April 1, 2009

Complete Schedule

ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio University head coach Neil Macmillan has announced the 2009 field hockey schedule, which features nine home games and 19 regular-season contests, including four against 2008 NCAA Tournament teams. Four Big Ten schools and three Atlantic Coast Conference teams highlight the Bobcats' non-conference slate.

"It's been our idea over the last few years to play good competition out of conference by playing quality ranked teams, because that helps prepare us for conference play and beyond," Macmillan said. "I think our team is at a level where they challenge themselves to play that sort of opposition. We've played a lot of close games over the last two or three years against highly-ranked teams."

The Bobcats open their 2009 campaign Friday, Aug. 28 and Saturday, Aug. 29 with a pair of games in Evanston, Ill., where they will face defending national champion Maryland in the season opener and weekend-host Northwestern the following day. Ohio last played the Terrapins in 2005 and have never beaten the Terps in its previous two meetings, while the 'Cats are 2-1 all-time against the Wildcats, having last played in 2004.

The following weekend Ohio hosts a pair of Big Ten schools for its home opener, as the Bobcats face Indiana Friday, Sept. 4, in their lone night game of the year, and 2008 NCAA Elite Eight-participant Michigan State Sunday, Sept. 6. Ohio defeated the Hoosiers in overtime on a neutral field last year and has fallen to the Spartans by a goal each of the last four years, including the last two in overtime.

On Friday, Sept. 11 the 'Cats make the short trip to Columbus to take on Big Ten-foe Ohio State, before hosting Virginia of the ACC, who reached last year's NCAA Elite Eight, at Pruitt Field Sunday, Sept. 13. Ohio fell to both the Buckeyes and the Cavaliers in overtime last year, as both were ranked at the time of the match-up. Virginia is 4-0 all-time against the Green & White, but has needed extra time in three of the games.

Robert Morris University is the lone game of the weekend Friday, Sept. 18, as the Bobcats travel to Pittsburgh, where they'll face a Colonials team that they beat in the teams' only other meeting in 2007.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, Ohio continues its season-long seven-game road trip with a game at Atlantic-10 member St. Louis, before commencing Mid-American Conference play Sunday, Sept. 27 at Missouri State. The Bobcats beat the Billikens in the schools' last meeting in 2007 and took all three games from the Bears a year ago.

Ohio plays four more MAC games on the road over the next two weekends to round out its seven-game road stretch, before closing the regular season with a season-long six-game home stand.

"We have a lot of discussions about scheduling within the conference," Macmillan said. "There really isn't an easy way everyone can get a nice balance between home and away and if you look over the last few years, there's always been a team that has a string of home and a string of away, as we have this year. It really doesn't make much of a difference because you have to play the teams (in the MAC) twice anyway, but it's nice to end the season with three weekends at home."

The Bobcats host their first league game Friday, Oct. 16 when they welcome defending MAC champion Kent State to Pruitt Field, while Missouri State comes to Athens that Sunday. Ohio then steps out of conference play to battle ACC-power Duke at home Saturday, Oct. 24 in its final regular season non-conference game of the year. The Blue Devils reached the Elite Eight in last year's NCAA Tournament and are 2-1 all-time against the Bobcats.

Ohio hosts Central Michigan Sunday, Oct. 25 to resume league play, before finishing MAC regular-season play Saturday, Oct. 31 and Sunday, Nov. 1 against Ball State and Miami, respectively. The games will serve as the Bobcats' final regular-season games of the year and close out their six-game home stand.

The 2009 MAC Tournament will be hosted by Ball State in Muncie, Ind. and take place from Thursday, Nov. 5 to Saturday, Nov. 7. Should Ohio claim the title, it would then host an NCAA Play-In game Tuesday, Nov. 10 against the winner of the Atlantic 10, as the MAC hosts this year's play-in game after Kent State traveled to A-10-winner UMass in 2008.

The Bobcats return 12 letterwinners and six starters from a 2008 squad that finished 11-12 overall and 6-4 in league play, while making their third-straight appearance in the MAC Championship game.