The Ohio Bobcats (3-5-4 overall, 1-1-3 Mid-American Conference) traveled to Ypsilanti, Michigan, to face Eastern Michigan (4-5-1 overall, 2-1-1 MAC) in a highly competitive matchup that ended in a 1-1 draw.
The game started off with the Bobcats putting immediate pressure on the Eagles with a top right shot midway through the sixth minute from grad student Quintin Tostevin. The shot sailed just over the goal. Senior goalkeeper Celeste Sloma denied two Eagles’ bottom shots early in the ninth minute. Allowing junior Kate Robinson to place a shot just left of the goal.
In the 13th minute, the Eagles responded back with a bottom-center shot from junior Olivia Sipsock that was yet again denied by Sloma. The Bobcats came out swinging after the save, with a bottom right shot by senior Ella Deevers in the 14th and a bottom center shot in the 16th by junior Jaimason Brooker both saved by redshirt junior goalie Ella Holland. The Bobcats continued to find open pockets as they added three more shots, two blocked and one out top, between the 18th and 24th minutes.
Sophomore Hailey Jeng broke free in the 31st minute, sending in a bottom-center shot saved by Holland. In the 40th minute, Sloma nabbed her fourth save of the half off a bottom-center shot from freshman Kaylee Synk. The Eagles got off one more shot late in the 43rd minute from senior Hannah Thompson that sailed over the middle bar as the half ended with both teams locked at 0-0.
Similar to the first half, the start of the second half saw another offensive outburst as the Bobcats opened the half with a shot that sailed over the bar off the foot of Robinson.
Seven minutes later, Brooker placed a shot just outside the right side of the cage as they continued to find holes in the Eagle defense. Eastern Michigan’s Aniyah Mack responded in the 63rd minute with a shot soaring over the top bar for a goal kick.
Bobcats picked up momentum with three in the 65th-68th minutes, starting with Brooker nearly missing the right of the goal. Holland picked up her first save of the second half with a shot placed bottom center from Deevers. Seconds later, sophomore Sania Dearing broke free with a shot that soared left of the goal, leading to an immediate shot from Sipsock that was deflected by the Bobcats.
After a couple of substitutions by both teams, the Eagles finally broke the game open with some great passes. This lead to a goal from Josie Langhans in the 74th minute. The Bobcats immediately responded seconds later with a shot from Robinson that missed right.
After a costly foul by the Eagles in the 86th minute, sophomore Iro Fakinou tied the game with a penalty goal, allowing the Bobcats to finish the game with a 1-1 draw. The Bobcats finished the game with a season high of 17 shots. Sloma finished the game with four saves.
Brooker led the team with four shots, followed by Robinson and Devers with three. Fakinou continued to bring high-intense pressure for the Bobcats with her third goal of the season on two shots, tying for the most on the team and taking the top spot in points with seven. Tostevin picked up a season high of two shots against the Eagles.
The Bobcats look to continue their offensive success as they will host Ball State on Thursday at 4 p.m. at Chessa Field.
