Ohio (6-1-3, 1-0-2 Mid-American Conference) is returning home after the first MAC road trip of the season. Ohio drew 0-0 at Northern Illinois to begin the journey before earning a 3-0 victory against Bowling Green.
Ohio returns to Chessa Field, seven games removed from its last loss, for a matchup against Kent State (5-3-1, 2-1 MAC), who Ohio most recently challenged in the 2023 MAC Tournament Final in which Ohio took home its first MAC Conference title in program history. Here’s what to know ahead of this weekend's match.
Match Information
Opponent: Kent State
Venue: Chessa Field (Athens, Ohio)
Time: Sunday at 1 p.m.
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Follow live stats here.
Ohio Notes
Ohio started MAC conference play 1-0-2. Goalkeeper Celeste Sloma has continued to be an impactful defensive anchor for the Bobcats, putting up her sixth shutout of the season. Her play has also put her in constant conversation for MAC Defensive Player of the Week awards.
After a two-game slump, the Ohio offense completely flipped the script against Bowling Green, rattling off 19 shots with 12 shots on goal, scoring three times while only allowing eleven shots, six on goal, all saved by Sloma.
The defense has been a staple of each Ohio victory this season, but as the Ohio offense has found consistency, opponents have had a more challenging time keeping pace. Ohio forward Jaimason Brooker was the main contributor to Ohio’s offensive attack, tallying six shots, four shots on goal, as well as an assist in 70 minutes.
Opponent Notes
Kent State suffered a 1-0 loss against Miami and has not scored more than one goal in a match since Sep. 8 at Duquesne. In recent weeks, Kent State has been summarized by challenging defensive play and quality goalkeeping. Goalkeeper Heidi Marshall has recorded two shutouts and allowed only one goal in the previous three matches. Midfielder Alisa Authur is the Kent State leader in points, shots and shots on goal by decent margins.
Players to Watch
While Sloma is always a key player on the Ohio team to monitor, forward Brooker is the player to watch against Kent State. Brooker is coming off one of the best individual offensive performances for Ohio and contributed to one of the best Ohio offensive team performances in weeks.
