Oct. 9, 2010

Final Stats

ATHENS, Ohio - Paige Herr, Brittany Zorn and Katherine Ballard all netted goals for Ohio field hockey as the Bobcats roared past Missouri State 3-0 Saturday at Pruitt Field.

Ohio (8-7, 4-1 MAC) controlled play throughout the contest, outshooting the Bears 17-7 and gaining an 11-4 advantage in penalty corners. Herr (Lancaster, Pa.), Zorn (Millersville, Md.) and Ballard (Charlottesville, Pa.) all notched their third goals of the season, while Zorn (Millersville, Md.) and Jenna Green (Wescosville, Pa.) each picked up assists for Ohio. Courtney Seiders (Mt. Joy, Pa.) added four saves while recording the shutout, her third of the year, and Taylor Brown (Elkton, Md.) tallied a game-high five shots, including three on goal.

“It was good to pick up the win,” Ohio coach Neil Macmillan said. “Missouri State is a spirited squad that plays hard. We were able to pick up corners and did a great job capitalizing on them.”

MSU (3-9, 0-3 MAC) came out the aggressor early on and took control of the action. The ‘Cats’ came back strong and held the majority of the possession the rest of the half. Ohio got on the board early in the 29th minute when Herr took a rebound off a Brown shot and buried it into the back of the goal.

Ohio outshot the Bears 9-3 and held a 6-1 advantage in penalty corners after the first stanza.

It didn’t take long for the Green and White to get on the board in the second half. Following a ‘Cat corner, a scramble ensued in front of the pipes. MSU’s keeper made a diving attempt to get to the ball, but Zorn quickly smacked it past her reach and into the net.

The Bears battled back and took control of action over the next few minutes, putting play near the Ohio goal. A pair of Seider saves and a strong defensive stand kept MSU off the board.

Ballard tallied the third and final score late in the 61st minute off a penalty corner. After the initial send-in from Zorn, she took a touch from Green on the left side and slapped a shot past the keeper and into the back of the goal.

Ohio’s defense took care of things through the remaining 14 minutes of play, limiting MSU’s attempts and sealing the Green and White victory.

Kristi O’Connor led the visitors with three shots, while Andrea Bain recorded eight saves.

Ohio continues MAC play Friday on the road at Ball State. Action is set to get under way at 3 p.m.