At this point last year, Miami ended Ohio’s season by knocking it out of the 2010 Mid-American Conference Tournament. In the 2011 event, tournament host Ohio will have the chance to return the favor.
After coming from behind to defeat Ball State 2-1 yesterday, the RedHawks earned the chance to take on the top-seeded Bobcats in the semifinals today.
The two teams have met twice this season, with Ohio (16-4, 9-1 MAC) winning each matchup. Both games were low-scoring affairs in which Miami did not register a goal.
But coach Neil Macmillan knows his team will have to battle for a win. He expects Miami senior Brittany Branco to make a difference after she saw very little time in the last meeting.
“She does a really good job in the back,” Macmillan said. “She also hits corners for them. She’s a weapon and a threat, so that’s something that will definitely come into our game plan a little bit.”
That’s not to say, though, that Branco is the only cause for concern for Ohio. Senior Amanda Seeley scored both goals in Miami’s win yesterday, and junior Olivia Miller leads the team with 10 scores.
Not to mention sophomore goaltender Sarah Mueller, who limited Ohio to just three goals in two games and gives up on average only 2.34 per game.
“Their goalkeeper is very strong,” Macmillan said. “She’s really good, and she can keep them in games. You saw that with our two games. A lesser goalkeeper would have maybe let a few more goals in, but she kept them well in the game.”
For as good as Mueller is, though, it would be hard to say she’s more talented than Ohio’s Jen McGill. Through Oct. 30, McGill’s play has led to the Bobcats’ top national ranking in goals against average (.73 per game) and fifth-best mark in save percentage (.800).
Because of McGill’s year, it’s no surprise that she was named to the All-MAC first-team, along with Cathryn Altdoerffer, Jessica Jue, Taylor Brown and Louzeth Schutte.
Schutte also was named the MAC Player of the Year, and Macmillan was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.
Those awards might be nice, but Macmillan said his team has not yet captured the most important award. To do that, the Bobcats will have to overcome Miami today and advance to the MAC final.
“They’re very tough. They play the game hard,” Macmillan said. “They know how to play the game in a way that makes it uncomfortable for you.”
me811508@ohiou.edu
