 10-6 on the day, including an impressive nine shots on goal. Philpot scored two goals on two shots, her second and third scores of the season, while Famodu (Bloomington, Minn.) picked up her second goal of the season to go with two shots. Four other Bobcats got into the point action as Sara Seitz (Englewood, Ohio) tallied a career-high two assists and Cathryn Rogers (Toronto, Ontario) and Rachael Goulding (Toronto, Ontario) each added helpers.

"I thought that we did a good job hitting the frame and taking advantage of our opportunities, especially in the first half," Ohio coach Stacy Strauss said. "Points are tough to come by in this league, so we'll certainly take this."

Ohio threatened right away with a pair of quick corners in the sixth minute. Jackie Hanson (LaGrange, Ill.) nearly put Ohio on the board early in the seventh minute, but her attempt was knocked out by the Huskies' keeper. That set up a key corner that resulted in a Bobcat score. Pichel's send-in was headed by Seitz over to Famodu, who punched it into the back of the net.

That score wouldn't last too long as NIU was the beneficiary of an unfortunate deflection by Ohio into its own goal off a Huskie corner in the 20th minute. Megan Harry was credited with the score.

The `Cats didn't take kindly the NIU score and came roaring back with two more first-half goals off the foot of Philpot. The first came in the 29th minute on Ohio break. Goulding took a pass from Rogers on the right side and sent it over to Philpot streaking on the left side, who then lined it past the keeper and into the strings.

Philpot struck right back just 34 seconds later as she got behind the Huskies' defense with a long down the left side and into the box where she took a Seitz pass and ripped it into the left corner of the net from about 10 yards out. A wild first half ended with Ohio holding a 7-3 advantage in shots.

"Rachael has a knack for the goal, and she certainly showed that today," Strauss said of Philpot's two scores. "She was definitely a spark we needed offensively, and we were pleased with her performance."

Action was tight starting the second frame. The Huskies took control of the possession a few minutes into play and were able to capitalize for their second goal of the contest in the 61st minute when Shannon Renner was able to head a ball just over the reach of the outcoming `Cat keeper and into the back of the goal.

NIU continued to pressure the Green and White for much of the rest of the half, but the defense was up to the task. The Huskies had a couple breaks down the right side late in the contest that looked threatening, but the `Cats were able to recover in time and deflect them away and were able to hold on for the win.

Ohio will now start up the East Division of its conference slate as it heads to Oxford to battle rival Miami Friday at 3 p.m.