ATHENS, Ohio – After trailing 2-0 after the end of the first quarter, the Ohio field hockey team (2-2) scored three unanswered goals to upset Big Ten opponent Indiana, 3-2, in overtime Sunday afternoon (Sept. 10) at Pruitt Field.
Overall, the Bobcats recorded six total shots, with three coming on target. The Bobcats received one penalty corner and registered 15 saves. Meanwhile, Indiana recorded two goals on 21 shots with 17 on goal, while attempting 12 penalty corners and not registering a save.
Individually, the Bobcats were led by junior
Noa Desmaretz (Antwerp, Belgium) who scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Senior
Meela Kopp (Louisville, Ky.) added one goal on one shot, while freshman
Pauline Hartlieb (Leverkusen, Germany) also added a goal on two shots. Graduate student
Katelyn Whittle (Glenwood, Md.) added two assists for Ohio, while sophomore
Sasha Dikotla (Johannesburg, South Africa) added one.
In net, senior Macy Lotze (Louisville, Ky.) never faltered, allowing two goals and making 14 saves on 21 shots faced in 63 minutes in net.
The Bobcats started the game going back and forth, with Lotze stopping a strong shot early. Indiana eventually mounted pressure and were able to find a goal early into the first quarter, which found the net off a deflection. The Hoosiers sustained their pressure with multiple penalty corners, but Lotze was able to tally three more saves during the rest of the quarter.
The Hoosiers sat on the offensive end for the majority of the second quarter, converting a penalty corner to expand the lead to two early. But the Bobcats were able to close the lead to one on a shot by Hartlieb. Hartlieb notched her second goal of the season and the Bobcats' first at Pruitt Field.
On the Bobcats' first penalty corner of the game, Whittle found Kopp on the outside of the circle and delivered a strike into the bottom corner, allowing the Bobcats to send the game to halftime tied at 2-2.
In the half, Lotze had seven saves and Whittle had two assists.
To start the third, the Hoosiers were on offense often, but couldn't find a shot on goal early. The Hoosiers were able to have a shot on goal off a penalty corner, but Lotze was able to swat it out of the air. In the 38th minute, Indiana's pressure capped with a goal, but the goal was overturned by review, and the score remained tied at two.
The fourth quarter started off in a stalemate with both sides not being able to register shots. The game came into the last minutes with the Bobcats on the offensive but were unable to register a goal, sending the game to overtime knotted at 2-2.
Indiana opened overtime with a quick penalty corner that resulted in a wide shot. The Hoosiers had another shot in the box that went wide and missed another shot just moments later.
The Bobcats countered moments later, allowing Dikotla to find a wide open Desmaretz. The setup allowed Desmaretz to go one-on-one with the Hoosier keeper, which resulted in the game-winner for the Bobcats.
Up Next:
The Bobcats continue their homestand against Ball State Friday, Sept. 15. First touch is scheduled for 3 P.M. ET at Pruitt Field and can be seen on ESPN+.
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