The Ohio women's lacrosse team ended a three-game West Coast swing that took the squad from Berkeley, Calif., to Eugene, Ore., with only one win, but much more experience.
After a 10-6 loss to California, the Bobcats earned their second victory of the season with a 13-10 win over St. Mary's before suffering a 12-6 defeat to Oregon on Saturday.
The loss to the Ducks was the result of a lethargic start that left the Bobcats (2-7, 0-1 American Lacrosse Conference) fighting against an insurmountable deficit.
We got off to a slow start in the first half and dug ourselves into a hole
and we had to play catch up coach Allison Valentino said. We had moments where we were able to move the ball offensively and were able to score but we did not have the ball enough.
One reason the Bobcats did not hold the ball enough was their 26 turnovers compared to Oregon's 14. Midfielder Amanda Diehl said the team knew they could play with Oregon, but the early disadvantage kept them out of striking distance.
We knew we could compete with them but we just got down too big Diehl, who had two goals in the contest, said. We came back strong starting the second half and had we started out that way
I think the game would have had a different outcome.
The key positive that came from the trip was Ohio's three-goal victory over St. Mary's, a contest where six Bobcats tallied goals and the team scored their second-highest total of the season.
Freshman attacker Kiersten McLouth, Ohio's leading scorer, used a four-goal outburst to help the Bobcats put away the Gaels after a rocky start.
I knew someone would have to step up and take control and make some goals to win
McLouth said. We had a bit of a rough start
but we were able to turn it around and we fought the whole way through.
Also aiding the Bobcats in offense was attacker Kelley Windle, who scored four goals as well to keep St. Mary's from getting the lead after the match was tied at 9-9.
With more than half of the season completed, the Bobcats will return home after six straight road games to play host to Davidson at noon Friday at Peggy Pruitt Field.
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Nick Miller
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