Sports
Ohio Soccer Wins Second Game, Downs Xavier
By: Jordan Gallagher
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Do not count the Bobcats out of anything just yet. The Bobcats now have their second victory of the season and their second victory in a row after halting Xavier’s three-game winning streak by defeating the Musketeers 2-1.
The Bobcats (2-5, 0-0) came out firing early and kept Xavier on the defensive by putting up five shots in the first 25 minutes. This included a shot from Megan Niebuhr, who scored in the Cats last game, which was stopped by Xavier goalie Rachel Piccus.
However, not to be outdone the Musketeers put up five shots of their own in the first 26 minutes showing that they too could provide offensive firepower of their own.
The Bobcats offense proved too much for Xavier, though, as Holly Harris found the back of the net in the 32nd minute, for her second goal of the season, to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
After the goal both offenses came to a halt and only managed a combined one shot in the final 13 minutes of the half. Both offenses found their touch again in the second half as Xavier put up nine shots in the half while the Bobcats put up six.
While the Musketeers may have put up more shots in the half, it was the Bobcats who struck first after Stephanie Rowland scored her second goal of the season in the 58th minute by putting the ball up and over the keeper.
For the Bobcats a key player in the game was freshman goalie Taylor Smith, who made her second start in a row. Smith made a season high six saves in the game, all of which came in the second half. And even with Xavier’s goal by Kenadie Carson in the 80th minute Smith was able to keep Xavier out of the game and keep them from gaining any momentum.
The Bobcats also got a spark from Hannah Jaggers who led the team in shots with five.
The Bobcats will look to continue their momentum and stretch their winning streak to three on Friday against Buffalo in their first conference game of the season.