Box Score

ADA, Ohio – The Cardinal women's soccer team dropped a 2-0 contest at Ohio Northern on Wednesday night, an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup which featured two nationally-ranked teams at Kerscher Stadium.

Otterbein, which retained its No. 22 ranking in the latest D3 national poll released on Tuesday, moves to 7-2-1 overall and 0-2 in the early going of conference play, having fallen in each of its last two matches after starting the season undefeated through the first eight games. 

Both Otterbein and Ohio Northern came into play as the top-two defenses in the OAC, as the Cards currently top the league with an 0.53 goals-against average to the Polar Bears' mark of 0.58.

The Polar Bears, up to 19th nationally, were first and last to strike, initially scoring midway through the 27th minute of action as Rose Nienaber notched her fourth goal of the year after rebounding the ball and placing it into the back of the net to end the scoreless tie. 

Perhaps one bright spot offensively in the first frame for the Cards was when midfielder Annie Mosca fired a shot on goal that ricocheted off the crossbar inside the Polar Bear box.

ONU entered halftime with a noticeable 10-3 lead in shots, six of them coming on goal. Cardinal goalkeeper Katie Both helped keep the Polar Bear lead from expanding any more, posting five first-half saves. 

The Polar Bears added to their lead in the 76th minute following a pass from Jenna Fuller that sailed over the Cardinal defense, to which Anna Niemeyer finished on the opposite end for a breakaway goal.

Otterbein's deficit would grow no larger over the final 14 minutes of play, while ONU ended the match claiming a 15-6 advantage in shots.

Both finished with seven saves for the Cards in her first loss between the posts, while ONU goalkeeper Meagan Grierson stopped three shots for the win on her side.

The Cards will conclude their two-game road stint Saturday at Muskingum. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. in New Concord.