Ohio soccer midfielder Kendra Hornschemeier offered a simple way to look at this Sunday's final regular season game at Buffalo.
Traveling that far
we think 'We've come this far we're going to give it our all.' That's a long bus ride if you played (poorly) she said.
The Bobcats (8-4-3 overall, 7-0-3 Mid-American Conference) have indeed come far, and Hornschemeier's words are a good motto for any game Ohio plays from this point forth. After beginning the season with four non-conference losses, the Bobcats have torn through the MAC schedule without a loss.
Now they have just two games left, at Kent State today and at Buffalo Sunday, and a win and a tie would guarantee a No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament and home-field advantage throughout. It also would make the Bobcats the first team in MAC history to record an unbeaten conference season.
We've been really pumped each weekend. I can't wait to play
Hornschemeier said. I can't wait for the week to be over so I can play again
because we're playing so good. It's so fun when you're playing good.
Today's game at Kent State (9-2-5 overall, 5-2-3 MAC), however, might be the biggest challenge yet in a schedule that seems to get progressively harder each week.
Last Sunday, the Bobcats surrendered their first goal in more than nine games in a 3-2 win against Eastern Michigan, then the MAC's leading scoring team. This week, Ohio faces the same challenge in the Golden Flashes, who now own the MAC lead in goals scored (32) and goals per game (2.00). Much of their offensive power can be attributed to freshman forward Kimberly Dimitroff, who was named MAC Player of the Week after she scored three goals last weekend and upped her conference-leading total to 13.
Kent State also likely will be hungry for revenge for their season-ending, 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Bobcats last year in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals.
Sunday's game was a good example of leadership and resiliency
coach Stacy Strauss said of Ohio's come-from-behind victory. We're going to have to have that presence and experience this weekend. We need to be mistake-free in back.
For most of the MAC season, the Ohio backfield has been mistake free. Its two goals allowed to Eastern Michigan Sunday were only the second and third they'd given up in conference play.
Back Sara Williams said it was a learning experience.
We have to be aware of their leading scorers and make sure we don't have any lapses
she said. As long as we're all solid. We want to be home for the tournament.
Sunday's opponent, Buffalo (4-11-1, 3-6-1 MAC), has won just one game against a team with a winning record, but has a history of beating the Bobcats. Ohio hasn't defeated Buffalo since 2000, before any player currently on the squad had arrived in Athens.
The Bobcats currently lead the MAC, three points ahead of second-place Central Michigan. Ohio controls its destiny and already has clinched at least a No. 3 seed for the MAC Tournament, but both the Chippewas and the Flashes could jump ahead if Ohio stumbles this weekend.
The Bobcats will try to avoid that at 3 p.m. today at Kent State and at 1 p.m. Sunday at Buffalo. The weekend's MAC games will then determine the opponent for Ohio's next game, a home MAC Tournament quarterfinal match Nov. 2.
17
Archives
Joe Rominiecki
