Sports
Ohio Soccer: Bobcats Can’t Upset MAC Leaders, Bowling Green
By: Logan Leduc
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Fresh off a 4-0 victory over a Mid-American Conference foe, Toledo, on Friday, the Ohio soccer team met another familiar MAC face in the Bowling Green Falcons (6-4-2, 4-0) on Sunday.
The Bobcats (7-5-0, 2-2) struggled out of the gate with the Falcons taking up plenty of real estate on Ohio’s side of the field. Bowling Green made the most of their physical offense and knocked off the Bobcats, 3-1, in Chessa Field.
The Falcons were aggressive and physical attempting five shots to Ohio’s one in the first half.
Bowling Green capitalized on two of those shots, scoring twice over a two-minute span stretching from 26:38-28:28 of game time.
Chelsee Washington scored off an assist from Maureen Kennedy who would then score a goal of her own thanks to an assist from Jasmijn Dijsselhof off a Falcons corner kick.
Ohio head coach, Aaron Rodgers, expected this from a team many have picked to come out of the MAC.
“Unfortunately, we gave up two goals on two corner kicks in the first half. We have to be better at that,” Rodgers said. “Bowling Green is a good team, very well coached, very well organized, very athletic and they capitalized on that.”
The Falcons tacked on another score early in the 2nd half when Hannah Dolfuss lobbed Ohio goalie Sydney Malham.
Ohio would then attempt to match the physicality Bowling Green displayed. While Bowling Green was aggressive in the middle of the field, committing 12 fouls to Ohio’s four, the Bobcats were able to find a great amount of chances to score.
The Bobcats got up 11 shots while the Falcons matched their five from the first half.
Eight minutes into the second half, Abby Townsend hit the top right cross bar on a free kick. Four minutes later, the Bobcats had an open net due to Bowling Green’s goalkeeper, Kathleen Duwve gambling at a ball out of her reach, but Ohio couldn’t capitalize and the shot on goal was knocked away by a retreating Falcons’ defense.
Four minutes ticked by again and Alivia Milesky had a look from the right side but missed wide into the side netting.
Eventually, Ohio found the back of the net with just under 10 minutes to play on Alivia Milesky’s fifth goal of the season.
Ohio had a few corner kick chances but it was too little, too late and the Bobcats suffered their fifth loss in the last seven games.
Rodgers loved the fight his team showed in the second half and thought there was a lot to like about the way his team played.
“All in all, we did some very good things in the second half. We just didn’t finish our chances and we gave up some set pieces,” Rodgers said. “Again, it comes down to those little details. It was a tale of us being a little bit soft in the first half and showing our grit in the second half. Unfortunately, we spotted them three goals.”
The Bobcats will now regroup and turn their attention to a visit with Akron (5-7-0 2-2) on Thursday October 10th.