Futbol2k22

Ohio State will host Iowa today at in the Big Ten home opener for the Buckeyes. Ohio State enters the match at 5-2-2, while Iowa is 3-4-3. Both teams are 0-1-1 in Big Ten play.

Emma Sears is leading the Buckeyes with four goals and two assists. Peyton McNamara also has four goals and with one assist. Olivia Sensky shares the team lead with Sears collecting two assists. On goal Molley Pritchard has 18 saves in seven games played while Katherine Robinson has 16 saves in her seven games. Ohio State has outscored opponents 12-9, with an impressive first half showing of eight goals to three in the first half. Defenders Kitty Jones-Black, Talani Barnett and Sydney Jones help to slow opponents on the offensive side.

Iowa will enter Sunday's game led offensively by Kyndal Anderson who has a team best three goals and one assist. Hailey Rydberg, Elle Otto and Caroline Halonen have scored two goals each. Rydberg has collected three assists to lead the Hawkeyes. Monica Wilhelm has posted 27 saves while protecting the goal for Iowa. Iowa has outscored its opponents 14-8. Like the Buckeyes, the Hawkeyes have dominated the first have but in a better fashion outscoring opponents, 10-2.

On Sept. 22, Iowa tied Michigan State in its most recent match as neither team scored. Ohio State also had a scoreless tie on the same day against Michigan. It will be interesting to see which team dominates the first half and will what team will be outplayed in the second half as both teams have started most of its matches strong and have had less dominant second halves.

Kent State takes on nearest rival Akron

Kent State struggled prior to its conference opener going winless in seven contests. The Flashes turned things around on Sept. 22 with a 2-0 win against Ohio in its Mid-American Conference opener, to improve to 1-5-2. Kent had only scored two goals in its first seven games. On Sunday, Kent travels to nearby Akron in an effort to have its first back-to-back win. Akron is 1-3-2 and has also struggled to offensively going scoreless in its last three contests being outscored 7-0. Akron's top scorer is Emma King. She has two goals on the season. Caitlin Bruni and Morgan Pentz have each scored a goal apiece for the Zips.

Kent's Kelsey Salopek has recorded two goals to lead her squad, while Callie Cunningham and Dalaney Ranallo have one goal and one assist each. This is the 31st time both of these teams have faced off. Kent has dominated the series 24-6, winning 11 of the last 12 matches since 2011.

Jenkins fires up Hartford to strong start

Imani Jenkins is second in the NCAA with 11 goals in eight matches for Hartford (6-1-1). Hartford is unbeaten this month going 4-0-1. Jenkins has scored in every contest but one. She has posted two goals in four games, including Hartford's most recent win against Wesleyan on Sept. 17. Last season Jenkins had just six goals to go along with three assists in 16 matches. Two of her goals last season were game-winners. This year five of her goals have captured wins for Hartford. Jenkins is a forward in her junior season. She is from Middletown, Connecticut and play her high school ball at Middletown High School and Capital Preparatory Magnet School. Their next match is scheduled, Sept 30 at home against Chicago State. They will face Chicago State again at home on Oct. 2.

Hartford is also getting strong contributions from Makaela Montgomery-Williams, who has scored two goals and two assists, as Ishani Sharma and Christina Stone who have one goal and three assists each.