Sports
Ohio Field Hockey Opens MAC Play at Ball State
By: Blake Baker
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After a nail-biting loss to Ohio State on Sunday, Bobcat field hockey looks forward to their first game of Mid-American Conference play against the Ball State Cardinals
Ohio enters MAC competition with a record of 3-4, the second best record in the conference behind 6-4 Miami.
Ball State comes into the game at 1-7, recording their only win in a home contest against Appalachian State. Despite his opponent’s record, coach Neil Macmillan is impressed with the Cardinals.
“They’re tough at home,” he said. “They beat us in a critical game there two years ago when we played them. We played them here last year and it was a tougher game than the score line suggests. They’re always competitive. They played Indiana close 4-2 this past weekend, so just like us, they’re competing with a Big Ten team.”
Macmillan is also happy with the way his team has been playing.
“We’ve done really well,” he said. “We’re playing a good standard of hockey. We competed and, I think, dominated Ohio State in the first half. We’re doing a really, really good job, and I’m impressed with where we are.”
Miami is the only team in the MAC with a winning record to this point in the season, but the Bobcat coach says when it comes to conference play, wins and losses mean very little.
“You can throw out the records with MAC play,” Macmillan said. “We’re all so competitive and determined against each other. It’s an old adage, but it’s the truth: you have to take one game at a time. We’re looking at Ball State this weekend. Unfortunately, our first two games that count in conference are on the road, but they will be highly competitive.”
Ohio squares off with Ball State on Saturday at noon, hoping to bring home its first conference win of the season.