Field Hockey Season Preview
8/26/2021 10:34:00 AM | Field Hockey
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ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio field hockey team kicks off its season on Friday (August 27) at No. 4Â Louisville. The Bobcats will play a second game in Louisville against New Hampshire on Saturday (August 28).
The team returns to action on Friday after just four months off. In the shortened offseason, head coach Ali Johnstone advised her players to take step back from the game and relax for a few months before coming back to Athens.
"It was such an emotional and very difficult season," Johnstone said. "In the summer, we asked them to take time for themselves away from the sport and away from school and just work on being mentally prepared to come back."
The Bobcats lost five seniors to graduation after last season, but two of the seniors returned for their extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic. The two "super seniors," Jillian Shive and Leah Warren, each have four years of experience and are two of the biggest leaders on the team.
Ohio also made a huge addition of graduate transfer Kaelyn Long, who came in from Bucknell. Long, a defender, was a NFHCA Third Team All-American last season who helped bring the Bison to the national quarterfinals. Long has become a vocal leader on an experienced team.
"We're super lucky; Jill is very vocal and Leah leads by example," Johnstone said. "They are two different leaders, then we have (Long) from Bucknell who's also extremely vocal and a strong leader. With those three, it's helpful, especially after the year that everybody's been through."
This year, the Bobcats are hoping for a normal season as they begin their second of 2021. One of the biggest things about being normal is the return of a nonconference schedule. Last season, Ohio only played 14 games- all against MAC schools.
The Bobcats will play seven nonconference games this year, including welcoming Michigan State and Northeastern on September 4 and 5 for a round robin.
"Last season, everyone stayed in their own conferences," Johnstone said. "We got pretty sick of each other and we played back-to-backs so it was the same team two days in a row. Now we get to prepare; there was no preparation last year, it was just straight into MAC play with zero preparation. So now we actually get a proper preseason."
Having a full slate of teams outside of the MAC will be key for the Ohio as the team looks towards its goal of winning the conference championship and playing in the NCAA tournament.
The Bobcats returned most of their top goal scorers from last season like Shive (nine goals), Katelyn Whittle (five goals) and Tasmin Williams (three goals). The area of most concern for the Johnstone this season is the defense.
"(We are) working more as a unit defensively and not just trying to rely on a couple people to make some clutch tackles," the fourth-year head coach said. "Just being a little more ruthless defensively all over the field, because we're able to score goals but we let in too many."
The addition of Long will be one of the biggest improvements made to the defense this season.
As the Bobcats begin their season and welcome fans back to the games, they want to improve as much as they can before they open MAC play on September 17 at Kent State. Ohio's first home conference game will be on September 24 against Ball State, and Miami will come to Athens on October 22.
#OUohyeahÂ
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ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio field hockey team kicks off its season on Friday (August 27) at No. 4Â Louisville. The Bobcats will play a second game in Louisville against New Hampshire on Saturday (August 28).
The team returns to action on Friday after just four months off. In the shortened offseason, head coach Ali Johnstone advised her players to take step back from the game and relax for a few months before coming back to Athens.
"It was such an emotional and very difficult season," Johnstone said. "In the summer, we asked them to take time for themselves away from the sport and away from school and just work on being mentally prepared to come back."
The Bobcats lost five seniors to graduation after last season, but two of the seniors returned for their extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic. The two "super seniors," Jillian Shive and Leah Warren, each have four years of experience and are two of the biggest leaders on the team.
Ohio also made a huge addition of graduate transfer Kaelyn Long, who came in from Bucknell. Long, a defender, was a NFHCA Third Team All-American last season who helped bring the Bison to the national quarterfinals. Long has become a vocal leader on an experienced team.
"We're super lucky; Jill is very vocal and Leah leads by example," Johnstone said. "They are two different leaders, then we have (Long) from Bucknell who's also extremely vocal and a strong leader. With those three, it's helpful, especially after the year that everybody's been through."
This year, the Bobcats are hoping for a normal season as they begin their second of 2021. One of the biggest things about being normal is the return of a nonconference schedule. Last season, Ohio only played 14 games- all against MAC schools.
The Bobcats will play seven nonconference games this year, including welcoming Michigan State and Northeastern on September 4 and 5 for a round robin.
"Last season, everyone stayed in their own conferences," Johnstone said. "We got pretty sick of each other and we played back-to-backs so it was the same team two days in a row. Now we get to prepare; there was no preparation last year, it was just straight into MAC play with zero preparation. So now we actually get a proper preseason."
Having a full slate of teams outside of the MAC will be key for the Ohio as the team looks towards its goal of winning the conference championship and playing in the NCAA tournament.
The Bobcats returned most of their top goal scorers from last season like Shive (nine goals), Katelyn Whittle (five goals) and Tasmin Williams (three goals). The area of most concern for the Johnstone this season is the defense.
"(We are) working more as a unit defensively and not just trying to rely on a couple people to make some clutch tackles," the fourth-year head coach said. "Just being a little more ruthless defensively all over the field, because we're able to score goals but we let in too many."
The addition of Long will be one of the biggest improvements made to the defense this season.
As the Bobcats begin their season and welcome fans back to the games, they want to improve as much as they can before they open MAC play on September 17 at Kent State. Ohio's first home conference game will be on September 24 against Ball State, and Miami will come to Athens on October 22.
#OUohyeahÂ
Â
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