Mid-American Conference wins have been few and far between for Ohio. After five consecutive conference losses, Ohio claimed a commanding win against Akron this past Sunday.
For coach Aaron Rodgers, he’s hoping the win will start a trend as the team is looking to bounce back in conference play. The nine-game winless streak was ended Sunday, so maybe a non-losing streak is in the future.
No More Sunday Woes
This year is the first since Rodgers’ first year that Sunday games are no longer a drag. The past two years have been a test to his team to be able to turn around in one day and bring the same energy it did on the Friday match. This year, the energy is almost the same.
“We adjusted how we train the team,” Rodgers said. “I think we adjusted how we approach each individual player. I think there are times that we train other players, then we train other (players) throughout the week.”
That showed last Sunday with four goals coming from four different players — including one freshman.
Bouncing back this Sunday will be important as Central Michigan is one of the top teams in the MAC. With 12 wins overall and four in conference, the Bobcats will be tested yet again.
Polar Opposites
On paper, Eastern Michigan is essentially the same team as Ohio. Central Michigan isn't. Thus, training this week might be a little different.
Through the first six games of conference play, Ohio (3-9-1, 1-5 MAC) faced similar talent on Friday and Sunday. This week, one team appears to be significantly stronger.
“I think Eastern is very similar to us in the sense that I think they are a much better team than their record indicates,” Rodgers said. “They know they are in a similar position in the league as we are.”
The plan to approach this weekend is to take one game at a time, according to Rodgers.
For his team, each game it plays for the rest of season will impact its chances in the tournament. The Bobcats are going to need to turn things around, halfway through conference play.
Rodgers is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since his first year. The Bobcats aren’t out of contention just yet but will take a significant change through the next three weeks left in conference play to reach that goal.
“We just have to go one (game) at a time,” Rodgers said. “We know what he have to do to achieve a MAC Tournament berth, and we gotta get some wins.”
