The Bobcats have their bags packed for yet another weekend on the road.
Ohio will travel to Missouri to take on Saint Louis(1-6) and Missouri State. It's the second weekend of a four-week, seven-game span of contests away from home.
It's going to be a long road for us the next few weeks
senior Katelyn Shelley said. But I think it gives us a good chance to regroup before we get on our home turf at the end of the season.
The match Sunday against Missouri State(2-6) is Ohio's first Mid-American Conference game of the year
When Ohio plays at Missouri State, the games are consistently close and low scoring. Ohio has beaten the Bears 1-0 at Missouri State the last four years. In 2005 the game was scoreless into double overtime, when the Bobcats won.
They're just very good at home Macmillan said. That'll be the challenge to compete with them on their home turf.
A distinctive advantage for the Bears is their FieldTurf, which is different than the AstroTurf Ohio is used to. Luckily for Ohio, Robert Morris and Saint Louis, the team's previous two opponents, have FieldTurf. In addition to those games, the Bobcats prepared by practicing on the FieldTurf in Peden Stadium.
The FieldTurf makes the game slower
junior Katherine Ballard said. It's just a different style of play with different tactics.
Macmillan said the team has focused on building scoring opportunities this week in practice.
At the start of MAC play, the Bobcats have faced the most challenging non-conference schedule in the MAC.
Ohio has a 2-5 record, but no team in the MAC has seen the competition the Bobcats have seen. Ohio has played five teams ranked in the top 20, more than any MAC foe. Macmillan believes his squad should compete for the top team in the conference with rivals Kent State and Miami.
We're very excited for the MAC
Macmillan said.
But
we can't get through to those (games vs. Kent and Miami) until we get through this game this weekend.
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Sports
Will Frasure
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