Ohio (4-9, 2-3 Mid-American Conference) took home its second conference win of the year by defeating Ball State (3-11, 1-4 MAC) 1-0 on Friday.
Both teams entered this game with struggles on offense. Ohio had only scored two goals in its last two games, while Ball State had been shut out in each of its last three games. However, this game would start differently.
Ball State would have its first chance on offense about three minutes in, but Ohio goalkeeper Ash Stephenson turned away a shot by forward Emily Kate Covert. Ohio would get moving on offense not long after, but two Bobcat shots went wide. Ball State got a penalty corner that was again saved by Stephenson, keeping both teams off the scoreboard after the first period.
The second quarter was much more of a defensive battle. A Bobcat penalty corner one minute in was ultimately sent wide, which would account for their only shot of the quarter. Covert would get Ball State’s only shot of the period five minutes later, but it too would be sent wide, and the score remained 0-0 at halftime as both teams searched for answers offensively.
The offensive shortage would not last long, as the Bobcats came out of the break with quite the adjustment. Tiana Nhamoinesu scored her first goal of the season to put the Bobcats up 1-0 just 13 seconds into the half.
“We really just got together as a group and talked about what we wanted to continue doing and what we should take into the half,” Nhamoinesu said. “We knew Ball State would come out really hard, they’re known for being a team to come back, so we just wanted to get that head start.”
The defensive intensity picked right back up after the goal, with both defenses and goalkeepers remaining strong for the rest of the third quarter, and both teams having multiple chances but ultimately being unable to find the back of the net, as Ohio held the 1-0 lead.
The fourth began, and the offenses remained quiet once again. Nhamoinesu tried for her second goal of the game and season a minute into the period, but Ball State goalkeeper Carleigh Hofelich came up for the save.
Both teams went back and forth on defense for the remainder of the game, and neither team registered a shot in the final thirteen minutes, keeping the score unchanged and securing the 1-0 win for the Bobcats on their home field.
This game marked another strong defensive performance for the Bobcats, as their defense has only allowed one goal in their last three games. This execution will be pivotal in the coming weeks, and MAC play intensifies and playoff eligibility looms for the hungry Bobcats.
“We’re just executing really well defensively,” Ohio head coach Ali Johnstone said. “It takes a lot of discipline to play defense, and they’re doing really well.”
Ohio is now 2-3 in Mid-American Conference play, putting them in fifth place in the MAC. The top six teams in the MAC make the postseason tournament, and their next opponent, Kent State, currently ranks sixth, so their upcoming matchup will have significant postseason implications.
The Bobcats will head North to face the Golden Flashes on Friday, Oct. 17; then return home Sunday, Oct. 19, to face Longwood.
