Ohio (3-4-2, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) continues its MAC road trip with a trip to DeKalb, Illinois, for a matchup against Northern Illinois (2-4-3, 0-1-1 MAC). The Bobcats are entering this match coming off a significant road victory against Buffalo, while Northern Illinois most recently drew against Toledo at home 1-1.
Match Information
Opponent: Northern Illinois
Venue: NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex
Time: Thursday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m.
Ohio Notes
So far, Ohio has begun its portion of competing against MAC opponents with a victory against Buffalo and a defeat against Kent State.
Ohio has continued to present the dominant defensive effort that has been the story of its season to this point. The team has continued to hold opponents to only 11.9 shots per game while producing 14.7 shots per game on the offensive end.
The Bobcats will look to build on some offensive momentum accumulated on an essential goal from senior forward Shae Robertson that gave Ohio the edge over a talented Buffalo squad earlier in the week.
Opponent Notes
Northern Illinois has begun MAC play with a defeat against Western Michigan and a draw against Toledo. Northern Illinois has not won a match since Aug. 24. The Bobcats must establish their formidable defensive presence and identify the Huskie players responsible for many of their shots, such as Amber Best and Sahara Zingano.
Players to Watch
Ohio sophomore goalkeeper Celeste Sloma -- while there are many offensive players worthy of selection due to the current momentum, the performance of Sloma this season has been incredible and deserves attention on a game-to-game basis.
The goalkeepers' heroics have done a great job keeping Ohio in many games that could have quickly escaped them. Sloma has been making multiple incredible saves all season and delivering extraordinary effort each match. She is the player to keep an eye on against Northern Illinois.
