Although this campaign has concluded, it's easy to give to Ohio University and support the Women's Field Hockey Fund.
OHIO Field Hockey has been given an incredible opportunity: A generous donor has pledged $25,000 in a dollar-for-dollar match for the duration of this campaign, giving the program a chance to bring in $50,000 and push the team to the next level.
A gift to the OHIO Field Hockey team will be one that contributes to the growing success of outstanding student-athletes. The team will benefit incredibly from all donations and the program will have the potential to advance and become competitive at the national level.
The Ohio University Women’s Field Hockey team was very competitive in its 2019 season. The team finished its season with an 8-8 overall record and a 4-2 conference record. OHIO was a contender against some of the strongest programs in the country, defeating Indiana in overtime and putting up remarkable fights against UC Davis and Michigan State. The Bobcats delivered three shutouts across their 16 games, holding Ball State and Lock Haven scoreless at Pruitt Field and defeating Davidson 3-0 on the Wildcats' turf.
Ali Johnstone, a two-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American and OHIO Hall-of-Famer, is in her second year as head coach of the field hockey team. Coach Johnstone returned home to Ohio University in 2017, having graduated 15 years before as one of the most decorated players in Bobcat history. She explained the impact that gifts will have on her and her team.
“This is an extremely exciting and unique opportunity for the field hockey program,” said Coach Johnstone. “The field hockey team will be greatly impacted by these gifts, as they will allow for our program to fill our schedule and have the ability to compete on a national level. The travel experience for each player will improve significantly with the ability to take flights to very distant opponents. We will be able to increase our recruiting efforts and show the Bobcat love across the nation and internationally.”
The team consists of incredible student-athletes that aren’t just stars on the field. Nine players were named to the Academic All-MAC team this year for holding at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA while participating in at least 50 percent of contests. One of these student-athletes is Amy Edgerton, a senior studying biology with a minor in psychology. Next fall, Edgerton will start her first year of medical school at the University of Louisville.
“It feels so special to have a supportive community to help our field hockey family,” she said. “Receiving support will open so many doors for the team in traveling, equipment, and preparation for playing. This program means so much to me. I love watching it grow.”
Gifts to this campaign will help offset the team’s expenses, including the following:
“I cannot express enough the love of this program and the impact it has had on my life and those that I have been blessed to meet because of it,” said Coach Johnstone. “Please consider helping our program grow and enhancing our players' experiences.”