Ohio returns home to play Longwood and Ball State at Pruitt Field.
For Ohio, there’s no place like Pruitt Field.
After several weekends of traveling between home and away games, the Bobcats will have their first two-game home stand since Sept. 13.
The Bobcats (6-6, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) are set to play two fellow MAC opponents in Ball State (2-11, 2-0 MAC) and Longwood University (4-8-1, 2-2 MAC).
Senior Clarissa Leickly said the weekend at home will give Ohio a much needed boost.
“I think we get more pumped up for home games because we know we’ll have more fans,” Leickly said. “And also we don’t have to get used to other team's fields.”
After suffering its first conference defeat in a 2-0 loss at the hands of Missouri State last weekend, Ohio will look to improve its record in the MAC against two lower ranked conference opponents. However, coach Neil Macmillan said he doesn’t expect any reduction in focus.
“I don’t think you look at the results up to this point in time when you’re playing a MAC game,” Macmillan said. “Both of those teams will be up for a win in conference, and that’s what’s exciting about the MAC.”
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Ohio has already seen Ball State once this season, winning 4-2 in Muncie, Indiana. The win was a non-conference matchup and did not count towards Ohio's conference record.
While playing a team before is usually beneficial, Macmillan said he expects Ball State to adjust its game this time around.
“I think they’ll tweak what they did in the mid-field a little bit,” Macmillan said. “They packed the mid-field and allowed us some space on the outside. We’ve just got to be a little more alert to what they do because I’m sure it will be slightly different."
The game Sunday against a high-octane Longwood team could be one that mirrors Ohio's style of play.
“They’re fast, they’ve got some good forwards,” Macmillan said. “They play a style that matches up well with us. It’s going to be one of those games that will probably have a lot of open play, fast breaks and quick hockey.”
Regardless, getting two MAC wins this weekend would be crucial for an Ohio team set on making the MAC tournament.
“This weekend is going to be really focused,” sophomore Elena Curley said. “We’re not going to take anything for granted.”
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