Ohio looks to advance to the finals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the first time since 2002 after it upset No. 3 seed Western Michigan 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
To make that goal a reality, the Bobcats must defeat Eastern Michigan in the MAC Semifinals on Friday.
Here’s everything you need to know heading into the match:
The Opponent: Eastern Michigan (6-11-2, 5-6 MAC)
- First touch on Friday is scheduled for 7 p.m.
- Bowling Green is the highest remaining seed, so the rest of the MAC Tournament will be played at Cochrane Soccer Stadium.
- The Eagles are the No. 7 seed in the tournament after they earned 15 points in the regular season. They upset No. 2 seeded Ball State 2-1 on Sunday to advance to the MAC semifinals.
- Eastern Michigan lost the regular season match against the Bobcats on Oct. 20 in a 1-0 final.
- The Eagles are on a three-match win streak with victories against Buffalo, Central Michigan and Ball State.
Player to watch: Eastern Michigan’s Sabrina McNeil is tied for sixth in the MAC in goals scored with Ohio midfielder Alivia Milesky in 2019. McNeil also netted the Eagles’ first goal in victory over Ball State on Sunday.
Notes on the Bobcats (11-8-1, 5-5-1 MAC)
- With 11 wins, Ohio has its best record since the 2002 season, where it went 15-5-2.
- The Bobcats are in the MAC semifinals for the second season in a row. Last season, they lost 1-0 to Bowling Green, who won the whole tournament.
- If Ohio beats Eastern Michigan on Friday, the Bobcats will advance to the MAC Finals for the first time since the 2002 season, where they lost to rival Miami. The Bobcats haven’t won a MAC Championship in 21 seasons.
Player to watch: In the victory over Western Michigan on Sunday, senior midfielder Sydney Leckie scored Ohio’s first goal and assisted Milesky on the second. She also scored the lone goal in the Bobcat’s 1-0 victory over the Eagles on Oct. 20.
Sports
