Ohio’s six-game winning streak was snapped this weekend after the Bobcats split their first weekend of Mid-American-Conference play, losing to Central Michigan Sunday 1-0 after defeating Bowling Green 1-0 Friday.
The Chippewas seized control early in the game when sophomore forward Laura Gosse scored in the fourth minute of the match.
Her shot from 30 yards out was initially saved by Ohio junior goalkeeper Mattie Liston, but the ball bounced into the goal.
Central Michigan’s defense played tight all game, not allowing Ohio to get a shot until the 19thminute of the game.
Ohio coach Stacy Strauss said the team made a lot of little mistakes that included ball security, completing passes, and kicking the ball out of bounds.
“I think that a lot of it was just on us,” Strauss said. “Not completing passes and creating better opportunities for ourselves.”
The Chippewas had the game firmly in hand, despite the low score at halftime. They led Ohio in shots 14-2 at halftime.
Ohio senior midfielder Cathryn Rogers said the early goal was not the deciding factor in the game but it forced Ohio to play the role of catch up for the rest of the match.
“I think our first half just wasn’t what we wanted,” Rogers said. “We were more on our heels than anything and then we had to regroup at half, I think we came out really good in the second half, we just couldn’t get shots we wanted off and couldn’t put the ball away.”
Central Michigan’s constant offensive pressure forced Liston to make 11 saves in the match, the second most saves in a single game for her career.
Two saves into the match, Liston moved past Jess MacLean for second place in career saves.
Strauss said the loss was hard to take because the Chippewas scored despite the performance by the Bobcats’ defense.
mk277809@ohiou.edu
