It took 162 minutes and 35 shots, but the Bobcats finally found the back of the net this weekend.
Off a free kick by Remi Eades, Alivia Milesky took the shot that put Ohio ahead 1-0 in the 72nd minute of the game. Ohio’s goaltending and defensive effort did the rest, as the Bobcats beat Cleveland State 1-0 at Chessa Field on Sunday.
It was another hard-fought win for the Bobcats, who have not lost at home this season, and a good bounce-back win after the team fell 1-0 to High Point on Friday.
After Ohio beat Butler by scoring a goal within the early stages of the first half earlier this season, High Point returned the favor to the Bobcats by scoring in the 18th minute and holding that one-goal advantage the rest of the way to hand Ohio its first loss of the season.
The disappointment of not scoring — despite taking 20 shots — and the fatigue of traveling 10 hours round-trip from Athens to High Point, North Carolina, and back, to play two matches in three days did seem to effect Ohio’s discipline Sunday as Milesky, Bryce Hueber and Courtney Daugerdas were all shown yellow cards during the match.
But all the travel and fatigue did not affect the Bobcats' two-headed monster in goal of Erin Beurket and Sydney Malham, who combined to stop five shots from Cleveland State en route to another shutout.
This season, Beurket and Malham have combined to allow just one goal while making 13 saves in four games.
Milesky’s game-winning goal Sunday was her first goal of the season, and her first goal wearing the No. 11 jersey. She switched from 22 to 11 in the offseason to honor her sister Alexis, who graduated in the spring after playing in the 11 jersey for the Bobcats for four years.
Ohio (3-1-0) will now get a week off to rest before traveling to Xavier (2-1-1) on Sept. 3. The Bobcats and Musketeers will kick off at 1 p.m. in Cincinnati.
