On a brisk Thursday afternoon at Chessa Field, Ohio (4-9-5 overall, 2-5-4 MAC) fell 3-0 to rival Miami (9-5-2, 6-2-2 MAC) in its final home match of the 2025 season. The RedHawks carried their recent momentum into Athens, extending their conference success and handing Ohio a tough loss in front of its home crowd.
Miami came out fast and physical, setting the tone early with an aggressive defensive approach that made it difficult for Ohio to settle into a rhythm. The RedHawks’ pressure led to several fouls in the opening minutes, but it also prevented the Bobcats from generating consistent possession in the attacking third.
Ohio goalkeeper Celeste Sloma provided an early spark, diving to her right in the 29th minute to stop a penalty kick from Miami’s Caroline Mortonson, keeping the match even. Miami regrouped almost immediately. Just over a minute later, Mortonson found the net with a left-footed strike to the bottom right corner, assisted by Kayla Perfect and Juliann Kidd to put the RedHawks ahead 1-0.
Ohio responded with several promising looks before halftime as Rayann Pruss and Scout Murray both tested Miami goalkeeper Dominique Popa, but Popa remained steady between the posts. She finished the day with three saves and her fifth shutout of the season as the Bobcats’ nine total shots couldn’t find the back of the net.
Miami doubled its lead in the 57th minute when Perfect finished a clean pass from Mortonson, striking the ball to the center of the goal to make it 2-0. The RedHawks continued to control the tempo, dominating midfield play and limiting Ohio’s time on the ball.
The RedHawks’ final goal came in the 74th minute on their second penalty kick of the afternoon. Midfielder Shae Taylor placed her shot into the bottom left corner, extending Miami’s lead 3-0. However, the play also resulted in a yellow card for Maia Kaufman after a brief exchange with officials.
Ohio continued to battle until the final whistle, pushing forward in the closing minutes with a series of corner kicks and shots on goal. The Bobcats outshot Miami 9-5 and earned three corners to the RedHawks’ two but couldn’t convert their chances.
The match grew increasingly physical as the second half wore on. Along with Kaufman’s yellow card, Lillian Weller was booked in the 81st minute, while Perfect received a yellow earlier at the 53-minute mark. Both teams exchanged fouls throughout the afternoon as the rivalry’s intensity showed on the field.
“We knew exactly what we were going to face,” Ohio head coach Aaron Rodgers said. “We knew it was going to be critical to match intensity, physicality. We had to be able to play a little bit quicker.”
In the final minutes, Ohio midfielder Lilly O’Rourke was helped off the field after going down with an apparent leg injury. She was assisted by Rodgers and the athletic training staff and did not return to play.
Despite the loss, Ohio showed moments of creativity and determination in its final home performance, holding its own in possession for stretches and continuing to generate chances late in the match.
With the win, Miami closed out its conference road schedule on a high note, collecting goals from three different players and maintaining its strong defensive form heading into the MAC Tournament.
Ohio will close its regular season on the road Sunday against the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. There, the Bobcats will look to finish the year with a strong performance before shifting focus to the offseason after being eliminated from the MAC tournament.
