Members of the Ohio State field hockey team sing ‘Carmen Ohio’ after a 2-1 loss to Michigan on Nov. 2 at Buckeye Varsity Field.
Credit: Lantern file photo
Ohio State field hockey will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, on Friday for its final road game of the regular season where the Buckeyes go head-to-head with the Indiana Hoosiers.
The Buckeyes (5-10, 0-6) look ahead to the match after a tough weekend of Big Ten play. OSU fell to both Rutgers and No. 5 Maryland at home, remaining winless in conference play.
As OSU approaches one of the last games of the season, junior midfielder Maddy Humphrey said that the goal is to end the season on a high note and get a chance to compete in the Big Ten tournament.
“We say that we don’t have anything to lose but we do because we are a part of Ohio State,” Humphrey said. “We need to represent (the school) by getting to the Big Ten tournament because that’s what Ohio State is all about.”
Humphrey continues to dominate OSU’s offense with 11 goals and seven assists for a total of 29 points. After Humphrey’s performance over the past weekend, she jumped to No. 14 on the all-time points list with a career total of 85 points.
Junior goalkeeper Liz Tamburro leads the Big Ten for the second year in a row with 96 saves this season. Tamburro also boasts a .716 save percentage. Also protecting the net is junior back Caroline Rath, who has had six defensive saves this season and is tied for fourth nationally.
Indiana (8-8, 3-3) comes to the match after upsetting No. 12 Michigan, but falling to Michigan State the previous weekend.
Returning to represent the Hoosiers is senior midfielder Katie Barber, who has finished 16 goals and four assists for a cumulative 36 points. Junior midfielder Taylor Pearson follows Barber with 19 points made up of eight goals and three assists.
Sophomore goalkeeper Noëlle Rother is ranked second in the Big Ten behind OSU’s Tamburro with 91 saves and a .740 save percentage. Rother was also named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the weeks of Oct. 11 and Oct. 18.
Coach Anne Wilkinson said that the Buckeyes have really stepped up their game in practice this past week as they have prepared to face Indiana.
“They came out with energy and focus, which was good,” Wilkinson said. “We’re … still working through how we handle (tough) situations…and I think they’re managing themselves appropriately in that they’re having the right focus going into this game on the road.”
Friday’s match will mark the 27th time that the Buckeyes and Hoosiers have faced off since 1974. OSU leads the series with a 16-9-1 record and has won three of the last five games.
Friday’s faceoff is set for 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
