Courtney Seiders had almost no shots against her Sunday at Pruitt Field, which was perfectly fine with her.
For most of Ohio U.’s 7-0 rout of Ball State, Seiders stood alone in front of the net while the Bobcats relentlessly attacked the Cardinals’ defense. Ball State managed only two shots and had no corners.
“It’s fun to make saves,” she said. “But it’s also fun to not really do anything.”
Seiders earned the respite, however, after making a total of 16 saves the previous weekend and 14 the weekend before that.
The senior earned Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors last Wednesday thanks to an 11-save effort in Ohio’s 3-1 win against Richmond Sept. 19.
“I think anytime we get Defensive Player of the Week, it’s about our defense (as a whole),” Seiders said. “It’s never just one person back there.”
Seiders said before the Richmond contest that the Bobcats’ backfield needed to limit the number of shot attempts by opposing offenses. It failed on that account, as the Spiders tallied 19 shots, but since then has clamped down opposing offenses.
Ohio allowed eight shots during its overtime win against Miami Saturday. Combined with her three saves during that match, Seiders had just four during the weekend.
The Bobcats have allowed three goals in their current five-game win streak, and they’ve done it without redshirt junior Louzeth Schutte, a leader in the backfield.
“Our defense is playing well,” Seiders said. “But, again, it’s not just me. It comes through everyone else.”
Coach Neil Macmillan said Seiders, who is 6-foot-1, uses her size to block shots more than Ohio’s past goalies.
“If you’ve got a good goalkeeper – and I think we have – you’re going to be in a situation when shots do arise,” Macmillan said. “(When) play does come down to your defensive ends, you’ve got a bit of confidence in it.”
She said her .800 save percentage, eighth in the nation, is a credit to the defense as a whole.
“It’s a goal of mine to have a good save percentage because then it means we’re keeping balls out of the cage, winning games,” Seiders said.
Although she likes to be bored in front of the net, Seiders said she’s ready to defend it.
“If I have to make a save, I have to make a save,” she said.