CMU field hockey drops season finale against Ohio State
Central Michigan finishes the season with a 3-14 record
Under fire early, Central Michigan field hockey was looking to shift the momentum. After giving Ohio State three penalty corners within the first two minutes of the game, the Chippewas found an opportunity.
At the 8:09 mark, on the first shot of the game for CMU, sophomore forward Cameron Pluciennik took an assist from junior forward Mallory Camryn and put the ball into the net for an early Chippewa lead.
Despite taking the early lead, the Chippewas were unable to keep up with the Buckeyes, who were ranked fourth in the nation on the coaches poll coming into the match. Central Michigan was held to only six shots on the day, with only one finding the net.
The Buckeyes kept their foot on the gas after taking the lead late in the first, and never let up, winning the game 7-1.
Ohio State started the game aggressively attacking the Chippewas in their offensive zone. While the Buckeyes had several penalty corner attempts early in the game, none yielded a goal.
Despite the early pressure from Ohio State, it was Central Michigan that scored first with Pluciennik’s goal about halfway through the first quarter.
Ohio State quickly responded with a goal of their own about three minutes later. Graduate forward Makenna Webster evened the score at one for the Buckeyes with the goal, assisted by senior forward Hallie Brost.
Using the quick momentum swing, OSU stayed on the attack, and were awarded a penalty stroke with about two and a half minutes left in the first quarter. Capitalizing on the opportunity, senior back Jenna Zunic scored a second goal for the Buckeyes, putting them ahead as the quarter came to an end.
Ohio State continued where they left off in the second quarter, scoring its third goal of the game about three minutes into the period. Senior midfielder Claudia Thomas scored the goal, assisted by Webster.
The Buckeyes controlled the game until halftime, but were unable to add another goal to their total. In the first half, OSU outshot CMU 11-3, while also leading in corner attempts 5-1.
To begin the third quarter, the Buckeyes kept the Chippewas pinned in their own zone.
Ohio State scored a fourth goal at the 37:25 mark in the game. Junior forward Loryn Jordon scored the goal for OSU, putting the team up 4-1.
The Buckeyes added onto their lead twice more in the third quarter. Sophomore midfielder Cam Standish and junior forward/midfielder Zella Bailey both found the net for the Buckeyes as the team took a 6-1 lead into the final quarter.
Ohio State continued to stay aggressive in the fourth quarter, scoring one more goal and taking the win in dominant fashion. The Chippewas were outshot 31-6 in the game, struggling to get offensive production against the Buckeye defense.
The Chippewas finish the season with a 3-14 overall record and a 0-7 record in conference play.
