Davidson, N.C.- The Ohio Bobcats field hockey team (1-7, 0-1 MAC) concluded their eight-game road trip to begin the season Sunday afternoon, dropping a close contest against the Davidson Wildcats (5-3, 1-0 A10) by a score of 4-2.
 
The Bobcats scored two goals on three shots on net, while the Wildcats scored four on 15 shots on net.
 
Individually, junior Natalie LaFleur (Fredericksburg, Va.) led the Bobcats with two shots on goal, including her first goal of the season to tie the game in the second quarter. Senior Sasha Dikotla (Johannesburg, South Africa) and freshmen Tiana Nhamoinesu (Thirsk, North Yorkshire) and Katie Cole (Newark, Del.) recorded one shot each, with Cole converting her second goal of the weekend. Defensively, Senior Anouk Plaehn (Hanover, Germany) was a standout, stopping multiple Davidson attacking opportunities inside the 23-meter line.
 
In net, sophomore Ash Stephenson (Kingston Upon Hull, England) turned in a strong performance in her fifth start of the season, stopping a career-best 11 shots on 15 faced.
 
Davidson opened game on the attack, putting consistent pressure on Bobcat defense in the opening minutes. Goalie Stephenson held firm in the cage, stopping two Davidson shots from point-blank range to keep the score tied early. However, the Wildcats capitalized on an ensuing penalty corner, putting a deflected shot into the net to open the game's scoring.
 
Davidson maintained pressure throughout the first quarter, and again converted on a shot off a penalty corner at the 9:28 mark to extend the lead to 2-0.
 
The Bobcat attack came to life early in the second quarter, as Cole scored her second goal in three days to cut the deficit in half at the 16:07 mark. Minutes later, LaFleur netted her first goal of the season on a steeply angled shot from the end line, tying the game at 2-2 going into half time.
 
Davidson opened the third quarter with more pressure on the Ohio defense, scoring at the 30:50 mark to re-take the lead. The Bobcats followed up with strong defensive play, fending off multiple scoring opportunities in the third quarter until the Wildcats again converted off a penalty corner at the 43:08 mark to take a 4-2 advantage.
 
The fourth quarter saw both teams buckle down on the defensive end, as the Bobcats generated the only shot from either team in a final frame that featured no goals.
 
The Bobcats will return home to Pruitt Field on Friday, September 26^th for their home opener vs UMass. First touch is set for 3 p.m. and the game will be streaming on ESPN+.
 
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