Ohio (7-1-4 overall, 2-0-3 Mid-American Conference) returns home after beating Akron 3-1 on the road last Sunday. Ohio’s next opponent is Eastern Michigan (5-4-3 overall, 1-1-3 MAC), coming from a home win against Miami. Ohio still has not lost a conference game all season and it looks to keep that streak alive this Thursday.
Match Information
Opponent: Eastern Michigan
Location: Chessa Field (Athens, Ohio)
Time: Thursday at 4 p.m.
Where to Watch: ESPN+
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Ohio Notes
After defeating Akron 3-1 Sunday, Ohio has two conference wins this year, putting the team in a four-way tie for second in the MAC. Ohio has a long history against Eastern Michigan, holding a record of 9-8-3. Ohio has the recent advantage in the matchup, winning six of the last seven games.
Ohio hasn’t lost a game since Aug. 25 and has scored an average of 2.5 goals per game in that span. Defensively, in the nine-game span, Ohio has given up a total of three goals. Ohio now sits at the top of the MAC in average score with 2.3 goals per game and is the only team with an average above 2 goals per game. This season, Ohio has been playing very effectively and after the win against Akron, they show no signs of slowing down.
Opponent Notes
Eastern Michigan won its first conference game against Miami on Sunday, but before that, it had not won in seven games. Throughout the season, Eastern Michigan has scored more goals than its opponents by one but has been outshot by its opponents.
Eastern Michigan is second to last in average score per game in the MAC, just above Akron. However, they are fourth in allowed goals per game with 0.83 and third in saves with 51. This year Eastern Michigan has been a very defense-focused team and defense will matter a lot going into a game against a fast and aggressive Ohio team.
Player to Watch
Junior defender Ella Deevers has started all 12 games for Ohio this year and has been an important piece to Ohio’s dominant defense. Deevers is coming off an impressive performance against Akron where she scored the first goal early in the game. She looks to continue her impressive defensive play while also contributing offensively to the team.
