Ohio coach Neil Macmillan and the Bobcats gear up for a matchup against undefeated Indiana.
After obtaining confidence from its two wins last weekend, Ohio will look to overcome undefeated No. 17 Indiana at Pruitt Field this Saturday.
The matchup will be the conclusion of Ohio’s three-game home stand.
Ohio is coming off back-to-back shutout wins against Ohio State and Mid-American Conference opponent Longwood, as the Bobcats beat the Buckeyes with a second half goal from freshman Megan Silveira.
Tuesday, Silveira and senior Brittany Walker were named MAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the week, respectively. Walker saved eight shots this past weekend, including one that clinched the Bobcat’s victory during penalty flicks against Longwood.
“It’s great right now, because we know we can win and we can win in a number of different ways,” coach Neil Macmillan said. “I think we have a little bit more confidence now, we have the youngsters up front and they’re starting to click and starting to … realize how to get the job done.”
Last time out for Indiana, they beat Ball State 2-0 on Wednesday, as the 6-0 start for the Hoosiers set a new program record.
The matchup against the Hoosiers is intriguing for Macmillan, as he will play a member of his former staff — Indiana coach Amy Robertson. Both Macmillan and Robertson coached at Wake Forest in 1999, as they helped lead the Demon Deacons to an 18-4 season.
Macmillan seemed focused on coaching the Bobcats to victory and not on his friendship with his former colleague.
“Indiana has played some great games with us over the years and if (I) look back at every game, every game has been a one-goal game for the past six, seven years,” Macmillan said. “They are always close, tight games. We really like competition with Indiana — it’s a great matchup and their coach is a great person. She’s a very good friend and she’ll have them ready to roll.”
“Us coaches don’t have any personal writing on any of these games, we enjoy winning if it’s against one of our friends or someone we don’t like as much,” he added.
The Bobcats will certainly need to adjust their lineup against a fast-paced Hoosier offense that has out-scored their opponent 21-4 this season. Walker and the Bobcats’ defense will most likely target Indiana forward Audra Heilman, a senior who currently leads the Hoosiers on offense with nine goals this season.
“They are a great school, a good team — we’ve played them in the past and they’re always a good competition,” sophomore Kristen Buchanan said. “Coming off these two big wins, hopefully our confidence should keep going and hopefully we’ll do well.”
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