With 18 games in the books, Ohio has one more game to determine its fate.
Ohio will travel north to Akron today to battle for a spot in the Mid-American Conference tournament.
With a win or tie against the Zips, the Bobcats will claim a spot in the postseason tournament, which begins Sunday.
If Akron wins, the Zips will earn the spot and possibly leave the Bobcats empty-handed.
Ohio coach Stacy Strauss said she believes that her players are ready to fight for the postseason.
“We are certainly hungry for a win, considering our results of late,” Strauss said. “I believe that the focus is good and that the players are willing to do whatever it takes to get a result.”
Ohio has struggled the past three games since losing Sara Seitz, Kim Nordtveit and Mattie Liston to injury. The team has also been without Paige Howard for the past two games.
Senior Laura Dieter said she believes the team’s ability to cope with the injuries speaks of the team’s adaptability.
“We have lost four starters, but I think it says something about our team of how deep our bench is,” she said. “We have such depth on our bench that you couldn’t even tell we’re down in numbers. I think the players’ not being able to play has motivated us even more to perform.”
The Bobcats have had several players transition to new positions and have had to alter formations because of injuries and circumstances.
“I think our biggest asset this year has been our versatility and our adaptability,” Strauss said. “We have had to play a number of different formations and people at different positions, and we have been able to adjust fairly quickly.”
Ohio has managed to produce only one win in the past six games, but Dieter said she and the other seniors understand the importance of Thursday’s game.
“I think, the last few days, everyone has upped the energy and is working a lot harder. We know what is on the line,” Dieter said. “For the seniors in particular, we are all scared to be done playing, so we have been putting everything in, especially near the end.”
Ohio will play Akron at 3 p.m. and will know its fate immediately after a win or tie. If Ohio loses, the team will have to wait until the final MAC game has been played to know whether or not it qualified for the tournament.
“There is no reason to give up. It’s just more reason for us to play our hearts out,” Dieter said. “Akron is going to be a scrappy team. They know what’s on the line, so they are going to try and take us out of the tournament. It’s going to be a battle.”
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