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ATHENS, Ohio. - The Ohio soccer team (3-1-1) was back in action on Thursday (Sept. 5), defeating Marshall (1-3-1), 2-0 inside Chessa Field. The victory was Ohio's second-straight shutout.
Overall, Ohio outshot Marshall, 18-7, with 10 shots on goal to the Herd's five. The Marshall keeper recorded eight saves, while Ohio took seven corner kicks.
Individually, graduate junior Lilly O'Rourke (Glenview, Ill.) and junior, Eve Berish (Hudson, Ohio) led the Bobcats with one goal each. Sophomore Jaimason Brooker (Powell, Ohio) and Isabella Ginocchi (Powell, Ohio) added two shots on goal each, while sophomore Anna Burchett (Prestonburg, Ky.) and junior Scout Murray (Chicago, Ill.) both recorded one shot on goal for the Bobcats.
In net, junior Celeste Sloma (Columbus, Ohio) got the start, playing all 90 minutes, while making five saves for her second-straight shutout and her third of the season.
To start off the game, the Bobcats and the Herd established a fight for possession, with both teams taking the ball up and down the field in their favor. With the ball in the six-yard box, Brooker recorded a shot on goal that was saved in the final seconds by Marshall keeper, Alexis Wolgemuth. Moments later, with Sloma in goal, Marshall registered back-to-back attempts in the 16th minute, forcing Sloma to register two saves to keep the score even at 0-0.
In the 30th minute, O'Rourke took her first shot on goal in the bottom right of the net but was saved by Wolgemuth to keep the match scoreless. However, in the 42nd minute of the game the Bobcats struck when O'Rourke tallied her first goal of the season, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead going into the break.
At the break, Ohio outshot Marshall, 5-4, with the Bobcats recording four shots on goal.
To open the second half, Ginocchi and Murray, within minutes of each other, both recorded attempts, forcing the Marshall keeper to make two saves to keep the score at 1-0.
In the 64th minute, the Bobcats finally got their insurance goal. With the Marshall keeper moving up the field to defend for the Herd, Berish was able to take advantage of an open net, placing the ball into bottom center of the net, Giving the Bobcats a 2-0 lead late in the second half.
Over the remaining 20 minutes of the match, the Ohio defense held strong, with the Bobcats defensive pressure keeping Marshall off the board, securing the 2-0 victory.
The Bobcats return to action on Thursday, Sept.12, when they take on Western Kentucky. First touch is set for 8 p.m. EST in Bowling Green, Ky. and can be seen on ESPN+.
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