Paige Herr had a breakout weekend to end the regular season for the Bobcats.
Herr, who has spent most of her time as a defender, entered the road trip to Missouri with zero career goals. But she clinched Ohio's win against Missouri State with a game-winning shot 11 seconds before the final buzzer on Friday.
The Bobcats won that game, 1-0.
The sophomore from Lancaster, Pa., had trouble recalling the first score of her collegiate career.
It was really exciting
she said. It was a scramble in front of the goal Taylor (Anderson) passed it in front of the goal and I put it in.
Herr continued her unusual offensive explosion on Sunday against Richmond, breaking a 1-1 tie with a goal at the 55-minute mark. Marcy Dull added another score six minutes later to give the Bobcats the 3-1 win.
Herr became the 11th player to score a goal for Ohio this season, the same number as last year's Mid-American Conference championship squad. Rachelle Coetzee added to her team-leading total with her 11th score of the year against Richmond, matching her final tally from 2007.
Ohio has focused on putting additional players around the goal, coach Neil Macmillan said. Herr's goal was a reflection of that effort.
We'd be working on getting additional people into the goal box he said. (Herr) was just in the right position
and the goalkeeper was beat by the pass. It was just positioning.
Ohio dominated the offensive output against the Bears, although it took Herr's clutch shot to finally get the Bobcats on the scoreboard. Ohio had 10 shots on goal to Missouri State's three.
The story changed against the Spiders on Sunday, but the outcome was the same. Richmond outpaced Ohio in shots, 11-7, but the Bobcats utilized a one-person advantage in the final minutes when Richmond's Sarah Blythe-Wood was sidelined with a yellow card.
Macmillan said the win against Richmond, the second-best team in the Atlantic 10, was an effective end to the year.
They have some fiery attack. They've got some speed. They pull the trigger (around the goal)
he said. For us to take care of business in that game
it was a big confidence booster heading into the MAC.
The weekend's action was Ohio's final preparation before the MAC tournament, set to begin on Nov. 6.
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