One thing that all successful teams have in common is the use of role players. In order to win in any sport, a team must have players that not only know what they must do but also can do it well.
Field hockey is no different, and the success of the Bobcat program relies on its depth and the fact that its players know their roles. One player who understands her job is Torrie Albini, who came off the bench last weekend to provide the team with some immediate offense.
I feel like my role is definitely to come off the bench and provide a spark. My teammates definitely see the energy that I bring into the game
and I know that's part of my role Albini said.
Ohio (6-7, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) will look to Albini and the team's other role players as they welcome Ball State (2-9, 1-3 MAC) today at 3 p.m. and Miami (6-7, 3-2 MAC) Saturday at 1 p.m. in a crucial stretch of MAC play.
The Bobcats lead the MAC at the conference season's midway point, but with two wins this weekend, the team would be firmly entrenched in first place.
If we can get two good wins this weekend then that certainly puts us in the driver's seat. But it's not just about one particular weekend or one particular game. We need to take care of the next five games
coach Neil Macmillan said. Our fate is really in our own hands right now.
As visitors, Ohio has already beaten each of its upcoming opponents once this season, but now the Bobcats have home field advantage, which is something they hope will have a positive effect this weekend.
The Miami game should provide an especially large crowd because of the storied rivalry between the two schools. But just to make certain, Saturday will be Greek Day
at Peggy Pruitt Field, which entails sororities and fraternities earning prizes for being the loudest and most colorful fans, as well as rewarding the chapter with the most people in attendance. Top prize is a $150 gift certificate to Kroger.
Regardless of the turnout, Ohio understands the importance of its next two contests.
I feel like every team's going to be gunning for us because we're on top of the conference
and we need to expect that. Overall
we have a pretty good feel of what we need to do to pull away this weekend with two wins
goalkeeper Jen Cote said.
17
Archives
