Warriors Fall in Conference Opener at Ottawa

OTTAWA, Kan. – Midland University opened up conference play on Thursday, facing (RV) Ottawa University in Heart of America Conference (HOA) action. The Braves came out firing on all cylinders, controlling the game throughout and securing a 25-3 victory over the Warriors.

Ottawa struck early, scoring just 40 seconds into the game. The Braves added eight more goals in the first quarter, taking a 9-0 lead into the second. Ground balls were even at four apiece, but Midland managed only one shot compared to Ottawa's 15.

They extended their lead with five more goals in the second quarter before Samantha Jayne put the Warriors on the board with a goal, assisted by Caitlin Bowers, with 2:32 left in the first half. Ottawa quickly responded with another goal and headed into halftime with a 15-1 advantage.

In the third quarter, Ottawa continued to dominate, converting a free-position shot less than three minutes in before adding three more goals over the next seven minutes. Midland showed resilience, as Alexis Rios found the back of the net with 2:43 left in the quarter to make it 19-2. The Braves added one more goal before the period ended, taking a 20-2 lead into the fourth.

The Braves opened the final quarter with two goals before Madi Marusiak capitalized on a man-up opportunity to make it 22-3 with just over nine minutes remaining. The Braves closed out the game with three late goals to secure the 25-3 win.

Ottawa won the ground ball battle 18-10. Clearing was a struggle for Midland, as the Warriors went 3-for-10, while the Braves finished 8-for-9. Shelby Tracy recorded eight saves for Midland on 38 shots faced.

Midland (0-2, 0-1 HOA) will look to bounce back on Sunday, March 9, when it travels to take on St. Ambrose (0-1, 0-0 HOA) in another conference matchup. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Davenport, Iowa.