The Ohio field hockey team (6-7, 3-2 MAC) returned to action on Friday afternoon (Oct. 14), defeating Mid-American Conference foe Central Michigan (1-13, 0-5 MAC), 2-0, at Pruitt Field.
Overall, Ohio recorded 18 shots with 13 on goal, while Central Michigan recorded five shots with one on goal. Ohio also registered four corners, while CMU had one.
Ohio was led by senior Katelyn Whittle (Glenwood, Md.) who scored one goal on nine shots with seven on goal. Sophomore Noa Desmaretz (Antwerp, Belgium) added one goal on one shot, while freshman Mijntje Ligtenberg (The Hague, The Netherlands) registered one assist on four shots with one on goal. Freshman Sasha Dikotla (Johannesburg, South Africa) added three shots with three on goal, while sophomore Merle Kal (Haarlem, The Netherlands) also added one shot.
In goal, junior Macy Lotze (Louisville, Ky.) played all 60 minutes, allowing no goals and making one save.
"It was a dominating win," head coach Ali Johnstone said. "We led in shots, corners, and shots on goals. It's a statement this this team is hungry and we're ready to fight for the rest of the season."
The first quarter saw limited offensive pushed from either team, keeping the match 0-0 going to the second quarter. The second quarter saw the Bobcats string together four-straight penalty corners, however, Ohio was unable to capitalize. Central Michigan generated its best chance of the half in the final seconds of the quarter, however the Ohio defense kept the ball out of the cage, sending the game to halftime tied at 0-0.
Overall, Ohio outshot CMU, 7-4 with six shots on goal compared to CMU's one. Ohio also recorded four corners, while Central Michigan recorded zero.
The third quarter saw the Bobcats' offense come out on fire, registering three-straight attempts. The Bobcats finally struck in the 35th minute, when Desmaretz registered her second goal of the season, giving Ohio the 1-0 lead. The Bobcats continued to put pressure on the CMU keeper, however Ohio was unable to add on, ending the third quarter with Ohio leading 1-0.
The fourth quarter saw CMU start to put pressure on the Ohio defense; however, Ohio did not allow Central Michigan to score. Ohio then added on in the 56th minute when Whittle scored off an assist from Ligtenberg, putting the Bobcats up 2-0 with under five minutes to go. The goal from Whittle was the final dagger that the Bobcats needed, sealing the 2-0 victory.
Up next, the Bobcats are back in Athens on Sunday, Oct. 16 when they host St. Francis. First touch is set for 12 p.m. at Pruitt Field. Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up