Ohio (4-3, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) is back at home this weekend after a three-match road trip. It will face conference opponent Longwood and in-state rival No. 24 Ohio State.
Here is the information for the two matches:
Opponent: Longwood Lancers | Ohio State Buckeyes
Match Location: Pruitt Field
Match Date: Oct. 5 at 12 p.m. | Oct. 6 at 2 p.m.
Opponent’s Current Record: 5-4 | 5-4
What’s happened so far:
The Bobcats are on a two-match losing streak for the first time this season. They recently lost to Kent State 5-1 and have given up five or more goals in three straight games.
Match information:
Communication and work ethic is what was preached throughout practice this week to the Bobcats.
“Their (the team’s) presence on the field, their presence on defense, their presence on the attack, was not up to par,” coach Ali Johnstone said in regards toward the tough loss to Kent State.
Ohio is looking to get back on track this weekend, however, as it currently sits at fourth in the MAC and hopes to improve this weekend when it faces Longwood.
Longwood has been tested this season, recently playing No. 5 Virginia well, despite losing 3-1. A key factor for the Bobcats is how well their defense fares against the Lancers’ offense, as they are only scoring 1.75 goals per match. The Bobcats are giving up 3.29 goals per match on the season.
For the second time this season, Ohio will play back to back days. On Sunday, Ohio State comes to Athens in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season.
No. 24 Ohio State has been on a rough stretch of matches, only winning one of its past four matches. The Buckeyes are led by freshman midfielder Mac Allessie, who leads the team with eight goals in just nine games.
Before the season started, the two teams scrimmaged against each other in Columbus. Ohio should know the type of match they need to play against Ohio State to be successful.
This is a big weekend for the Bobcats as they hope to get back to their early season success. After these matches, it does not get any easier for them as they will have to face No. 22 Michigan State next weekend.
