Aug. 29, 2010
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio University field hockey team earned their first win of the 2010 season with a resounding 6-1 win over St. Louis on Sunday afternoon at Pruitt Field. Sophomore Taylor Brown scored four goals, three in the first half.
"We played much better today in every area of the game," Head Coach Neil Macmillan said, "We moved the ball better, we finished better, it was evident that we had already had a game under our belt."
The Bobcats got on the board when the returning scorer from last season, Katherine Ballard, was able to find the back of the cage. Off the ensuing faceoff, Ohio stole the pass and quickly scored again when Brown knocked home her first of the day off a pass from Cathryn Altdoerffer. The sophomore would add another goal two minutes later for a 3-0 Ohio lead.
"Other than Taylor's outstanding play I thought Cathryn and Lo [Louzeth Schutte] played very well for us today," Macmillan added. "Altdoerffer had some nice passes and Lo was just a rock at the back for us. They both were exceptional."
Brooke Edwards became the third different player to score when she made it 4-0 in favor of the 'Cats off a pass from sophomore Laura Mastro. Two minutes later, Brown had the hat-trick to give Ohio a five-goal advantage going into the intermission. The Green & White dominated every facet of the game during the first half, scoring five goals and out-shooting the Billikens, 12-0.
The highlight of the game, and quite possibly the season, occurred on Ohio's lone goal of the second half. Mastro set up Brown, who then roofed a blistering shot for her fourth goal of the contest.
"Taylor was exceptional today," Macmillan stated. "You don't see many games where someone scores four goals. She's coming into her own this year because she works so very hard. She created two of those goals all by herself because she attacked the defense. That last goal, probably one of the best goals you'll ever see, off the top corner she hit it like a rocket."
The only shot SLU registered though resulted in a goal. Off a penalty corner, Chelsea Hower set up All-Atlantic 10 performer Nicole Kent for the lone blemish against Ohio's Courtney Seiders. In the opposing goal, SLU's Alex LaBarge made 10 saves.
For the game, Ohio out-shot SLU, 26-1, and held the advantage in penalty corners, 13-1. The six goals were the most for Ohio since they scored seven against Missouri State on November 6, 2008.
"I'm very pleased that we kept up the intensity in the second half," Macmillan said. "We out-shot them again, we had way more corner opportunities but the name of the game is putting the ball in the back of the net. I'm disappointed we gave up that one goal on their one shot."
The Bobcats remain at home and host No. 14 Ohio State at 1 p.m. on Tuesday from Pruitt Field.
