Sports
Ohio continues Record-Breaking start with blowout win over Southern Illinois
By: Jack Demmler
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The Bobcats, fresh off a 4-1 victory over Marshall, looked to continue their perfect season as they played host to Southern Illinois on Sunday, September 8.
The game started off slow for both teams. SIU starting goalkeeper, Freshman Dariana Mihalache seemed to be everywhere to start the game with multiple saves and clears.
It wasn’t until the last eight minutes of the first half that we would see our first goal for Ohio, coming from Freshman Tristan Whalen. She was assisted by Heather McGuire and Maddie Young. The Bobcat defense would help secure the 1-0 lead going into the half.
Ohio would start the second half even stronger than the first. McGuire scored her first goal on the year within the first 7 minutes of the second half.
“I saw the opportunity, I called for it, shot as hard as I could and as soon as it went in it was just a sign of relief…so happy to help them accomplish it all together as a team,” McGuire said.
Three and a half minutes after her first goal, McGuire was able to sneak another goal past Mihalache to increase the Bobcat lead to 3-0.
The Bobcats continued to put on the pressure with goals coming from freshmen Olivia Page and Maddie Young over a span of eight minutes.
After giving up 5 unanswered goals, Southern Illinois would swap goal keepers, but the Bobcats would not be tamed.
Transfer student, Konstantina Giannou, and Junior Paige Pappanastos would score the final two goals for the Bobcats.
Ohio’s aggressive play style allowed them to keep control the entire game, out shooting the Sulkies 25-3 while keeping the ball in their possession for majority of the game.
The Bobcats seemed to be too much for the Sulkies as they went on to win 7-0 and improve their record to 5-0, this is the best start for Ohio in program history.
With 6 of the 7 goals coming from new members of the team, coach Rodgers was very pleased with his young players performances.
“It was a wonderful performance because we know the quality of the players that have been doing the scoring that now we are so confident as a group that we have so many players that can contribute,” Ohio Head Coach Aaron Rodgers said.
“When we focus on the process, good things happen… we just have to hope that these opportunities that we’ve had now are preparing us at the best level to have great performances,” Rodgers said. (talking about keeping the hot start) “Our intensity level has to be very high, we can’t ever fall back.”
The Bobcats will look to continue their historic start when they host Robert Morris on Friday, September 13.