After obliterating Ball State Saturday, Ohio struggled to find the net in a 1-0 overtime loss to No. 20 Michigan State.
The Bobcats mustered only five shots in the game, the fewest it has recorded since a 6-0 loss to Syracuse earlier in the season, and its two shots on goal was the team’s second lowest margin this season.
Late in the second half, senior Cathryn Altdoerffer made a great run up the field, dashing past several Spartan defenders and provided a near-perfect pass to junior Luli Gomez Teruel. Teruel tipped the pass toward the goal, but it sputtered just wide.
Two corners in the later stages of the second half were also misplayed, leaving coach Neil Macmillan disappointed in his team’s finishing abilities, which has been a problem throughout
the season.
“I think the overall thing was we didn’t score,” Macmillan said. “We did everything but that. We had those two missed opportunities (misplayed corners) and those are the things that are going to cost you in a tight game like this. It’s disappointing when you have an opportunity like that to win a game. You have to put the ball in the net.”
Michigan State also struggled to own the few opportunities it had to put the ball in the net. The Spartans had five corners in a three-minute span late in the second half but failed to convert.
But all it took was a shot from the top of the box by sophomore Allie Ahern, who scored Michigan State’s game-winning goal Friday against Ohio State, to seal the victory in the first four minutes of overtime.
Senior Taylor Brown, whose 38th career goal yesterday tied her for third on Ohio’s all-time leading goal scorers, was happy with the way her teammates battled against the Bobcats’ fourth Big Ten opponent of the season.
“I actually think we played great,” Brown said. “We really connected on the field and we just couldn’t put the ball in the goal. But I think, as a team, we played really well and deserved to win that game.”
Macmillan agreed with that sentiment and doesn’t want the team to feel too disappointed after a tough game like this.
“We don’t want to get too down after a game like today,” he said. “We just stay in the middle. We know we won the game, except on the scoreboard today, so we have great confidence moving forward.”
Ohio also took time to honor former coach Catherine Brown, who passed away in August. A memorial was held for her in the morning with many friends and former players in attendance. Macmillan was touched by the service and is taken aback by what Brown accomplished at Ohio.
“We’ve just tried to honor her all year with the patches we’re wearing,” Macmillan said. “It’s a great shame that she’s no longer with us, but her spirit and impact on Ohio Athletics lives on.”
ch203310@ohiou.edu
