Games against soccer stalwarts Marshall, Dayton and Butler highlight Ohio soccer's 2016 schedule.
Home games against Marshall and Dayton, as well as an away game against Butler, highlight Ohio soccer's 2016 schedule, which was announced last week.
A sticking point of the Aaron Rodgers era has been challenging non-conference schedules in the last few seasons, but the 2016 schedule breaks that three-year-old tradition with the majority of the teams being outside the top 100 in the country.
Marshall (53) and Butler (79) are the only teams in the top 100, replacing Kentucky and Purdue of season's past.
The Dayton Flyers, who the Bobcats face at Chessa Field on Aug. 21, should not be taken lightly — some fans may remember the 4-0 drubbing at Baujan Field that occurred two season's ago, courtesy of Canadian international Ashley Campbell's hat trick.
Campbell may have departed, but the Flyers are still a formidable opponent and one that Rodgers will be glad to be hosting, instead of being greeted by the clamorous atmosphere his team was met with in Dayton.
The Bobcats are similarly lucky to have Marshall at home on Sept. 9. The Thundering Herd are (ranking wise) the toughest team that Ohio will play all season, and the chance to have bragging rights for a year after playing to an intense 3-2 loss in Huntington last season will likely fuel Ohio.
Speaking of previous seasons, Butler makes a return to the Bobcats schedule after they suffered a 3-2 double-overtime loss in West Lafayette, Indiana, at the Boilermaker Challenge Cup in 2014.
Outside of those three major games, the schedule is fairly similar to those put together during Rodgers' time in Athens.
Teams such as Cleveland State, Robert Morris and Xavier all return, while interesting newcomer High Point rounds out the non-conference schedule.
Overall, it appears that the difficulty of Ohio's pre-conference schedule has dwindled since last year and may lead to an improvement on the 5-13 record in 2015.
And with now-seniors Alexis Milesky and Natalie Estes taking on leadership roles after the graduation of four players, leadership will be in high demand, as will goals.
Ohio adds defender as late signee
The Bobcats had one of the leakiest defenses in the Mid-American Conference last season, but a more reliable backline and the addition of newest signing, Allison Miller, may help.
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Ohio lost Grace Campbell to graduation after the 2015 season, leaving Celeste Fushimi-Karns without a partner in the heart of defense. Miller should solve that problem, as an imposing 5-foot-10 defender who will likely slot into the open center back position.
Little is known of the prospect, but Rodgers is known for playing freshmen early on and letting them work their problems out throughout the season. Miller will likely be subjected to a trial-by-fire, as will the rest of the 2016 signing class.
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