Ohio (3-9 overall, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) will return to conference play as it hosts Ball State (3-10, 1-3 MAC) on Friday. Ohio will look to keep its winning streak going against the Cardinals. Here’s what you need to know:
Match Information
Opponent: Ball State Cardinals
Venue: Pruitt Field (Athens, Ohio)
Time: Friday at 12 p.m.
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Follow live stats here.
Ohio Notes
The Bobcats enter this game following a non-conference clash with Queens, a game that they were able to win in overtime. This game marked the third straight game the Bobcats entered overtime, but unlike the previous two contests against Central Michigan and Bellarmine, the Bobcats came out victorious on their Senior Day.
The Bobcats have excelled at producing offensive chances recently, outshooting their previous three opponents 63-16. However, the scoreline of these games does not reflect this offensive dominance, as the Bobcats have been outscored 7-6 in these games. “The little piece that’s missing is that tiny white ball going across that little white line,” Ohio head coach Ali Johnstone said after Sunday’s game. The Bobcats will need to capitalize on more offensive chances in order to put goals on the board and keep games less contested.
Ohio enters this game 1-3 in conference play and ranks seventh in the Mid-American Conference standings. The top six teams in the MAC get to participate in the MAC postseason tournament, so any win in conference play will be a huge help to Ohio’s postseason chances. The Bobcats’ last five games of the season are all against conference opponents, so every game from here on out will have added importance as the team looks for its third straight postseason berth.
Ball State Notes
The Cardinals enter this game looking to snap a five-game losing streak. After defeating MAC foe Longwood on Sept. 19, the team has dropped each of its most recent five games.
Offense has been a clear struggle recently for the Cardinals, with the team only scoring one goal in those five games and being shut out in each of their last three. The Cardinals will look to rebound on offense and get themselves on the scoreboard Friday.
Ball State is also 1-3 in conference play thus far, but Ohio and Longwood both take precedence in the tiebreaker, so the Cardinals currently rank ninth. A loss for either team would move their conference record to 1-4 and significantly hurt their chances to make the MAC Tournament.
Players to Watch: Anouk Plaehn (Ohio), Jade Vandevoorde (Ball State)
Plaehn enters this game scoring thrice in the last six games and twice in the last four. She converted a penalty corner to score the game-tying goal in the Bobcats’ contest with Queens on Sunday. The senior will look to score in back-to-back games on Friday and get her fourth goal of the year.
Vandevoorde has started all 12 games for the Cardinals and is the team’s leader on offense. She currently leads the team in goals with three and points with nine, and she is also tied for the team lead in assists with three. She scored the team’s most recent goal against Central Michigan on Sept. 26 and will look to get her and her team back on the scoreboard.
