Field Hockey making turn around

by Tim Pappa
THE POST

There's no place like home. There's no place like home.

Just don't tell the Ohio field hockey team.

The Bobcats (2-4) have played the previous six games on the road. This weekend they will add two more to that total, taking on the 18^th ranked Louisville Cardinals (5-2) in their first Mid-American Conference match of the season.

"They're (The Cardinals) quick and scrappy," coach Shelly Morris said. "They've been in the cellar for a couple of years now and have surfaced the past year to be a force. But if we come on strong, and play like we did last weekend, we can beat anybody."

Last weekend's victories, against Delaware and Syracuse, began a U-turn for the Bobcats.

Midfielder Lauren Mazziotto powered the Bobcats in both games. She had a game-winning overtime goal to give Ohio the win against Syracuse.

"It was a relief to get those two wins," Mazziotto said. "I felt more adulation for the fact that the team finally came together and pulled through for a win rather than my own goal."

The Miami Redhawks are ready for the Bobcats after a 9-0 victory against Indiana last week. A loss to Miami knocked the Bobcats from a tie for first place to third place last season, leaving them without a conference championship.

"They're definitely a tough team," Morris said. "I haven't won against them when visiting yet, but this time there is revenge added to the mix."

Even with all the away games the Bobcats have endured, they show no signs of settling into hotel life.

"Sometimes all the traveling does begin to wear down on you," goalkeeper Tara Elliot said. "But when it comes to game time we do what it takes to be ready. But I still always look forward to just coming home to bed."

More than just wins and losses are captured on the road though; friendships also form between all the rest stops, hotel stays and traffic jams from one end of the MAC to the other.

"The bonding and time we spend together on the road is priceless," Elliot said. "We are more than just a team - we're a family."