May 25, 2014 by in News, Recap with 0 comments
A packed Ohio State sideline watched and cheered as Fever began to make their move early, breaking first when Paige Soper found Katie Backus to make it 2-1. It was one of Soper’s four assists in the first half, all while the 2013 Callahan finalist took on Carleton star Julia Snyder on defense. Syzygy struggled with pressured errors throughout the game, and Fever was happy to gobble up breaks, taking a 7-4 lead, and eventually an 8-6 half.
The defensive pressure was even stronger in the second half from Fever. They had seven Ds, holding Snyder to just a goal during that period. They smothered downfield options for Carleton, forcing handlers to swing between each other until they took an unnecessary risk or made a mistake. When Ohio State turned the disc, they were able to get it back.
Carleton was unable to match OSU’s depth, energy, and pressure. Cassie Swafford, Ohio State’s star Callahan nominee, was a major presence offensively in the second half. She had three goals and five assists in the win for Fever. Snyder managed two goals and three assists in her final Carleton game.
Ohio State advances to the semifinals to face Washington. The home state team has been the most impressive team in Cincinnati: they are undefeated and unchallenged, winning by an average of nearly seven points per game. Carleton was yet another victim of the Ohio State speed, poise, and consistency, which are the attributes Fever will look to ride to the program’s first title game appearance.