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Big Ten teams overpower 'Hawks

Drew McDonell, Staff Writer

The Miami University field hockey team faced defeat Oct. 7 and 8 as they took on The Ohio State University (OSU) Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. The RedHawks continued their busy weekend as they conquered the Central wwMichigan Chippewas.

Head Coach Jill Reeve anticipated the Big Ten games to be a positive challenge for her team.

"There was a little extra tension when we entered the games with opponents who are historically stronger," Reeve said. "Performing under pressure is something we have to train and this weekend provided us with that challenge."

The RedHawks started their weekend Oct. 7 as they headed to Columbus, Ohio to take on No. 6 OSU. The Buckeyes lived up to their national ranking as they dominated the field for the majority of the game.

Within the first half, OSU sunk four goals into the net while taking a total of nine shots on goal. At half time the score was left at 4-0.

The Buckeyes came back onto the field just as strong the second period, scoring a goal five minutes in. The RedHawks did not give up and freshman Kelsey Lund fired back, scoring the first goal for the RedHawks. The defense remained strong as freshman Sarah Mueller made eight saves on goal, shutting out the Buckeyes for the remainder of the game.

While the RedHawks played hard, they were not able to overcome the four-goal deficit the Buckeyes presented to them. The game ended with a score of 5-1.

"In the beginning, everything was kind of shaky and we had to make a lot of adjustments," Mueller said. "We need to work on focusing and working hard right from the beginning."

The RedHawks then headed to Ann Arbor, Mich., where they took on the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines.

Miami was first to put points on the board as freshman Emily Gruesser made the first goal 15 minutes in. Michigan fought back, sending a goal past Miami's defense, leveling the score 1-1. The game did not stay tied for long, as another Michigan player shot another goal, putting the Wolverines in the lead. Michigan continued to gain momentum as they continued to attack the goal.

The Wolverines landed a third goal at the end of the second half, bringing the score to 3-1.

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The RedHawks returned to the second period seeking revenge. Three minutes into the period, senior Mary Hull scored the RedHawks' second goal of the match. The remainder of the second period went back and forth between the two teams until the last five minutes, when Gruesser made another successful shot on goal, tying the game 3-3.

The game went into overtime and the Wolverines scored four minutes later, clenching the win 4-3.

"The mental challenge of facing off against two top-ranked teams back to back was challenging," Reeve said. "The outcomes have been disappointing, but the efforts have been excellent, we've learned valuable lessons from each match, win or lose."

The RedHawks remained in Michigan to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas. Miami started strong, as Hull scored the first goal in the eighth minute of the match. The match remained evenly played through the first period with neither team dominating the field. Central Michigan scored in the final minute of the first period, leveling the game.

The Chippewas continued to fight hard in the second period, as they struck first scoring another goal within the first two minutes. The RedHawks did not allow the Chippewas to keep the lead for long. Hull scored shortly after, tying the game up once again and in the final minutes of the game, senior Kate Snyder sunk a goal into the net giving the RedHawks the win 3-2.