Big Ten Play Resumes at No. 9 Maryland

No. 13 Ohio State at No. 9 Maryland
Date: Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: College Park, Maryland — Ludwig Field (6,000)
Watch: B1G+
Live Stats: UMTerps.com
Game Notes: Ohio State | Maryland
Rosters: Ohio State  PDF | Maryland
Season Stats: Ohio State | Maryland

COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 13 Ohio State (5-0-3) travels for the first time in Big Ten Conference play this weekend to take on No. 9 Maryland (4-1-2) in College Park Sunday. First touch is set for 1 p.m. with B1G+ set to stream the action.

The BASICS

• The Buckeyes tied the Ohio State record for best start without a loss (8 games) with a draw (0-0) at Cleveland State the last time out. The Buckeyes (5-0-3) have tied the 2009 team, who also were 5-0-3. Here are the best starts to a season in OSU history:
  1977 (7-0-0/1.000)
  2001 (6-0-1/.929)
  2022 (5-0-3/.813)
  2009 (5-0-3/.813)
• With the result at Cleveland State, Ohio State went undefeated against intrastate foes in 2022. The Buckeyes won at Bowling Green (1-0), defeated Wright State in Columbus (2-0) and tied No. 14 Akron (3-3) and the Vikings (0-0) on the road. The last time the Buckeyes played four Ohio in a season without a defeat was in 2015 at Akron (T, 3-3, 2ot), vs. Dayton (W, 2-0), vs. Bowling Green (W, 2-1), vs. Cleveland State (W, 1-0) and vs. Dayton (T, 1-1, 2ot, pks 4-3) in the NCAA Tournament in Columbus.
• Ohio State played three-consecutive Top 15 opponents prior to facing the Vikings. Ohio State defeated No. 12 Butler Sept. 9 (2-0) then battled to a 3-all draw at No. 14 Akron Sept. 13 before knocking off No. 15 Indiana Sunday in Columbus (2-1).
• Entering the game with the Terps, Ohio State sits atop the 2022 Big Ten standings with the best winning percentage in the league (5-0-3/.813) and a 1-0 record in conference play.
• Ohio State has allowed the fewest goals among Big Ten teams (5/.63 gpg) and own the best scoring margin (1.12 gpg). the Buckeyes also lead in shots (123), save percentage (.800), and corners (64).
• Senior Xavier Green was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Week by the Big Ten last Tuesday after scoring goals at No. 14 Akron (T, 3-3) and vs. No. 15 Indiana (W, 2-1). His efforts also earned him a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week (Sept. 18).
• Senior Keagan McLaughlin has posted four-consecutive shutouts and has held opponents to just one goal over his first five games of the season. The Notre Dame transfer, has 14-career shutouts and four as a Buckeye.
• McLaughlin’s efforts in a 1-0 win at Bowling Green and a 2-0 home win over Wright State earned him the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (9/6/22). He added another league honor last Sept. 13 when he was named the Co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after a 2-0 shutout of No. 12 Butler. McLaughlin’s efforts also earned him a spot on the CollegeSoccerNews Team of the Week (Sept. 11) as the keeper.
• Freshman Marko Borkovic also was recognized Sept. 13 by the league office when he was named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week after putting Ohio State on the board first with a goal in the second half vs. Butler, his third of the season.
• Ohio State had last recorded four-consecutive shutouts in 2017 when it posted six-consecutive blankings from 9/1/17 to 9/22/17). Ohio State shutout seven of its first eight foes that year.
• Borkovic leads the Big Ten in game-winning goals with two and is sixth in goals (3).
• McLaughlin leads the league in goals against average (.200), save percentage (.947) and shutouts (4).
• Laurence Wootton, Nathan Demian and Luciano Pechota were named to the 2022 Wolstein Classic All-Tournament Team. Wootton had a goal and an assist, Pechota recorded a pair of assists and Demian led a defense that allowed just one goal over the two games.
• The Big Ten named Wootton its Offensive Player of the Week Aug. 30 for his efforts in the Wolstein Classic.
• Wootton, Deylen Vellios and Owen Sullivan are the designated captains for the 2022 season.
• Ohio State has split with Maryland in the last two meetings, winning at College Park in the spring of 2021 (1-0) and dropping a 2-1 decision to the No. 7 Terps last fall.
• In games played at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium since it opened in 1999, Ohio State is 128-67-33.
• Seniors Xavier Green and Etling elected to return to the Ohio State roster for a fifth year in 2022. Green started his Ohio State career in 2018 while Etling has been with the program since 2017 when he received a medical redshirt. Etling scored off a header vs. No. 12 Butler in Ohio State’s 2-0 win vs. the Bulldogs in his first game back from injury this season. Green scored unassisted in the 3-all draw at No. 14 Akron and tallied the first goal of the game vs. No. 15 Indiana Sept. 18 (W, 2-0).
• Former Ohio State head coach John Bluem was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame with the class of 2022 during ceremonies Sept. 9 at the Covelli Center on the Ohio State campus. Bluem posted 206 wins over 21 seasons (1997-2017) with 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a run to the College Cup Final in 2007.
• The Buckeyes are led in 2022 by two-time All-Big Ten selection Laurence Wootton, a junior from Stoke-on-Trent, England. He was named the 2021 team MVP following a 14-point, six-goal sophomore season. Owen Sullivan, a junior from Dublin, was named most improved in 2021. Keagan McLaughlin, a transfer from Notre Dame, earned the Connor Senn Award, an honor named for the Ohio State walk-on who became a starter before he tragically died of a heart condition during a 2001 match at Akron.
  Maisonneuve was associate head coach at Indiana University, guiding the team to the 2012 NCAA national title. He was a member of the Columbus Crew from 1996-2004.

Buckeyes In the Polls
After a pair of wins and a tie over Top 15 opponents, Ohio State moved to No. 13 this week in the United Soccer Coaches Poll (Sept. 20). It’s the highest ranking for the Buckeyes since Ohio State was rated No. 12 near the end of the 2015 campaign.

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