Ohio (1-7 overall, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) will play in its home opener on Friday as it welcomes the UMass Minutewomen (8-0, 1-0 MAC) to Pruitt Field. Here’s what you need to know:
Match Information
Opponent: UMass
Venue: Pruitt Field (Athens, Ohio)
Time: Friday at 3 p.m.
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Follow live stats here.
Ohio Notes
Ohio has opened its season with an exhausting road trip, traveling to four different states and facing stiff non-conference competition. On their eight-game road stretch, the Bobcats only picked up one win, an overtime battle against UC Davis. The team has played competitive games, with three of their last four games being losses by two goals or less.
The Bobcats opened MAC play against Appalachian State on Friday. The Bobcats tied the game 3-3 in the final period, but two goals in the final two minutes let the Mountaineers take a 5-3 win. The team also played Davidson on Sunday, and came back down 2-0 to tie the game 2-2 in the second period, but ultimately fell 4-2.
Offense has been a clear struggle for the Bobcats this season. They have only outshot one of their eight opponents so far this year. Of the shots on goal the Bobcats have had thus far, over half, 35 of 63, have scored, meaning if the Bobcats get opportunities on offense they can convert, so they will likely work to get more scoring opportunities this Friday.
UMass Notes
UMass is simply a field hockey powerhouse. The Minutewomen haven’t posted a losing season since 2011. The team has finished runner-up in the Atlantic 10 conference in each of the last three seasons and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament last year.
The Minutewomen are off to a hot start this year, currently undefeated with an 8-0 record. The most notable of their wins was an upset win over Boston College, which was the No. 4 team in the country at the time.
The Minutewomen’s success so far this season has them ranked as the 11th best team in the nation in the most recent coaches poll. Part of their success lies behind the team’s stellar defense, only allowing six goals through eight games and shutting out four of their opponents thus far.
This is the Minutewomen’s first season in the MAC, so it’s difficult to say how they will face the competition of the new conference. However, their one conference matchup so far went swimmingly, as they cruised to a 4-0 win over Kent State.
Players to Watch: Katie Cole (Ohio), Myrte van Herwijnen (UMass)
Cole has been a great addition for the Bobcats. The freshman has played in seven of the team’s eight games, starting each of the last two and three of the last four. She scored her first career goal against Appalachian State on Friday and her second against Davidson on Sunday. She is likely to get the starting nod again against UMass and looks to make it three straight games with a goal.
Van Herwijnen has been lights-out in goal for the Minutewomen. She has started all eight games for them this season and has only allowed six goals so far, allowing her to rank top-five in the NCAA in save percentage and average goals against. Her stellar goaltending has allowed her to be named the MAC Goalkeeper of the Week thee times this season. The Bobcats will need to find a weakness in this spectacular resume in order to get themselves on the board and stand a chance in this game.
