The Ohio soccer team toppled Akron 2-0 yesterday, stretching its win streak to three games and propelling the Bobcats to the second seed in the Mid-American Conference tournament.
It was senior day at Chessa Field and the Bobcats (9-8-1, 7-3-1 MAC) made it clear as both active seniors, midfielders Tiffany Horvath and Amy Switzer, were able to tally points against the Zips (11-7, 4-7 MAC.) Ohio coach Stacy Strauss said it was a treat to see the pair play well in their last regular season home game.
“It was fun,” she said. “I was really happy that they could do that and I’m very proud of them.”
The ’Cats got on the board quickly when Horvath was fed the ball at the top of the box and was able to send a shot over the head of Akron keeper Krystin Wilson at the 7:10 mark. Ohio held that lead through the half, but faced some trouble early in the second session when Ohio keeper Dominique Wright made a diving save from point blank range after an Akron indirect kick. Strauss said the play was pivotal in the Bobcat win.
“That kept us in the game,” she said. “Had we given up that goal it would have been 1-1 and everything would have changed.”
Ohio put the game away at the 64:33 mark when forward Amy Lower took a Switzer assist and ran it past an Akron defender before finding the back of the net for her team-leading eighth goal of the year.
The start marked the 69th of Horvath’s career, third all-time for Ohio, and the goal was her 23rd, good enough for fourth on the team’s all-time list. Despite the personal marks, Horvath said her performance yesterday was less about her and more about helping her team.
“Those things feel great obviously, but this was definitely just a game we wanted to win,” she said. “It ensured we get home field advantage for the tournament, which is huge for us. I love playing on our field.”
The win, coupled with a Toledo loss to Bowling Green, gives the ’Cats the second seed in the MAC tournament. The ‘Cats will host seventh-seed Northern Illinois on Sunday at Chessa Field. The Toledo loss sent them tumbling down the standings, from second to fifth.
Switzer said that, when it comes to tournament play, revenge plays a small role in the game’s intensity.
“It’s a little more competitive because you’re playing teams that you might have lost to earlier in the year,” she said. “We might be able to get a chance to get a rematch against somebody that we didn’t exactly play our best game against.”
The Bobcats will get that chance against Northern Illinois (6-10-2, 5-6 MAC), who defeated the ’Cats 1-0 earlier this year in Athens. However, this time Ohio is riding a three-game winning streak, something Horvath said bodes well for her team.
“I think you need to peak for the right time,” she said. “We’re peaking right now, playing consistent, and I think it’s great going into the tournament.”
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