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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio field hockey team defeated St. Louis 5-1 in its season opener Sunday (Sept. 15) afternoon. Five different Bobcats scored a goal in the win. 

The Bobcats got on the board first with a goal by sophomore forward Natalie LaFleur (Fredricksburg, Va.) in the third minute. The goal was the forward's third of the season. However, the lead didn't last long. Josefina Perez converted a corner for the Billikens to tie the game. 

"It's been really fun, because last year I actually didn't have any goals, so this year was my first collegiate goal," LaFleur said. "it's just been so fun working as a unit with my other forwards. We have such a good chemistry. So it's really not just me, it's all of them. It comes from all of us."

Ohio held St. Louis to just one goal with the help of graduate student Macy Lotze's (Louisville, Ky.) keen goaltending. Lotze recorded eight saves, including a full-body stretch in the second quarter. Freshman back Deborah James (Hertfordshire, England) also contributed to the defense with a defensive save at the end of the match. 

Junior back Anouk Plaehn (Hanover, Germany) reclaimed the lead for Ohio with a goal in the eighth minute of the first quarter off of a deflected penalty corner by junior back Emily Risser (Palmyra, Pa.). Risser and senior midfielder Bodhi Littlefield (Oakland, Maine) earned assists on the goal.

Ohio's offense roared again in the third period, with Littlefield and junior forward Sasha Dikotla (Johannesburg, South Africa) each recording goals in the first five minutes of the period. The goals were Littlefield and Dikotla's first and third of the season, respectfully. 

The fifth – and final – Bobcat to score was senior midfielder Noa Desmaretz (Antwerp, Belgium). She scored her first goal of the season three minutes into the fourth quarter. 

"It's full team effort, and their effort has been world-class effort. The time that they put in over the summer, it shows on the field. The hustle is awesome," head coach Ali Johnstone said. 

Ohio will be back in action on Friday (Sept. 20) against Appalachian State. Game time is set for Noon at Pruitt Field. 

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