With less than two minutes remaining in the game between the Ohio women's lacrosse team and Ohio State on Sunday, things went from bad to worse for the Bobcats.
Trailing by one, the Bobcats (3-9, 0-3 American Lacrosse Conference) ran a play they drew up in the previous timeout for attacker Shannon Hadaway.
But as Hadaway looked to split a double team with 1:50 left in the game, she was called for a charge and received her second yellow card of the day. Hadaway was ejected from the game and Ohio State took possession.
Just 22 seconds later the Buckeyes (2-9, 1-1) scored the game-clinching goal as they sealed the victory, 9-7 at Peggy Pruitt Field.
We were trying to go for an Iso play up top
but then I got called for the foul and was kicked out of the game Hadaway said. We thought we could have had this game but things didn't go our way.
The foul was Hadaway's eighth of the game and came just after she scored her second goal of the contest. Her tally was the final of a late three-goal Ohio flurry that brought the score to 8-7.
Coach Allison Valentino called a timeout to discuss the team's strategy for the rest of the game.
Our thought process was to win the draw
set up a play for Shannon
get the next draw and make a play
Valentino said. We knew if we executed those plays we'd be in a really good position to win.
Despite the loss, the Bobcats said they were proud of their defensive performance, holding the Buckeyes to single digits for the match and only allowing three goals in the second half.
I thought we played really well as a team and communicated well on defense
defender Julie Roguski said. We knew who their top three players were
we knew we had to keep them out of it and I think we did a great job.
Roguski had the job of guarding the Buckeyes top scorer, K.C. Carter, and held her to zero points. Valentino praised Roguski and Hadaway's efforts on the turf.
We have some players on this team that give everything no matter what
and they would die walking off this field
Valentino said. Julie and Shannon are two of them
that's just the way they play.
The Bobcats' next game will be their last road tilt of the season as they play Vanderbilt at 6 p.m. Friday in Nashville, Tenn.
