Two weekend losses threaten the Bobcats' opportunity to be eligible for the MAC Tournament.
After another disappointing weekend, the Bobcats have suddenly found themselves on the wrong side of the Mid-American Conference playoff picture.
A 2-1 loss to a lowly Bowling Green (3-11) side Friday and then another Sunday to MAC West leaders Eastern Michigan left Ohio with no points and scrapping for a spot in the conference tournament.
“We’re not in it now,” coach Aaron Rodgers said. “We’re probably in ninth or tenth place right now.”
“We’ve got nine points we need to play for and we need to take as many as I can. It’s going to be really tight from this point to the end of the season.”
Prior to this weekend, Ohio (6-10, 3-5 MAC) picked up three points every MAC weekend, which Rodgers said he was satisfied with, and thought that a win and a loss every weekend would keep his team mid-table heading into the postseason.
And it looked as though the trend would continue, when freshman defender Megan Niebuhr scored nine minutes into Friday’s fixture. The goal was Niebuhr’s second in three matches, after senior captain Gabby Hausfeld suffered a season-ending injury two weeks ago.
But goals in the 53rd and 68th minute were enough for the Falcons to claim three points at home, despite the Bobcats outshooting the home side 27-20 with 17 shots on goal.
Two days later, Eastern Michigan took the lead in the 83rd minute, making it the fourth time in as many weeks Ohio has lost on a Sunday.
With two weeks left in the regular season Ohio has three matches left, including a trip to Central Michigan next Friday and a home fixture on Sunday against Toledo. The week after, Ohio ends the season hosting Toledo on Oct. 30.
“We have to learn to play with pressure,” Rodgers said. “That’s a trait all championship teams have, and something we need to have. We need to step up our level over the next three games.”
The inconsistency in front of goal, mixed with preventable defensive breakdowns have plagued the Bobcats all season, and may potentially be the factors that end the season short of postseason action.
“The only game we need to worry about at this point is Friday,” Rodgers said. “The future of the women’s soccer program rests on Friday. We
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