Oct. 31, 2010
Final Stats
TOLEDO, Ohio - Ohio soccer battled top-seeded Toledo to the very end, but a Rocket goal in the 77th minute brought the Bobcats' 2010 season to a close Sunday with a 1-0 setback in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Ohio finishes the season at 6-9-4 overall and a 3-5-3 record in conference play. Toledo, meanwhile, (15-3-2, 10-1-0 MAC) moves on to the semifinals. Sunday's contest marked the final game in the careers of seniors Sarah Brown (North Royalton, Ohio), Rachael Goulding (Toronto, Ontario) and Jackie Hanson (LaGrange, Ill.).
As had been their calling card for much of the season, the `Cats' defense turned in a strong showing, holding the high-scoring Rockets to just the one score. Unfortunately for Ohio, Toledo was able to capitalize on one play to get the win. The Rockets outshot the Green and White 19-11 on the day, including a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.
Rachael Philpot (Cincinnati, Ohio) led Ohio with four shots on the day, including two on goal. Sara Seitz (Englewood, Ohio) added two shots, while five players each had a shot. Freshman keeper Mattie Liston (Lakewood, Ohio) helped anchor the defense with six saves.
"Our team put together a great performance today," Ohio coach Stacy Strauss said. "They played with real heart, grit, determination and organization. Unfortunately, one mistake that Toledo capitalized on was the difference."
Ohio came out strong and took control of play deep inside Rocket territory a little over five minutes into play. The `Cats came close to getting on the board, but a header from Kelsey Pichel (Rochester Hills, Mich.) missed just high of the goal. Toledo came back with a series of shots of its own over the next 10 minutes or so, but Ohio's defense was up to the task and kept the Rockets off the board.
Late in the 22nd minute, Philpot nearly scored the first goal of the contest, but her attempt was stopped by the Rockets' keeper. Each side traded possessions through much of the rest of the first half, with neither squad able to get on the board.
The second half started much the same as the first half ended with both teams trading possessions and shots along the way. Toledo was able to catch a break nearly mid way through the 77th minute when it was able to get behind the `Cats' defense and capitalize on a shot from Nicole Gyurgyik that managed to slip just out of reach and into the net.
Ohio continued to battle hard and had an opportunity in the 82nd minute, but a Seitz attempt landed just wide of goal. The `Cats were unable to get any more serious looks the rest of the way as they saw their season come to an unfortunate end.
The `Cats will now prepare for spring play in preparation for next year. Ohio will return all but three players for the 2011 season.
