MAC scoring leader Elizabeth Unger scored twice Tuesday in the Bobcats' 4-1 win over No. 20 Ohio State at Pruitt Field. Ohio next plays at No. 10 Kent State Friday at 3 p.m.
ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio sophomore Elizabeth Unger, who entered Tuesday's game as the MAC leader in goals and points, produced her fourth two-goal game of the year as the Bobcats upended No. 20 Ohio State, 4-1, at Pruitt Field.
Unger, a forward from Monroeville, N.J., scored the first (28:24) and the final (62:09) goals of the afternoon to fuel Ohio to back-to-back wins for the first time this year. The Bobcats (4-4) defeated Miami, 5-2, for its first MAC victory last Saturday.
After scoring just seven goals in their first four games, the Bobcats have found a grove offensively with 14 goals in their last four. With Tuesday's win, Ohio improves to 2-2 on the year against ranked opponents - with the other upset coming against Princeton, which was ranked 13th at the time, on Sept. 13.
Unger has 10 goals with 11 matches remaining in the regular season. The all-time single-season record for goals is 30 - held by Penny Lafferty, who set the mark in 1982.
For just the third time this season, Ohio scored the first goal of the game. Assisting on Unger's score were seniors Andrea Voros (North Vancouver, B.C.) and Jenn Watt (Delta, B.C.). For Watt, it was her team-high fifth assist of the year.
Ohio State tied the match at 1-1 at the 33:09 mark when Vanessa Immordino scored her sixth goal of the season on a penalty corner. Jenee Doto and Stacey Todd were each credited with an assist on the play.
Watt gave the Bobcats a 2-1 lead 3:18 into the second half with her first goal of the year. Assisting on the play were Voros and senior Kristin Auge (Fleetwood, Pa.).
Just 1:22 later, Auge pushed the Bobcats' advantage to 3-1 with an unassisted goal. It was her first goal of the season and the 13th of her collegiate career. Unger followed with her second goal off an assist from freshman Lindsay Rothenberger (Fleetwood, Pa.) to put the Buckeyes away and close out the scoring.
The Bobcats dominated Ohio State offensively with 24 shots while limiting the Buckeyes to 10. Ohio also held the edge in penalty corners with 15 compared to Ohio State's five.
Sophomore Ashley Pitkin (Rochester, N.Y.) tended the net for 70 minutes with four saves to pick up her fourth win of the year.
The journey doesn't get any easier for the Bobcats as they will next travel to No. 10 Kent State (6-2) Friday for a 3 p.m. match before returning home Sunday to host No. 5 Michigan State (10-1) at 1 p.m.