Sophomore forward/midfielder Maddy Humphrey during a game against St. Louis on Aug. 28. OSU won 5-0.
Credit: Kevin Stankiewicz / Asst. Sports Editor
Following its 5-0 shutout victory over Missouri State, the Ohio State field hockey team improved its record to 3-2 in its 3-2 defeat over Ball State on Friday at Buckeye Varsity Field.
OSU started out strong, scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes of play. Sophomore forward Maddy Humphrey scored the first goal with the help of an assist from senior forward Peanut Johnson. Shortly after, Johnson charged the goal and backhanded it into the net to put the Buckeyes up by two.
OSU slowed down for the remainder of the first half, which Humphrey contributed after the game as a factor of the team getting too comfortable.
“We were overloaded defensively. Ball State put a lot of pressure on our ball carriers and really swarmed the goal,” OSU coach Anne Wilkinson said of the team’s change of pace.
The Buckeye defense, led by the reigning Big Ten player of the week, sophomore goalie Liz Tamburro, stayed strong defensively and held Ball State to one goal in the first half.
In the second half of play, Johnson scored one more time off a feed from Humphrey. Humphrey and Johnson together were responsible for scoring and assisting on all three goals in the game.
“My forwards are doing a nice job. They each have great individual stick skills. They read each other very well and do a nice job setting each other up to score,” Wilkinson said about the duo.
Johnson said it was just a matter of being at the right place at the right time and that the win was an altogether team effort.
The OSU defense secured the victory by holding Ball State to only one more goal in the second half.
Johnson said the team needs to take this game as a learning experience and work on tightening everything up as it heads into Big Ten play next week.
“We’ll be focusing on time management on the field and being able to dictate the game throughout different situations,” Wilkinson said.
The Buckeyes are set to travel to East Lansing, Michigan, to take on the Michigan State Spartans next Friday for their first Big Ten game.
