When Miami comes to town Friday, Ohio will be fighting for a place in the Mid-American Conference rankings and, though early in the season, a shot at dictating how the remainder of its conference play pans out.
The Bobcats are sitting in second place in the MAC East, trailing only Miami. Ohio coach Stacy Strauss said this week’s games could go a long way in defining conference bearing, which the Bobcats want to capitalize on during a four-game home stretch.
“Earning points or not, I think typically in weeks two or three, teams start to separate themselves from the others,” Strauss said.
Ohio has played well on its home turf. This year the Bobcats have won all four of their home games by a combined score of 6-1.
This past season, Ohio lost to Miami in double overtime, its third straight loss at the hands of its rivals. Ohio junior midfielder Maggie Murnane, who transferred from Dayton this summer, said a win against the RedHawks would be a confidence booster for the Bobcats and a picture-perfect introduction for her into the teams’ rivalry.
“I know Miami’s having a pretty good season and beating them would send a really big message in conference play, so definitely getting that win first would be tremendous,” Murnane said.
Miami is on a three-game winning streak, taking MAC games against Akron and Buffalo by a combined score of 6-1 last weekend.
Senior Jess Kodiak leads the RedHawks with six goals and has also contributed four assists on the year. Junior midfielder Kayla Zakrzewski, was named the MAC offensive player of the week Monday for her weekend effort of two goals and as many assists.
Once Ohio battles Miami Friday, Ball State, which Ohio tied in 2011, will make the trek to Athens. Despite starting 2-0 in conference play, the Cardinals have allowed 12 goals in the season, one less than they have scored.
Strauss said Ohio has been breaking down the basics in practice this week, with the focus on converting more scoring opportunities into viable offensive threats.
Ohio redshirt sophomore keeper Rachel Fryan said Ohio needs to get out to a fast start this weekend, after a tough loss to Central Michigan this past weekend.
“We need to put one in the back of the net right away and get the momentum of the game,” Fryan said.
mk277809@ohiou.edu
UP NEXT:
OHIO (6-4) vs. Miami (8-2)
Chessa Field
— The Bobcats trail only Miami in the MAC East.
— Ohio lost to Miami 2-1 in double overtime this past season
