Ohio (3-1-1) faced off against Marshall (1-3-1) in the fifth game of the season and its second at home. Ohio entered the game looking to carry the momentum it had gained against Valparaiso, beating them 5-0. Ohio’s combination of a sturdy defense and a formidable offense was too much for Marshall as Ohio won 2-0.
In the first half, it was a very offensive game with nine shots total between the two teams. Along with the nine shots, there were also five corner kicks in the first half, none of which resulted in a goal.
Both goalies stood strong most of the first half, with three saves each. That was until Ohio junior midfielder Lilly O’Rourke, who transferred from DePaul this offseason, scored a long goal from outside the box, putting Ohio up 1-0. Sophomore forward Anna Burchett passed the ball to O’Rourke who touched the ball once and positioned herself for a shot that went to the top left corner of the goal, giving Ohio the lead in the 43rd minute of the game.
There were also two yellow cards given in the first half, one to each team. The first yellow card was given to Ohio freshman defender Lillian Weller in the 38th minute, while the second one was given soon after in the 40th minute to Marshall freshman defender Maria Chaves.
Ohio would dominate the second half, with 13 shots against just three shots from Marshall. Ohio kept pushing in the second half offensively, forcing Marshall to play defensively, and keeping the team from getting any real opportunities to score.
A third yellow card for the game was given in the second half, handed out to Marshall’s junior defender Angel Fowler in the 60th minute.
The 1-0 score would become 2-0 in the 65th minute with a goal from junior midfielder Eve Berish, her first of the season. Berish scored right outside of the box, getting the ball just to the left of the goalie as she was running to pressure Berish. Ohio was not able to score again the rest of the game, but the team continued to be overwhelming on offense and tough on defense.
Eight of Ohio’s 13 second-half shots came after Berish’s goal, showing the team did not slow down and even sped up its offensive attack. Marshall’s offense slowed immensely after Berish’s second-half goal, only getting one shot the rest of the game.
Ohio has still not allowed a goal since playing Michigan State, scoring 7 in their past two games. Ohio travels to Bowling Green, Kentucky this Sunday to face off against Western Kentucky and Ohio is looking to continue their hot streak.
