Ohio will continue its season with two back-to-back matches on the road this weekend. It will face its third Mid-American Conference opponent with its match against Appalachian State on Friday. Ohio will then travel to take on Davidson for a Sunday matchup.
Here is the information for this weekend’s matches:
Ohio’s Current Record: 3-7 overall, 1-1 MAC
Opponents: Appalachian State (3-4, 0-1 MAC) | Davidson (2-6)
Match Locations: Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field | Carol Grotnes Belk Turf Field
Match Dates: Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. | Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.
What’s Happened So Far:
Ohio is coming off a 3-0 home win against Ball State. The Bobcats did not have any other matches over the weekend, so they have had a full week to prepare for the two upcoming matches.
Despite Ohio’s losing record, the team showed a lot of growth in its latest match against Ball State. In the blowout, it held Ball State to a total of just four shots on goal and zero in the first period. Ohio’s defense stepped up its game, and this trend could develop over the course of the next two matches.
Match Information:
This will be the third consecutive at-home match for Appalachian State, and it is also coming off a win against Davidson. However, the Mountaineers haven’t played a game in nearly two weeks, so the Bobcats could be able to take advantage of their stagnancy.
The Mountaineers have a losing record and the same number of wins as the Bobcats. However, the Bobcats’ 1-1 MAC record surpasses the Mountaineers, who stand at 0-1 in the conference. A win for Ohio would not only improve its conference record but push Appalachian State further below it in the rankings.
Unfortunately for Ohio, Appalachian State has a home record of 2-1, while Ohio is 0-4 on the road. It would be a major tone shift for Ohio to put an end to this losing trend, especially considering its subsequent away match against Davidson.
Davidson will host the Bobcats just two days after Ohio’s match against Appalachian State. Davidson is on a three-match losing streak, so Ohio may be able to capitalize off this downhill trend.
The outcome of this weekend could have heavy implications on the remainder of Ohio’s season. Although they wouldn’t quite reach a winning record, two victories for the Bobcats would leave them just two matches short of .500.
Ohio cannot afford to lose two more matches. If that occurs, Ohio will drop to 3-9 with just six matches remaining in the regular season, ensuring that Ohio could not finish with a winning regular season record.
