With an overtime score of 1-1 against conference rival Ohio University, sophomore midfielder Eva Usoz fired in the game winning shot, and her team-leading seventh goal, to hoist the Kent State field hockey team to a 2-1 victory Sunday.

“That’s a great player making a great play,” coach Heather Hefner said. “The execution was great, and it was unreal.”

Usoz used her speed, sprinting down the field to catch a pass from senior back Arden Goddard-Despot, and almost in line with the goal, fired the ball past the goalie at a tight angle. 

“The most underrated part is the beautiful ball Arden sends through a few defenders,” Hefner said. “Eva ran on to it, which is hard to do after 60 minutes of field hockey, and put it perfectly into the corner.”

Senior midfielder Agustina Florio also provided some magic for the Flashes, putting in a goal right before the first half buzzer sounded to give the Flashes a 1-0 lead at the half. It was Florio’s fifth goal of the season, and it was assisted by sophomore forward Maybritt Duwel.

The Flashes outshot the Bobcats 16-6 and 12-4 on shots on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Lieve Jansen made three key saves for KSU.

The team put in work throughout the last week to prepare itself for this winning weekend.

“We definitely focused this last week on a ton of attacking-third things,” Hefner said, “entering the circle – anticipating and being ready to get a deflection, getting a rebound or scoring a goal. Our week of practice was one of the best weeks of practice we’ve had all year, and it allowed us to go into the weekend and score some goals.”

Kent State improved to 4-2 against the Mid-American Conference and 5-10 overall. The Flashes have been winners of five of their last nine games.

KSU dropped the Bobcats to 5-9 overall and 2-4 against the MAC.

The road win against OU was not the only win the Flashes had against the MAC this weekend.

Two days earlier, Kent State walloped the Central Michigan Chippewas 7-3 at Murphy-Mellis Field. KSU’s seven goals was the most it has had since Sept. 15, 2023, against those same Chippewas.

The Flashes erupted out of the gates with three goals in the first quarter. 

Florio started the party by stealing a pass from CMU and finding the back of the net. 

Freshman forward Delfina Larripa gave the Flashes a 2-0 lead on her first career collegiate goal assisted by junior forward Emma Seger. Early in the second quarter, Larripa found the back of the net again, this time unassisted.

“She was super pumped to get those goals,” Hefner said. “Not only were the goals great, but her parents came up from Argentina and were there, so that was really special.”

Duwel scored her second and third goals of the season in the first half, both assisted by Usoz. This propelled the Flashes to a 5-1 lead at halftime.

Usoz started the second half scoring for the Flashes, crossing over multiple CMU defenders before adding to her team lead in goals scored.

Senior midfielder Bella Carpenter scored Kent State’s seventh goal, and her second of the season, on a penalty stroke in the fourth quarter.

“It’s all about taking things one moment at a time,” Hefner said. “In quarter one, you can’t be thinking about quarter four, but you have to be in the moment, and our girls did a great job of that.”

It was a full team effort for the Flashes, which reflects the team’s motto this season: “every piece.”

“There were five different goal scorers,” Hefner said. “Also, any time we score a goal, it’s a full piece, and the full team that goes into scoring it.”

The team was also playing for a bigger cause against Central Michigan, as it was the field hockey team’s cancer awareness game.

“We were playing for something bigger,” Hefner said. “That was everyone – the people on the sideline, the people getting minutes – they were showing up to fight in whatever way they could for those people. It’s special when there’s a bigger “why” for what you’re doing.”

One more on the home field

Kent State will welcome the Bellarmine University Knights to town Friday at 3 p.m. The Knights are 3-11 overall and 1-5 against the MAC – eighth place of nine teams.

The Flashes, fourth place in the MAC, are 5-0 against Bellarmine all-time and look to continue their winning ways.

“We’re ready and peaking at the right time,” Hefner said. “At the end of the year, that’s really when you want to peak. We had a rough start, but now where we are as a group – taking it one game at a time – I think that we’re ready.”

Only the top four teams in the MAC make it to the conference tournament. Kent State, in fourth place, knows that the last few games are of high importance.

“Hopefully we clinch a spot and we’re ready for the MAC tournament, and what’s ahead of us,” Hefner said. “The goal at the end of the season is to get ready for the conference tournament, and right now we’re putting ourselves in the best position to do that.”

The game Friday is also senior day for the Flashes and a gold out.

“The seniors have had quite the journey in their time at Kent, and it would be really special for them to win,” Hefner said. “I know the rest of the girls are going to be rallying and putting their best foot forward.”

Andrew Gold is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].