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Ohio Defeats Central Michigan for Fourth Win in Five Games
Oct. 12, 2007
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Erika Schmitt (Wyoming) added her team-leading fifth goal of the season early in the first half and the Bobcats coasted to a 2-0 conference victory on Friday afternoon against Central Michigan. Ohio (4-6-2, 4-1 MAC) defeated Central Michigan (5-7-0, 1-4 MAC) for the second straight season and recorded its first shutout in MAC play. Jess MacLean (Loveland) was perfect in goal and needed to make just one save due to the Bobcats tenacious defense, which held the Chippewas to one lone shot on goal and limited their prolific scoring tandem of Stephanie Martin and Amanda Waugh to only six total shot attempts. "We are proud of (the shutout)," said Ohio head coach Stacy Strauss. "Jess played well and there was solid play across the back line. We played with a good sense of urgency in the first half, getting an early goal, and then came out and dominated in the second half." Outside defender Rachael Goulding (Toronto, Ontario) combined with Lindsey Price (West Chester) to assist on the opening goal when a crossing pass played through the box was collected by Schmitt and fired into the lower left corner of the net. The goal was Schmitt's third game-winner of the season and second score in a row in the opening minutes of a game. Schmitt scored just more than five minutes into the start of Ohio's 3-1 victory against Miami on Sunday. "She has a great combination of skill, speed, work ethic and understanding," Strauss said of Schmitt. "She is a great weapon for us." Amy Lower (West Chester) added her second goal of the season in as many games when the sophomore took an Erika Dietz (Yorktown, Va.) pass through the defense in the 77th minute and beat the Chippewas' keeper one-on-one. In Ohio's fourth win in the last five games, the Bobcats took 10 shots compared to eight by Central Michigan but the teams each took five corners. After going 0-5-2 in non-conference play, the Bobcats have put together back-to-back two-game winning streaks in MAC play, their lone conference loss coming to first-place Ball State. Ohio will look to complete its first three-game winning streak of the 2007 season when the Bobcats battle Eastern Michigan on Sunday afternoon. ---------------------- Joe Waltasti is the women's soccer contact for the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at waltasti@ohio.edu and in the office at 740-593-0054. |
