After two one-goal tangles with conference teams this weekend, coach Neil Macmillan said he might have gained a few gray hairs because of all the tension.
But it must have been worth it in the end for the field-hockey coach. After Laura Mastro’s overtime game-winner yesterday against Ball State, Macmillan’s team became the 2011 Mid-American Conference regular-season champions.
“It was really exciting,” Macmillan said after the 2-1 win. “Everyone was going crazy.”
Mastro’s third score of the season came on a breakaway that Cathryn Altdoerffer set up with an intercepted pass. She got the ball to Mastro, who took it 50 yards down the left side of the field, cut in when she got closer to the net and beat the goaltender to get the win.
“It was a pretty good feeling,” Mastro said. “It was really nice to know that we could get it done, especially in that high-pressure situation.”
Aside from the victorious outcome, yesterday’s game bore no resemblance to Ohio’s previous shellacking of Ball State when they beat the Cardinals 9-1 Oct. 1.
Yesterday was Senior Day for the Cardinals, and they took the pitch looking to maximize their home-field advantage. Besides the rowdy crowd, an unusual turf presented a challenge to the Bobcats (15-3, 8-0 MAC). The field in Muncie, Ind., gets watered only when it rains, and that made ball movement a little tricky for the visitors.
But Ohio prevailed, edging a team that has two wins against Miami and another against Kent State.
“They’re a very emotional team,” Macmillan said. “They were really into the game; they’re competitive. And on their turf, it’s a different story.”
Ohio opened the scoring when Katherine Fenzel deposited a pass from Brooke Edwards into the net about 25 minutes into the game. The goal was Fenzel’s third of the year.
The Bobcats didn’t enjoy the lead for much longer, though, as the Cardinals tied it up about eight minutes later.
The intense, low-scoring affair was the second for the Bobcats in as many days. A day earlier, Ohio defeated rival Miami 1-0.
“I think the thing is now we’ve become a marked team,” Macmillan said. “Everyone wants to go out and get us. They were trying their best to do that, and we just did a good job of holding that off.”
Jessica Jue scored the game’s only goal. She put Ohio on the scoreboard during a penalty corner in the first half to send home a rebound after an attempt by Taylor Brown.
Against the RedHawks, Ohio earned its fifth consecutive shutout against a conference opponent. To the disappointment of Macmillan, that streak came to an end yesterday.
“We’ve been very tight in the back in not allowing a lot of opportunities,” Macmillan said.
The coach would have liked another shutout yesterday, but he knows “the win is more important.”
me811508@ohiou.edu
