Rogers Paces 'Cats to First Win of 2012

by Brett Compton

August 26, 2012

ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio Soccer picked up its first win of the season during its home opener on Sunday, defeating the visiting Marshall Thundering Herd by a final score of 2-0. The win was Ohio's third straight victory and tenth overall in the series against Marshall, which began during the 1998 season and has included 12 total games.

Senior midfielder Cathryn Rogers (Etobicoke, Ontario) scored a brace in Sunday's match, finding the back of the net in the eighth and 76th minutes. This was the first multi-goal game of Rogers's career and was the second time she'd scored a game-winning goal against the Thundering Herd. She now has scored nine goals in her career as a Bobcat.

Sunday's match marked the 38th time in program history where a Bobcat student-athlete had scored two goals in one match.

Ohio (1-3) looked strong in the first half, controlling much of the possession and generating four scoring opportunities. The `Cats fought through a physical Marshall side in the opening 45 minutes, suffering seven fouls while committing only four of their own.

The Bobcats found the back of the net almost immediately, scoring in just the eighth minute of the match. Veronica Rock (North Royalton, Ohio) swung in a nice corner kick into the area, finding Annie Beard right near the penalty spot. Beard (Mason, Ohio) took a touch and fired the ball towards Rogers at the near post. Rogers collected the ball and struck it past goalkeeper Lindsey Kerns, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead right off the bat.

Mattie Liston (Lakewood, Ohio) made a few nice saves in the first 45 minutes, most notably in the seventh and 38th minutes. Liston caught a Kelly Culicerto attempt in the seventh minute before coolly collecting a shot by Alyssa Cathey in the 38th minute to preserve the one-goal advantage. The junior goalkeeper was tested once more in the second half, saving Chelsey Maiden's 59th-minute attempt en route to earning the 11th shutout of her career. Liston's 11 career shutouts rank her third in program history, eight behind Michelle Meglaughlin's 19 achieved from 2001-04.

The match slowed down noticeably in the second half, with each program battling the 90-degree heat and hot sun. Ohio was able to keep Marshall (1-2) at bay throughout the first 18 minutes of the half, during which the Thundering Herd recorded two shots.

Rogers put the game away in the 76th minute with her free-kick goal. The senior and teammate Erin Feeney (Milton, Mass.) lined up near the free kick, keeping Marshall guessing about who was going to take the attempt. Following a step-over from Feeney, Rogers ran up and blasted the ball nearly over the wall. Heading towards goal originally, it took a slight deflection off a shoulder of a Marshall defender and just beat the diving Lindsey Kerns to the inside corner of the net.

The Bobcats will next be in action on Friday, Aug. 31 at Morehead State. Ohio will kick off against MSU at 7 p.m.

Ohio Starting XI (Numerically): Mattie Liston (GK), Maggie Murnane, Cathryn Rogers, Paige Howard, Annie Beard, Veronica Rock, Erin Schwenke, Natalie Bechtel, Gabby Hausfeld, Liz Finley, Grace Campbell