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AKRON, OH – The Ohio Bobcats and the Akron Zips battled to a 1-1 draw Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium in a match celebrating Senior Day for Ohio.
Ohio senior goalkeeper Celeste Sloma, of Columbus, Ohio, played all 90 minutes, allowing one goal and recording two saves on eight shots faced. Akron threatened early with a free kick in the first minute, forcing an early save from Sloma.
The Bobcats responded in the ninth minute with a shot from Maya Murray, but it missed the target. Ohio maintained offensive pressure throughout the first half, with shots from Sarah Brooker in the 16th and 20th minutes forcing saves from the Akron goalkeeper. Shots from Jasmine Robinson, Megan Tostevin, and Madison Mensel were off target, keeping the score tied 0-0 at halftime. Ohio registered seven shots with three on goal to Akron’s four shots with two on goal in the first half.
Early in the second half, Ohio broke the deadlock in the 47th minute with a goal from Isabella burchett, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. However, Akron equalized in the 57th minute, with a shot that slipped past Sloma, tying the score at 1-1.
Both teams continued to press for a winning goal. Ohio had shots from Allie Deevers, Jaimie Dearing, and Brooker, while Akron earned two corner kicks and a shot, but neither team could find the back of the net. Late-game shots from Dearing and Peer in the 80th and 82nd minutes were saved by the Akron keeper.
The match ultimately ended in a 1-1 tie. Ohio will next face MAC opponent Western Michigan on Thursday, Sept.25, at 4 p.m. in kalamazoo, Michigan, with the game broadcast on ESPN+.
