Ohio State’s field hockey team opened the season yesterday with a 4-0 victory over Miami University.
The Buckeyes dominated the field for the entire game, giving the Redhawks only a few opportunities for shots on goal. OSU had eight penalty corner shots while Miami had zero.
“They had a tough time getting things started,” said OSU field hockey coach Anne Wilkinson. “We were able to string along some really nice passes and work our press to put Miami out of the game.”
The first goal scored in the first half was hit in by junior forward Vanessa Immordino with an assist by senior midfielder Michelle Ruebman. Immordino leads the Buckeyes in scoring this season.
“We had a lot more opportunities to score today, but we didn’t get the goals in,” Immordino said. “We got the results by winning, but we could have had more.”
Shortly after the first score, sophomore forward Cammie Trainer chipped in a goal midway through the first half with another assist by Ruebman.
“Our forwards are doing a good job putting the ball in the goal,” Trainer said. “We’re starting to put passes together, and we’re communicating more.”
The Redhawks were handed a green card penalty for a stick obstruction intentional foul against Buckeye senior defender and co-captain Jen Van Kirk in the first half. This was the only penalty card given to Miami while OSU racked up three yellow card penalties during the course of the game.
“I’m not sure why I was handed a yellow card,” a frustrated Immordino said. “I think the refs were giving out penalty cards just for the fun of it.”
Kicking off the second half with a quick goal scored off a penalty corner was sophomore midfielder Lucy Clayton with the assist by Immordino. Wrapping up the game with a few minutes left was senior forward Stacey Todd scoring an unassisted goal during a mad scramble with Miami’s goalie in front of the cage.
“Our defensive press has been really tight lately,” senior defender and co-captain McKenzie Hufford said. “As soon as Miami had a free hit we just didn’t give them an option. We’re coming off of a couple losses so we’ve been practicing hard and I think that it showed on the field today.”
Wilkinson said Miami did not pose a threat to her players.
“We were confident in our possession and they gave the ball right to us,” Wilkinson said. “We were able to come up with a lot of interceptions and present our counter attack. I’m excited to go against Michigan this weekend because we played together very well today. This win was right on time.”
The Buckeyes face off against Michigan in Ann Arbor Friday marking the start of the Big Ten season.
A crowd of more than 260 fans turned out to watch the Buckeyes and Redhawks face off, which is higher than the average attendance for a field hockey game.
