Ohio (6-6, 3-2 Mid-American Conference) lost both of its weekend road games. The first game against 13th-ranked and fellow MAC conference member Miami (8-4,4-1 MAC) resulted in a 10-0 loss. The second game against another ranked school, Indiana (9-3) didn’t fare much better as the Bobcats lost 5-0.
Playing one ranked opponent is a tough task for any mid-major school, but having two lined up back-to-back was a very difficult challenge for the Bobcats to overcome, especially with one of those losses contributing to a change in the MAC standings. The offense struggled against the top-tier defenses in both games, while the defense was pressured into numerous bad situations by the relentless attacks from Miami and Indiana’s offenses. The result of those factors was a scoreless weekend for the Bobcats.
Miami scored at least two goals in every quarter of play against the Bobcats, with the very first one scored within the first four minutes, that one from Kylie Coughlin. The offensive beatdown from Miami started, and before an answer could be thought up, Miami scored once again, with Bet Grifa being the one to send the ball into the net. Ohio held Miami scoreless the rest of the quarter, but the hole had already been started, and it got deeper and deeper.
The second quarter was identical scoring-wise to the first. Miami scored two goals. The scorers were Malena Sabez and Maxima Aguirrego. The Bobcats didn’t muster up anything on offense, as the game was completely controlled by Miami. If they wanted something, they got it, and the halftime buzzer would ring with Miami up 4-0.
Miami doubled its goal count in the third quarter, adding four more. Not even two minutes into the second half, Justina Intzes found an opening and scored, which showed that Miami was not done putting up numbers. Both offenses remained quiet until late into the third quarter. In under four minutes, Miami scored three goals, all but burying the Bobcats. Coughlin and Aguirrego added one each while Ella Clayton launched another goal into the back of the net.
After a very lopsided third quarter, Ohio still didn’t catch a break as Miami scored two more goals in the fourth. Gifra had her second goal of the game while Wearren scored her first of the match. The beatdown was brutal, and Ohio had no answer for it. Seven different Miami players scored a goal, with three of them having two goals.
After leaving Oxford with a loss, Ohio arrived in Bloomington to face off against Indiana, the 12th-ranked team in the nation. It would be another scoreless game for the Bobcats, with the Indiana offense getting a leap over Ohio early on. In almost-repeat fashion, Indiana scored its first goal not even two minutes into the game, this goal courtesy of Molly Stutte. That was the only goal of the quarter, with the Bobcats not allowing any more Indiana shots to reach the net.
Indiana came out swinging in the second quarter. The team overall had eight shots, but only one managed to count as a score thanks to the Bobcats’ four saves. Indiana’s lone goal was scored by Theresa Ricci, and would put the team down by two goals, a better situation than the one in Oxford. The Bobcats still had a chance to regroup at half and find their footing.
The Bobcats wouldn’t be the team to come out strong, as Indiana scored two more goals in the third quarter. Celia Arroyo Cabezudo was the scorer of both of Indiana’s goals, and Ohio had no answer on defense or offense. The Bobcats only got one shot off the entire third quarter, and it looked grim for the team. Indiana was able to pile on freely while Ohio struggled to find so much as a look at the net.
The fourth quarter was the final nail in the coffin, as Charlotte Glasper knocked in Indiana’s final goal of the game, going up 5-0. Nobody in Ohio could answer against the stalwart defense of Indiana, and the Bobcats looked powerless. The buzzer rang, and Indiana was victorious over Ohio with a 5-0 score.
While those were bad losses for the Bobcats, the Indiana loss may not sting so much as it may have been out of conference, which won’t hurt the team in MAC standings. The Miami game will hurt the team, and the Bobcats will look to bounce back next weekend with two conference games, one at home against James Madison and the other on the road against Longwood.
