On Thursday, Ohio took a trip to Huntington, West Virginia, to face off against Marshall. The Bobcats entered the match still undefeated for the season and hoped to keep the streak alive by utilizing the outstanding defensive effort the team has been exerting so far this year.
The beginning of the match saw Ohio quickly attempt to challenge the Marshall defense.
Ohio outshot Marshall seven to five in the first half, with four of those shots being on target. The offensive attack tested Marshall’s defense mightily through the first 45 minutes. Ohio could have created more opportunities throughout the first half, but four offside penalties limited Ohio’s ability to control the pace of play more than it already had.
At the beginning of the second half, Marshall established possession immediately and pushed through the Ohio defense, drawing quick fouls in back-to-back minutes. Those fouls would set up a goal from Marshall midfielder Bailey Fisher in the 47th minute to put Ohio down 1-0.
That goal would prove to be the only one of the match, but Ohio’s second-half effort to find the equalizing score was formidable. The Bobcats managed to get 11 more shots off, five more shots-on-goal, four corner kicks, and outshot Marshall seven to zero for a 20-minute stretch, but none of these offensive opportunities resulted in any goals.
Ohio midfielder Eve Berish, defender Quintin Tostevin, and forward Aubrey Rea contributed heavily to Ohio’s offensive effort. Each recorded multiple shots and a shot-on-goal so Ohio could find quality opportunities at each level of the field throughout the match. The performance by Marshall's goalkeeper, Alexis Wolgemuth, halted any chance Ohio had to even the score. She recorded nine saves on the day and was a massive reason for Marshall's victory.
This match provided a lot of excitement for Ohio soccer despite suffering the first loss of the season. The defensive pressure continued to be felt, and the Bobcats created many offensive opportunities, even though none were successful.
Ohio will return to Chessa Field on Sunday, Sept. 3, for a match against Northern Kentucky University at 1 p.m.
