Alex Shaefer/FOR THE POST Ohio plays MAC opponents Louisville and Miami this weekend at home.

After enjoying its most dominating game of the year on Oct. 11, with a 6-0 win against Appalachian State, the Ohio field hockey team endured its most disappointing weekend of the season with losses at Ball State and Central Michigan.

"This weekend was very frustrating because at half time against Ball State we were tied 2-2 and we had a lot of momentum going," freshman midfielder Lauren Mazziotto said. "And in the second half they came back and trampled us, and we just fell apart."

Ball State, which is ranked 16th in the nation, scored five goals in the first 13 minutes of the second half and went on to beat the Bobcats 7-3.

The Cardinals, which have won 10 Mid-American Conference championships since entering the league in 1983, increased their record over MAC opponents to 116-10.

"Against Ball State we were definitely in the game," said midfielder Ali Johnstone, who scored two goals this weekend. "Then in the second half, one goal came after another. It was pretty brutal being so close and playing such a good game, and then in five or ten minutes being out of it."

This let down seemed to carry over to the next game against Central Michigan.

The Chippewas jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the opening period of the game and Ohio never recovered, scoring just a goal with just six minutes, 21 seconds left in regulation.

"The Central Michigan game was even more aggravating because we didn't even come out to play until the last 10 minutes of the game," Mazziotto said.

This weekend the Bobcats close out their home schedule at Shafer Street Field with MAC games against Louisville at 3 p.m. on Friday and against Miami at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Offensive struggles

The Bobcats have been having their difficulties scoring this season with the exceptions of the Appalachian State game, and the 5-0 win over Davidson last month.

Ohio has played 14 games so far this season, and of those games they have scored two or fewer goals seven times including two shut outs. Against Central, the Bobcats out shot the Chippewas 18-13 and had three more penalty corners (11-8), but lost 2-1.

"We're getting in the circle and we're getting shots off, but we're struggling to get the ball in the cage," Ohio assistant coach Shelly Morris said.

"We work on it at practice, but we're just not executing in game situations. I think we've seen some good goalkeepers, not to take credit from them, but they're definitely people we can score on, we just need to start finishing."

The Bobcats have been out-scored 42-31 this season, but more importantly they have been out-scored 23-16 in the second half.

"I think we know we've been struggling to get the ball in the net and it's come to the point where we're trying too hard," Morris said. "I think (the players) are thinking about it too much and that's why they're not putting it in."

Cardinal success

Ball State has won eight straight games and 10 of its last 11 due, in no small part, to forward Sally Northcroft.

The junior, from Harare, Zimbabwe, has recorded nine hat tricks including four this year and has had four games in her career in which she has scored four or more goals.

"Sally's a great player," Morris said. "She's strong and extremely deceptive, and her shot is probably a consistently sixty, sixty-five miles per hour. I've only seen that in some Olympic players."

Against Michigan State, earlier in the season, she set a school record by scoring all six of Ball State's goals in the Cardinal's win.

Mazziotto, who spent time covering Northcroft Saturday, had high accolades for the two-time, first team All-MAC player.

"She's awesome," Mazziotto said. "She's real explosive on her cuts and very intimidating."

Northcroft, who has twice been selected MAC Player of the Week this year, leads the conference in goals scored with 25.

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