Bobcats continue losing skid

by Tim Pappa
THE POST

Always save for a rainy day. It may be good advice, but the Ohio State Buckeyes did not take it. Once the rain began cascading from a smoky sky overhead, the Buckeyes could not hold back. They broke open the piggybank.

The Ohio State Buckeyes field hockey team (11-6 overall, 3-2 in the Big 10) scored four goals after a stalled first half to beat Ohio 4-1 in a non-conference game. The Bobcats (9-8, 6-3 Mid-American Conference) sunk into a two-game losing streak.

The first half began in the Buckeyes' end, with Ohio providing offensive pressure until Ohio State finally broke free for a goal at 21:22 by mid-fielder Marije van Nouhuys. The Bobcats came back with a goal by forward Jill Appleby at 15:12, deadlocking the score at 1-1. With only 23 seconds left in the half, van Nouhuys connected again to give the Buckeyes the lead going into halftime.

"They kind of deflated us on that first goal," OU coach Shelly Morris said. "We have to learn to be mentally tough to keep playing through things like that and come back."

The score sheet in the second half was dominated by Ohio State. The Buckeyes held Ohio to no shots in the first 15 minutes and added two goals. Ohio State forward Chrissy Kilroe scored at 28:37 and mid-fielder Katie Hobson found the goal at 25:17. Hobson also had two assists to her credit. Ohio led shots 15-12 and had numerous corner opportunities, none of which resulted in a goal.

"They have a really good corner defense," Morris said. "They shut us down. We've been pretty strong on our corners as well, but we can't get any off after we've been blocked on a couple."

The Bobcats' lead in shots was no matter for Buckeyes' goaltender Allison Blanton, who had seven saves in the win. Ohio goaltender Tara Elliott had four.

"We started great and just let down," forward Amanda Eaby said. "We didn't keep it up. On defense, we went down like dominoes. We just crumbled. On offense we passed a lot better than normal and had great poise coming down the field. We were a lot quicker."

Morris also said the Bobcats' passing game was on cue against Ohio State.

"I thought we were the better passing team," Morris said. "We did pick and choose the right times to make the play. They just had good defense to stop that."

The loss to Ohio State marked the Bobcats' home finale for the season. Heading into the MAC championships, the message remains the same for Ohio, according to Morris.

"We are still searching for consistent play for 70 minutes," Morris said. "We played a great first 10 minutes and great last 10 minutes. But we have to recognize that we can play with any team in the top 20 and they don't see that yet."

Eaby said the team will be ready when the time comes to prove they belong with the best in the MAC.

"Everyone has the heart to play," Eaby said. "It's just sometimes we don't click. If one person is off, than the rest of us start to falter. Likewise, if one of us is on fire, the rest of us seem to catch on."

Although a two-game losing streak is not what the Bobcats had hoped for as the MAC championships approach, Eaby said there is a good side to their situation.

"Of course we didn't want to go in the MAC championships in a slump," Eaby said. "We don't want to have to dig ourselves out of a huge hole. But having lost two games does help in that we can see what we're doing wrong. So in a way, losing two games helps. But mentally, it hurts us."