The Ohio lacrosse team has proven it can beat nationally ranked teams, but now it faces the challenge of proving to itself that it can win on the road.
After a pair of emotional victories at home last weekend, the Bobcats (7-6 overall, 2-2 American Lacrosse Conference) are traveling to Evanston, Ill., to face conference foe No. 6 Northwestern (12-1, 4-0 ALC) today and Denver (5-9) Saturday. Ohio has taken only two of eight road contests this year.
We have to focus on this not being any different of a game being on the road
Ohio coach Kate Brew said. We have not played poorly on the road; we have just met tough opponents. We will have to play for 60 minutes.
Ohio has never beaten Northwestern out of two tries but defeated Denver in 2002. Brew said she knows the weekend is a challenge for her team, which is still riding the momentum of its last two victories.
Beating Penn State was a huge confidence boost for us Brew said. We feel good about how we have been playing and are looking to continue it.
The Bobcats won both games last week without midfielder Dana Dobbie, who Brew speculates will miss the rest of the season after suffering a concussion against Vanderbilt. Even without Dobbie, who leads the team with 57 draw controls, Ohio maintained dominance in draw controls against Penn State and St. Bonaventure.
Ohio is led offensively by midfielder Lynz Keys, who has 40 goals and eight assists for 48 points this year. Attacker Melissa Menna, who has nine goals in the last two games, looks to continue her offensive threat along with midfielders Becky Oxman, Caitlin Link and Kristen Gombeski.
Defensively, Meg Ryan leads the Bobcats with 38 groundballs. Menna and Keys have combined for 27 forced turnovers in front of goaltender Jen Cassidy, who has 134 saves in 13 starts. The defense is one of the main reasons for Ohio's success this year, allowing opponents only 138 goals to Ohio's 161.
Brew said all aspects have to click this weekend if Ohio is to continue its success from last weekend.
Against Northwestern we are expecting a very good game Brew said. We're watching lots of film
and we feel we are prepared. Denver has a new coach and is much better this year than they have been historically. It will be a battle.
Ohio's weekend action begins against the Wildcats today at 4 p.m. and continues at 1 p.m. Saturday against Denver.
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