August 26, 2021
Ohio State ventures west to tangle with Ball State in Muncie, Ind.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 51st season of Ohio State field hockey will begin on Friday as Ohio State, ranked No. 22 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association preseason poll, travels to Muncie, Ind. to meet Ball State at 1 p.m.
The Basics
Ohio State (0-0) at Ball State (0-0) // Friday, Aug. 27 // 1 p.m. // Briner Sports Complex; Muncie, Ind.
Live Stats // Twitter Updates // Watch: BallStateSports.com
Briefly on the Buckeyes
- Ohio State returns 17 letterwinners from last season’s team that made a run to the Big Ten Tournament championship game, including second team All-Big Ten selection Leanne Bough, a junior from Whitney Point, N.Y.
- Head coach Jarred Martin enters his fifth season guiding the Scarlet and Gray. He has a career record of 38-35 and has led Ohio State to a .500 record or better in each of his three full seasons.
- Martin is assisted by associate head coach Kate Lipton, who begins her sixth season on the Buckeyes’ staff. This summer, Lipton was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach.
- Hannah Pany, a four-year letterwinner and 2019 Ohio State graduate, recently joined the staff as an assistant coach. Pany spent the 2019 season as an assistant at Kenyon College.
- The Buckeyes were among the hottest teams in the nation at the end of the spring season, winning seven of their final nine contests.
- Ohio State welcomes six newcomers to its roster this fall: Hanna Killeen, a forward from Hudson, Ohio; Claudia Thomas, a midfielder from Louisville, Ky.; Olivia Zettervall, a back from Virginia Beach, Va.; Hallie Brost, a midfielder from Richmond, Va.; Cameryn Forgash, a midfielder from Swoyersville, Pa.; and Jenna Zunic, a back from Johnson City, N.Y.
More Fun with Numbers
2.38: Ohio State finished 14th nationally last spring in goals per game, averaging 2.38 per game. Over the final nine games, the Buckeyes averaged 3.33 goals per game and scored four of more goals in five games.
159-64: Over the final nine games of the spring season, Ohio State outshot its opponents 159-64. That comes out to an average of 17.6 shots per game.
50.4 percent: The Buckeyes return 50.4 percent of their total point production from last season, led by three of their top five point producers. Senior Emma Goldean, who had 14 points on four goals and a team-high six assists, leads the way, followed by Sarah Charley (4G, 3A) and Katie Pyle (2G, 1A).
Scouting Ball State
- Like Ohio State, Ball State had its 2020 season moved to the spring due to COVID-19. The Cardinals were 6-10 versus a MAC-only schedule.
- Head coach Stephanie Bernthal enters her fourth season at Ball State after serving four years as an assistant coach at Richmond.
- Last season, Ball State limited opponents to 1.81 goals per game for its best showing on defense since allowing a 1.78 average in 2002.
Ohio State vs. Ball State: A History Lesson
- Friday will be the 25th all-time meeting between Ohio State and Ball State. The Buckeyes have won 17 of the previous 24 match-ups.
- The last meeting came in 2018, a 6-0 Buckeye victory in Columbus.
- Ohio State has won 10 straight games in the series. The last Ball State win was a 2-1 decision in 2007.
- The Buckeyes own a 124-38-4 all-time record against current members of the Mid-American Conference (.759).
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