A westward road trip is on the horizon for the Bobcats.
Ohio has four consecutive away games as Mid-American Conference play continues. Next up are Western Michigan and Northern Illinois, followed by Toledo and Ball State.
The Bobcats have struggled on the road, though with their only win in four chances coming Sept. 2 at Marshall. Coach Stacy Strauss understands the difficulty the players will face in the opponents as well as the distance from Athens.
“It’s going to be tough. We need to go into it with a good attitude and make sure we take advantage of some things that do happen on the road,” Strauss said.
One possible benefit of the road trip is a respite from the pressure of playing at home. Coming off a 3-0 loss Sunday to defending MAC champion Central Michigan, Ohio is ripe to regain its confidence.
“We start well and come out and get some goals and get our confidence back up,” senior Kelsey Pichel said, predicting what the team could accomplish this weekend.
Scoring goals is something the Bobcats have continued to struggle with. At the same point in the season last year, the Bobcats had scored nine goals and allowed 10. This season, Ohio has scored seven times and allowed 12 goals.
The only game in which the Bobcats scored more than one goal was Pittsburgh Aug. 22. With a second 3-0 loss in the rear view mirror as Ohio travels to Western Michigan Friday, Pichel said the team will regain the confidence.
“I would rather lose early in the season in order to get our momentum going toward the end of the season,” Pichel said. “If we’re going to lose, I’d rather lose now and get our confidence back to the end of the season.”
Ohio tied Western Michigan 1-1 last season and pulled out a 3-2 win against Northern Illinois. Strauss and her players look to replicate and improve on last year’s results.
Western Michigan is 5-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play, and Northern Illinois has only won one game this season. The Huskies have scored only three times.
Although the statistics favor the Bobcats, the road games offer a different kind of test.
“In this conference every game is a battle, so we just need to make sure we’re playing to our potential,” Straus said.
Up Next:
OHIO vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN
4 p.m. Today at WMU Soccer Complex
OHIO vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
2 p.m. Sunday at The Track and Field/Soccer Complex
— Ohio has six different goal-scorers this season
— Northern Illinois has been outscored 19-3
