FOLLOW OHIO SOCCER: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Ohio soccer team (1-2-0) returned to action Thursday night (Aug. 21) to take on their second-straight ACC opponent, falling to Pitt (3-0-0), 1-0, on the road.
Overall, Pitt outshot Ohio 11-8 with six shots on goal to Ohio's three. Pitt also recorded six corners, while the Bobcats had four.
Individually, sophomore
Sania Dearing (Pickerington, Ohio) recorded one shot with one on goal, as did junior
Iro Fakinou (Athens, Greece) and graduate student
Quintin Tostevin (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Seniors
Maia Kaufman (Westerville, Ohio),
Scout Murray (Chicago, Ill.) and
Rayann Pruss (Perrysburg, Ohio) all registered one shot in the match.
In net, senior
Celeste Sloma (Columbus, Ohio) got the start and played all 90 minutes, allowing one goal on 11 shots faces, while making five saves.
The match opened with the Bobcats and the Panthers battling in both offensive ends with neither team generating any promising chances. The Bobcats finally recorded the first shot of the night in the 19
th minute, with an attempt from junior
Jaimason Brooker (Powell, Ohio) that went just wide. Moments later, Ohio recorded back-to-back corners in the 24
th minute, with Ohio recording a shot from Murray, but it would go just off target to keep the game tied at 0-0.
After Ohio added another attempt in the 28
th minute, Pitt registered their first official shot in the 30
th minute, however it was off target. Ohio forced the first save of the game in the 35
th minute after Dearing fired the ball at the Panthers' net, forcing the Pitt keeper to make a save, keeping the game still scoreless. The final 10 minutes of the first half saw the Panthers up the pressure in the Ohio end. However, the Bobcats' defense held their ground, sending the game into halftime with the match tied at 0-0.
At the half, Ohio outshot the Panthers, 4-1, with both teams recording one shot on goal. Meanwhile, Pitt took three corners, compared to the Bobcats' two.
Pitt got their best attempt of the match in the 50
th minute when off a corner, a header from the Panthers went off the crossbar setting up a rebound attempt that forced a save from Sloma, keeping the match scoreless early in the second half. After Pitt continued to put the pressure on the Bobcats, Ohio drew a free kick in the 55
thminute, but the attempt would go high of goal.
Pitt struck in the 59
th minute off a header just past a diving Sloma to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. Less than five minutes later, Pitt looked to add on, forcing another save from Sloma, keeping the Ohio deficit at one.
Ohio looked to get the equalizer in the 71
st minute after a shot from sophomore
Lillian Weller (Xenia, Ohio) was blocked, with Ohio drawing back-to-back corner kicks. However, the Bobcats were unable to capitalize on the set pieces, keeping the deficit at 1-0. The Bobcats recorded another attempt in the 77
th minute with a shot on goal from Fakinou, however, once again the Pitt keeper was able to make the stop. The Bobcats forced another Pitt save in the 79
th minute off the foot of Tostevin, keeping the Panthers' lead still at one.
Over the next 10 minutes, the Bobcats continued to battle for the equalizer, however, the Pitt defense was able to keep Ohio off the board, securing the 1-0 victory for the Panthers.
Up next, Ohio returns to Athens on Sunday, Aug. 24 to host Marshall. First touch is set for 4 p.m. ET at Chessa Field and can be seen on ESPN+.
#OUohyeah