Ohio (3-7-4 overall, 1-3-3 Mid-American Conference) battled, but ultimately fell 1–0 to Kent State (6-4-4 overall, 4-2-1 MAC) Thursday night at Dix Stadium. The Bobcats were forced to play a man down nearly the entire game, and that ended up being the difference in a tight road contest.
An early red card to defender Ella Deevers in the 11th minute forced the Bobcats to play the rest of the game with 10 players. While the Bobcats held firm defensively, a second-half strike by Josie Morgan proved decisive for the Golden Flashes.
Despite the setback, Ohio opened the match strongly, earning four corner kicks in the opening 15 minutes and pressuring the Kent State back line. Midfielder Kate Robinson forced Kent State goalkeeper Leah Shaffer into an early save with a low shot toward the bottom right corner of the net in the 23rd minute, one of the two saves Shaffer had in the match.
The momentum shifted after the save from Shaffer, with Kent State using its advantage to stretch the field and control possession. Ohio’s defense, anchored by Celeste Sloma as goalkeeper and Rayann Pruss and Sarah Helphinstine along the back line, weathered the pressure to keep the match scoreless through halftime.
Early in the second half, an Ohio foul led to a great chance for Kent State’s Josie Morgan, a chance she converted on, giving the Golden Flashes the lead after assists by Samantha Miller and Allison Collins.
After Kent State’s Morgan scored the first and only goal for the Golden Flashes in the 55th minute, Ohio refused to sit back. Jaimason Brooker nearly tied the game just a minute later, forcing a difficult save from Shaffer. Forward Maia Kaufman came close again in the 87th minute with a powerful strike that narrowly missed the target.
Even while down a player, Ohio stayed competitive statistically, matching Kent State’s eight total shots and edging the Golden Flashes to 6–3 in corner kicks. Substitutes Quintin Tostevin and Sania Dearing added energy in the second half, while Iro Fakinou and Hailey Jeng worked to push play through the midfield.
The offense was also able to put up a good number of shots on a stingy Kent State defense, putting up six total shots with two on goal.
Defensively, Sloma turned in another steady performance, finishing with three saves. Her composure at the net helped the Bobcats limit Kent State to just one goal on four shots on target.
Ohio’s effort over the closing stretch reflected the team’s resilience under difficult circumstances. Although the result extended Ohio’s winless streak in conference play, it offered encouragement. With the regular season entering its final stretch, the Bobcats will aim to build on that defensive solidity and find sharper finishing in front of the goal.
Ohio returns home to Chessa Field on Sunday to face the Toledo Rockets on ESPN+ at 1 p.m. Looking to bring more momentum back to their home field, the Bobcats hope to carry the same resilience they have been displaying into their final five games before conference competition begins.
