For better or worse, a team will have a game or a series during the course of a season that changes the course of the campaign.
This weekend could very well represent that change for the Bobcats.
Ohio (5-7) traveled to the field against Missouri State and St. Louis and came away with wins of 3-2 and 4-1, respectively, as senior Luli Gomez Teruel scored five goals during the weekend.
“It was great for us to win both games this weekend,” coach Neil Macmillan said. “We felt like we deserved to win both, especially with the way we fought back to win the Missouri State game.”
The Bobcats’ trip through Missouri began Friday in Springfield with a game against the Bears (2-10).
Ohio’s first Mid-American Conference game lived up to Macmillan’s expectations, though the game was a back-and-forth affair, beginning with the Bears’ first goal in the sixth minute.
Gomez Teruel then put the Bobcats on the board with her sixth goal of the season to tie the game 1-1 just eight minutes later.
The score remained the same until the 47th minute when Missouri State sophomore Kimberleigh Eng put the Bears back on top 2-1.
However, after that goal, Gomez Teruel took just two minutes to tie the game again, but an overtime was then needed to break the tie. Sophomore Adele Sammons did just that during the sixth minute of the extra period.
“Luli can be the kind of player that can just find the back of the net easily,” Macmillan said. “She really hit her stride this weekend and really sparked us on offense.”
Sunday’s game against St. Louis (1-12) did not recreate the drama of the previous game for Ohio.
The Bobcats began the game fast with a goal from senior Katherine Fenzel in the 21st minute.
Gomez Teruel then followed that score up with a pair of goals in the 27th and 37th minutes, respectively, before the Billikens responded with their lone goal of the game during the 45th to make the score 3-1.
Gomez Teruel scored once more in the 49th minute to put to bed any chance of a comeback for St. Louis.
“The win against St. Louis was great, but the most important thing about this weekend was getting our first conference win,” Macmillan said. “Getting wins in conference is big. We have that; we have Pruitt back starting on Tuesday. It’s a new season and we’re excited for it.”
tj790511@ohiou.edu
