Sports

Bobcats pick up 1-0 win against Davidson, improve to 3-0 on the season

By: Darayus Sethna
Posted on: Sunday, September 4, 2022

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Mijntje Ligtenberg’s third quarter goal proved to be the difference in the Ohio Bobcats’s 1-0 win over Davidson on Sunday.  

It was a cool, overcast afternoon at Pruitt Field for the matinee showdown. Both teams came into the game with undefeated records, with the Bobcats starting off the season at 2-0 and the Davidson Wildcats at 3-0.  

The first quarter kept the Bobcats’s defense on their heels as Davidson applied the pressure. But that was no worry for Ohio goalkeeper Nele Graner. She ended the opening period with two saves.  

Head Coach Ali Johnstone and her squad flipped the script in the second quarter.  

Katelyn Whittle and Anouk Plaehn got Ohio’s offense going. The Bobcats finished with four shots in the quarter. But they were unable to break the deadlock and headed into the intermission in a goalless stalemate.  

Ohio picked up right where it left off in the second quarter—staying aggressive on the offensive end. Those efforts eventually paid off.  

With just over nine minutes left to play in the third, Ligtenberg came into the game as part of Johnstone’s regular substitution rotations. And 34 seconds later, the first-year student from the Netherlands slotted the ball past Wildcat goalkeeper Genna Barge. 

The Bobcats took a 1-0 lead and Ligtenberg secured her third goal of the young season.  

Ohio then started to take control of the possession battle. However, the visitors found a few opportunities of their own on the counterattack.   

And once again, Graner was up to the challenge.  

Davidson midfielder Sib Naaktgeboren had a chance on the fast break to equalize and send the game to overtime in the waning seconds of the fourth. She slammed a low, driven shot towards the bottom left corner of the goal. Graner was able to parry it away and the Bobcats sealed the deal.  

Johnstone praised her squad’s ability to stick to the game plan in the closing moments of the match. 

“Towards the last five minutes we were really trying to slow it down,” Johnstone said. “We talked about game management this week.” 

With Sunday’s victory, the Bobcats improve to an overall record of 3-0. It is the first time they’ve started 3-0 since 2011—a year in which they finished 20-5.  

“It’s awesome, we love it,” Johnstone said. “We’re going to work really hard this week to try and keep that going.”  

Ohio’s next game is scheduled for Sept. 11 in Maryland as they take on Towson University. It is set to begin at noon.