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Ohio Soccer Gets First Home Win, Beats Morehead State, 3-1


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Ohio coach Aaron Rodgers has been saying it all year. If the Bobcats continue to give themselves opportunities to score, the goals will come. And that was the case Sunday afternoon, as Ohio (3-2-1) scored three goals on 14 shots to defeat Morehead State (0-5-1), 3-1.

The victory was Rodgers’ first at Chessa Field in his coaching career, and it was Ohio’s third straight win of the season. The Bobcats received big contribution from freshman Alexis Milesky, who had a goal and an assist on four shots.

“Obviously the first win against [Eastern Kentucky] last Sunday was awesome to get and then at home today, first win,” Rodgers said. “We can put that behind us and then go on to winning more games and doing well in the conference.”

Ohio immediately got on the board in the first minute when Milesky scored her second goal of her freshman season. But after the goal, Morehead State kept the pressure on the Ohio defense for most of the first half, scoring one goal in the eighth minute on Holly Tilley’s goal.

“We made a couple of tactical changes, but not anything major,” Rodgers said on the differences between the first and second half. “And for us, Friday night we had a gritty, come-from-behind win at Niagara on the road, after a long trip. And today, we didn’t get back until 5 a.m. yesterday morning, so the girls were probably a little sluggish today.”

The momentum shifted towards Ohio in the second, as Maggie Murnane headed the ball into the back of the net off a corner kick by Tonya Frasik to take the 2-1 lead.

Ohio has been getting scoring opportunities off corner kicks all season, including Sunday with 10, but recently they have been finding the back of the net. In Niagara, the Bobcats had two goals off corner kicks, and they had Murnane’s goal Sunday to give them the lead.

Ohio’s third goal came in the 79th minute on a Morehead State own goal from a Milesky cross. The Bobcats have scored 10 goals in their last three games, with the offense performing closer to Rodgers’ expectations at the beginning of the season.

“We always want to score goals. I was thinking about that on the sideline. We haven’t had a shutout yet, and I would love to get one soon. And I know that the defenders want to get one and the goalkeepers want to get one,” Rodgers said. “But for us, as I said coming in, I want to score more goals than the other team, and we’ve done that so far.”

Rodgers was pleased with the play from the four true freshmen that contributed Sunday in Milesky, Allison Cislo, Erin Wrubel and Mollie Whitacre. Wrubel started her first career game for the Bobcats, and Whitacre held her own as an outside defender. Cislo also provided some pressure on the Morehead State defenders, including on the own goal on Milesky’s cross.

Ohio has two more games on the road before Mid-American Conference play begins. The Bobcats travel to Youngstown State on Friday, Sept. 13. Their next home game is Sept. 27 against Bowling Green.