Ohio (6-8, 4-3 Mid-American Conference) lost in heartbreaking fashion against MAC No.1 Appalachian State (13-4, 6-1 MAC) 3-2 in overtime. Appalachian State was able to keep its number one seeding in the upcoming MAC tournament with its win while the Bobcats fell to fourth in the conference with the loss.
This was a big loss for the Bobcats as they moved down the seedings in their conference, priming them to play against a higher team in the MAC Tournament. They were able to stay in the game, as the game went to overtime but the Bobcats weren't able to hold on, as Appalachian State was able to score a goal to take the game away from Ohio.
The goalkeepers for both teams played their parts well, as Ohio's goalkeeper, Macy Lotze, continued her impressive play with a nine-save performance. Appalachian State's goalkeeper, Addie Clark didn't disappoint either as she had seven saves of her own this game. Both team's defenses were able to keep up with the opposing offenses, as Appalachian State didn't allow the Bobcats to run up the score early as they did in their last game against Bellarmine. The same goes for the Bobcat's defense, as they only gave up three goals to Appalachian State.
Meela Kopp and Anouk Plaehn were responsible for Ohio's two goals. This is Kopp's second game in a row in which she scored a goal. The top scorer, Katelyn Whittle assisted both goals.
The two teams were rather evenly matched throughout; Ohio had 12 total shots while Appalachian State had 17. Ohio was able to muster nine saves to Appalachian states eight saves. Overall, these teams, despite very different records, were able to go blow for blow, but in the end, the Bobcats weren't able to stop the goal in overtime.
Appalachian State was able to put up three goals this game with each of them coming from a different player. Forward Bridget Donovan scored a penalty goal 38 seconds into the game. Appalachian State's second goal came courtesy of midfielder Lise Boekaar and the game-winning goal that was scored in the overtime game from forward Hadley Kuzmicky. This was a huge win for Appalachian State, as it was able to keep its number one seed and keep Miami (OH) as the second seed.
Despite the loss, the Bobcats were able to stay competitive with one of the best teams the MAC conference has to offer, which is promising with the Bobcats looking to face the same level of competition in the tournament. Ohio plays its last game of the season against Davidson this Sunday and looks to bolster its record a little bit before the tournament arrives.
