The Bobcats are ready to end their pattern of wins on Friday, losses on Sunday
Ohio is in the same position it was in last week.
And the week before.
And the week before that.
The Bobcats have averaged three points in each of the first three weekends of Mid-American Conference play. The standard has become a win on Friday, followed by a disappointing loss on Sunday.
As the table stands, the Bobcats (6-8, 3-3 MAC) sit in third-place in the MAC East — a position coach Aaron Rodgers is generally pleased with but wants to improve.
“Sure, I’d like to get a six-point weekend,” Rodgers said. “But three points in a weekend is still better than two draws. Finishing fifth or sixth in the conference would put us in a good position in the tournament.”
And while Rodgers would love to see the pattern disappear, Ohio’s road matchups Friday against Bowling Green (2-11, 1-5 MAC) and Sunday against Eastern Michigan (8-4-1, 4-2 MAC) have the same formula for another win-loss weekend.
The Bobcats roll into Bowling Green to face a side that has struggled through the season, losing seven of their last eight fixtures.
In the last three matches, it’s come down to the dying moments of the game to decide the outcome. Bowling Green won 1-0 against Akron, lost 1-0 to Central Michigan in double overtime and fell against Toledo 1-0 after giving up a penalty kick with seven seconds left.
For most of the season Ohio has been a second half team, determining the outcome typically in the second half, but when a game goes to overtime, the Bobcats have lost all three of their attempts in double overtime.
The key for the Bobcats will be their ability to adjust after a major loss in the backline.
In a 1-0 win against Ball State this past weekend, senior defender and captain Gabby Hausfeld suffered a season-ending injury to her left leg, forcing freshman Megan Niebuhr to step up and replace her.
Despite looking nervous and giving the ball away when she came in, Niebuhr adjusted and scored the winning goal in the second half.
“It was nerve-wracking, but I was ready,” she said after the match. “I had been practicing center back, so I’ve been getting the formation down and starting to develop chemistry.”
That chemistry with junior Grace Campbell in the middle and Tonya Frasik on the right will be crucial for Rodgers’ side, especially as Niebuhr is a natural midfielder who had to adjust.
“Grace is a great person to play next to,” she continued. “She’s calm, which helped me feel like home in the back.”
gh181212@ohiou.edu
@charliehatch_
