Sports
Ohio Soccer: Bobcats Begin Delayed Season With a Defeat to Rival Miami
By: Curtis Feder
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — It is odd to say that the Ohio women’s soccer team took the field to play a conference game in March, but that is how it unfolded as the squad took the field for their first competitive match in over a year on Thursday.
“It had been 488 days since we last played; it’s been a long time,” Ohio head coach Aaron Rodgers said. “The team was excited to play, maybe a little anxious to play, but it was awesome.”
The MAC typically has soccer played in the fall, but due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the season was postponed to the spring, with a ten-game regular season of conference-only opponents. The first of which took place Thursday for the Bobcats as they battled the Miami Redhawks.
The match was held in Peden Stadium, which is normally the main venue for the Ohio football team but was modified for the event. After all of the extraordinary circumstances, it was finally time to kickoff the battle of the bricks.
Ohio was the aggressor throughout the first half. The back line of the Redhawks was very sloppy at times, and freshman forward Shae Robertson stood out with her attacking prowess. Despite the relentless pressure from the Bobcats in the opening 45 minutes, they could never capitalize on their chances. Ohio outshot Miami ten-to-three, but the match remained scoreless at the half.
In the second half, Miami woke up. They started to create some real chances of their own to shift the momentum to an even playing field. The Bobcats still kept up the pressure on their end as it felt like they were always in control…. until they were not.
Against the run of play, Miami got their poachers goal in the 58th minute. What seemed like a routine and catchable shot from outside the box turned into the ball being in the back of the net after senior goalkeeper Sydney Malham misjudged the trajectory of the ball and let it fall through her fingertips.
As the game progressed further into the second half, Ohio got hungrier and hungrier to seek an equalizer. The Bobcats were stellar in the buildup, but there always lacked a lethal finish in the final third.
One mistake made the difference as Miami defeated Ohio 1-0, demonstrating how cruel the sport can be at times.
“That’s soccer,” Rodgers said. “If you did not see the scoreboard, you would think that we would be the team that won 1-0, but that’s how it is sometimes.”
Ohio will look to get into the win column as they hit the road to face Bowling Green Sunday at 3 p.m.