In her fifth season leading her alma mater, coach Ali Johnstone will attempt to get the Bobcats back to the postseason. Last year, the Bobcats looked dead in the water after a 2-7 start to the year. But, after using some veteran experience, they won five of their final 10 games. That comeback granted them entry to the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Ultimately, Ohio fell in the semi-finals to Miami. Although there was a slight disappointment because the team felt it peaked at the right time, Johnstone has the Bobcats poised to make another big leap in 2022.
One thing the Bobcats hope to improve upon this season is their offense. After losing their leading scorer, Jillian Shive, and their leader in assists, Kaelyn Long, the Bobcats will have to lean on younger players to replace that production.
In 2021, 11 of the 23 Bobcats were upperclassmen, just under half of the roster. The loss of these athletes may cause an offensive production loss, but the biggest shift will be felt in the locker room. A lot of the veteran leadership that allowed the Bobcats to stabilize their season has left, leaving several roles to be filled.
However, the Bobcats will also need to focus on defense, specifically goalkeeping. In 2021, Nele Graner and Macy Lotze split time patrolling the net, with Graner taking over full time during the later part of the season.
The goalkeeper question is interesting because not only is Graner a graduate student with experience, but because Lotze is the younger option, one who may offer more future benefits. That being said, Graner was statistically better in 2021, helping the Bobcats reach the MAC Tournament.
Regarding returning players, Katelyn Whittle is the headliner. Whittle scored on 26% of shots, which was second on the team. Whittle also scored 0.53 goals per game and ranked 48th in the country, earning her one of the highest marks in the MAC.
Another player to watch will be sophomore Noa Desmaretz. Desmaretz played well in a reserve role as a freshman. She scored five goals, tallied four assists and accumulated 14 points. Desmaretz will be one of Ohio’s go-to young contributors.
In terms of Ohio’s schedule, there is tremendous opportunity in front of it. Ohio will start the season with a two-game road trip to play exhibitions against Kent State and Ohio State.
Upon returning to Athens, the Bobcats will have its home opener and first official game of the season against California. Quickly thereafter, Ohio will travel to Ann Arbor to take on Central Michigan in a neutral site match.
After that, the Bobcats will alternate home and road games, including a trip to Oxford to face the RedHawks. The Bobcats will be looking to avenge their season-ending loss to the RedHawks last season. The RedHawks are one of the best teams in the MAC, giving the Bobcats a measuring stick opportunity.
At the end of last season, Ohio was ranked No. 59 in the nation out of 79 Division I squads in the NCAA RPI rankings. While that ranking is not exactly stunning, the program is on the rise after a few lackluster years.
Ohio’s schedule is very indicative of its level at the moment. At no point will it face a team above No. 23 (Kent State) or below No. 76 (Bellarmine). The vast majority of Ohio’s opponents are within the No. 30 to 60 threshold in terms of RPI rank, so there will be some realistic challenges and winnable games this season.
There is much promise for this upcoming season. The Bobcats have an opportunity to prove that the solid stretch at the end of last season was far from an apparition. The hope is that winning will become more of an expectation by the end of the season, and a standard will be established with the up-and-coming core in Athens.
Moving into the upper escalon of teams in the MAC is a realistic expectation for Ohio this year, one that Johnstone has made a priority. Regardless, the Bobcats could return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. But first, the Bobcats will need to survive 19 games.