Ohio (3-8-5 overall, 1-4-4 Mid-American Conference) hosted Buffalo (11-3-1 overall, 7-2 MAC) in a game where the Bulls took home a 2-1 victory at Chessa Field.
“We needed to score, push forward more on offense,” Ohio head coach Aaron Rodgers said. “We wanted our wing backs forward to create overloads and playing to the wide player to create cuts and angles.”
The Bobcats kicked off the game, pushing deep into Bulls territory early with a corner kick 30 seconds in, as senior Scout Murray sent in a top center shot which senior Lexie Thompson flew in and saved.
The Bulls responded right back in the first minute with a bottom left shot from Laiken Kiser that senior goalkeeper Celeste Sloma saved. Two minutes later, junior Jaimason Brooker sent a shot over the middle post.
In the 10th minute, Buffalo came screaming down the right side of the field with graduate student Jasmine Guerber sending in a blocked shot by the defense. The defense continued to hold strong, heading a left corner crosser out of bounds in the 24th minute.
The Bobcat offense raced down the field seconds later with a shot from Rayann Pruss that sailed left of the net. The Bulls came right back, however, breaking the game open with a goal from junior Eva Blatz in the 26th minute off an unmarked corner kick.
With a corner kick in the 34th minute, Ohio headed the ball into the high-flying hands of Thompson. Two minutes later, junior Anna Burchett sent a top-center shot into the chest of Thompson. With 30 seconds left in the half, Ohio meticulously pushed the ball into Buffalo territory with an excellent cross to sophomore Iro Fakinou, sending a bottom left shot into the hands of the keeper, as the half ended with the Bulls on top 1-0.
Buffalo kicked off the half, where the Bobcats placed constant pressure on the ball, earning a corner that Thompson flew in and nabbed in the 48th minute. Two minutes later, the Bulls sent an inside pass to Guerber that was saved by Sloma.
In the 52nd, Brooker dribbled into the right side of the box, sending in a shot left of the net for a Buffalo goal kick. Two minutes later, the Bobcats sent in a beautiful crosser to Pruss that was knocked away by Thompson. In the 56th, the Bobcats continued to bring pressure into the box, setting up senior Quentin Tostevin for a shot that sailed over the net.
Constant pressure without putting goals away has been a theme for Ohio this year and it was once again an issue against Buffalo.
“We’ve just got to figure out how to convert on the chances that we’re creating,” Rodgers said. “I think we’re again putting ourselves in good positions to score and we’ve just got to convert those chances.”
The Bulls extended their lead to 2-0 in the 63rd minute with a goal from redshirt senior Koby Commandant off a high inside cross by senior Sarah Woods.
“Unfortunately, we created more chances, but they finished with two and we finished with one,” Rodgers said, “That’s the fine margin of soccer, we have to overcome these draws and losses into results.”
Twenty seconds later, Pruss sent in a shot the Bulls' defense blocked. Bobcats pushed into Buffalo territory with a cross to Melia Peer that fell off target in the 75th minute. Buffalo responded a minute later with a top left shot by Kiser that Sloma saved. In the 81st minute, Thompson flew in and caught the Bobcats’ corner.
The Bobcats broke through scoring in the 87th minute with a great inside pass by Kate Robinson to Fakinou to cut the deficit to 2-1. Despite the late goal, Ohio fell to Buffalo at the final whistle.
“We’ve felt a lot of pressure in high expectations from the beginning, and it’s difficult, but we all deal with it in different ways, Rodgers said. “We will continue to fight and put ourselves in a good chance to win these last three games.”
Fakinou’s lone goal helped take the top spot on the team in goals with four. Pruss led the team in the shots with five, followed by Brooker with two, and both Robinson and Maia Kaufman picked up an assist. Sloma ended the game with three saves and two goals on six shots.
The Bobcats will look to turn it around as they face Northern Illinois Sunday 1 p.m. at Chessa Field.
