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EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Ohio soccer team ended their season today, falling to 5th-seeded Michigan State by a score of 3-0. Despite Ohio's strong efforts, the first round matchup in the Bobcats' first NCAA Tournament appearance did not fall their way.
Just two minutes into the game, a handball in the box put Michigan State on the penalty spot. Sophomore goalkeeper Celeste Sloma (Columbus, Ohio) dove the right way, but the Spartan shot hit the bottom of the cross bar and ricocheted into the back of the net. The goal gave Michigan State an early 1-0 advantage.
The Spartans kept the pressure on the Bobcat defense. A shot from outside the box was saved by a diving Sloma. The rebound bounced in front of her, but junior Quintin Tostevin (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) and Sloma combined to deny Michigan State the follow-up opportunity.
The Bobcats could only hold for a little bit longer. The ball fell to a Spartan midfielder inside the box and her left-footed shot floated perfectly into the top corner. The goal provided Michigan State with their second goal of the game.
While the Bobcats were unable to record a shot on goal in the opening frame, two chances nearly fell Ohio's way. First, a cross into the box from senior Carsyn Prigge (Lexington, Ky.) caused trouble for the Spartan defense. Another chance fell to sophomore Scout Murray (Chicago, Ill.) in front of the goal, but she was unable to find the frame with contact by a Spartan defender. .
The Bobcats and Spartans entered the halftime break with a two-goal advantage in Michigan State's favor. The Spartans had 16 shots and seven on goal. Sloma was fantastic for Ohio, making five saves.
Ohio came out of the halftime break with a greater sense of energy. Compiling a number of free kicks, the Bobcats spent a period of time inside the Michigan State half. Still, Ohio was unable to break through. The Spartans were physical inside their box with Bobcats unable to find an inch of space.
Michigan State added to their lead with just over fifteen minutes left in the half. A corner kick was crossed to the back post, a header back across the frame fell to a Spartan forward. Her back-heel was out of Sloma's reach, finding the net to put Michigan State up by three goals.
The final whistle blew with the final score of 3-0. Despite a promising second half performance, the Spartans were able to maintain control. Ohio was able to pick up three shots on goal in the second half and created a number of chances from set pieces.
Despite the three Spartan goals, Sloma was a standout performer for the Bobcats. With ten saves, the All-MAC Second Team selection set a career high.
Ultimately, Ohio's season came to an end in the hands of the Big Ten regular season champions. The Bobcats had an impressive season, winning the program's first Mid-American Conference Championship. With many players returning to Athens, head coach Aaron Rodgers and his team will look to build off of the positive season.
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