Similar to their on-field scoring performance, the Bobcats' preseason goals largely missed the mark.
A year after finishing fourth in the Mid-American Conference, Ohio returned with 19 players while bolstering the roster with the addition of seven freshmen, including rookie goalkeeper Mattie Liston.
But the Bobcats' struggles largely came on offense, not defense.
Our expectations are very high
coach Stacy Strauss said. We certainly expected to build on our fourth-place finish last year returning most of our roster from a year ago.
Ohio (6-9-4, 3-5-3 MAC) set a school record for the least number of goals scored in a season (17) and tied the program mark for the most games shut out (nine).
Eight Bobcats scored two goals this season, but only junior forward Rachael Philpot netted three. Strauss said her squad lacked the offensive sparkplug that most teams require to have a successful season.
Those two records go hand-in-hand essentially
she said. Typically
for a team to have success
they have a player with 10 or 12 goals
and we were missing that one standout goal scorer.
The Bobcats' did not win back-to-back games all season. Their longest non-losing streak lasted only three games.
Ohio only managed to score in three consecutive games on one occasion. Strauss said her team's inconsistency partially resulted from a streaky schedule that juxtaposed matches against tough opponents with easier contests.
Our schedule was in itself a little bit inconsistent
she said. Our play was in good part affected by our opponents positively or negatively.
The schedule sent the Bobcats on five straight road games followed by four home matches, another three away from home, two in Athens and then another away from the friendly confines of Chessa Field.
Ohio's defense kept the low-scoring squad in every game. The Bobcats lost just three matches by more than a goal as they allowed only 21 goals this year, tying the lowest season total of any team in program history.
The real difference between this season and last was we were competitive in every game. We didn't get drilled
Strauss said.
The Bobcats struggled down the stretch, losing their final three matches of the season. They arguably played their best soccer back in August, when they beat Pittsburgh 2-0 on the road.
Ohio also played competitively against No. 9 South Carolina, which Strauss said was the highest-ranked opponent the Bobcats have ever faced.
Liston became the first Bobcat goalkeeper in 12 years to start every game as a freshman. She made 92 saves this season, good for second-best in program history, and already sits fourth all-time on Ohio's career shutout list.
As a freshman
they're a bit of an unknown. It was a pleasant surprise
Strauss said.
We're certainly going to expect that she's sharper and cleaner and communicates even more as a sophomore.
