No. 19/23 Ohio State Travels North to Face Big Ten Leaders Wisconsin, Minnesota – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A winner of nine if it’s last 10 matches, the Ohio State women’s soccer team heads to Wisconsin for an 8 p.m. match Friday before traveling to Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The Buckeyes swept Iowa and Northwestern at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium this past weekend. Junior Lauren Steuer scored the game-winner against the Hawkeyes Friday and assisted on freshman Lauren Granberg’s game-winning header with 49 seconds left Sunday.
SCOUTING THE BADGERS
Led by third-year head coach Paula Wilkins, the Badgers have posted a 7-5-2 record, 3-1-1 in the Big Ten. Freshman forward Laurie Nosbusch leads the Badgers with five goals in 2009.
Ohio State trails the all-time series with Wisconsin, 7-8-3, splitting the last four matchups. The Badgers won the last matchup in Madison, a 1-0 decision in 2007.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
The Gophers have posted a 10-2-2 record, 3-0-1 in the conference to lead the Big Ten heading into the weekend. Minnesota is the top scoring team in the Big Ten and carries an eight-game unbeaten streak into the weekend. Junior forward Katie Bethke leads the Big Ten with 11 goals scored. Mikki Denney Wright is in her sixth season at the helm of the Minnesota program.
The Buckeyes trail the all-time series with Minnesota, 8-9-1, but have won six of their last seven against the Gophers.
11 AT HOME…AND ADMISSION IS FREE
The Buckeyes’ schedule includes two remaining matches at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. New for 2009: admission to all Ohio State home soccer matches is free to all.
THE COACHING STAFF
Ohio State is under the direction of 13th-year head coach Lori Walker. Walker has guided the team to four NCAA tournament berths (2002-03-04-07) as well as two Big Ten tournament championships (2002 and 2004). Greg Miller is in his second season as associate head coach and ninth overall with the Buckeyes. The 2009 season marks the second season for assistant coach Glen Tourville.
TAKING THEIR SHOTS
Ohio State has outshot its opponents 208-87 overall and 85-27 on goal. The Buckeyes have been outshot in just one game this year, a scoreless tie at West Virginia.
There also has been a huge disparity on corner kicks as the Buckeyes hold a 96-26 advantage over their opponents in that category.
SOLID START
After getting off to a slow start in 2008 (0-4-2), the Buckeyes have done just the opposite in 2009. The 10-2-1 start marks the marks the best start in school history, just ahead of the 2003 team which started out 8-2-3 after its first 13 games. That team finished the season with a 13-5-3 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
The Buckeyes sit in a tie for seventh in the NCAA in shutout percentage after posting clean sheets against nine of their first 13 opponents. Ohio State has trailed in fewer than 131 of 1,199 minutes played.
SHUTTING THEM DOWN
Goalkeeper Lauren “Taz” Robertson is second in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally with a 0.60 goals-against average. The senior co-captain and Ohio State career shutout leader with 26 has nine clean sheets in 13 games in 2009, tying the single-season school record.
Robertson has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week twice in 2009 and seven times in her career.
LAUREN TO LAUREN
After Lauren Granberg assisted on Lauren Steuer’s game-winner against Iowa, the junior returned the favor, playing a perfect corner kick on Granberg’s game-winning header with 49 seconds remaining against Northwestern on Sunday.
CONTINUING WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
Forwards Paige Maxwell and Lauren Granberg sit in a tie for eighth in the Big Ten with five goals in 2009. Maxwell notched her second career hat trick in Ohio State’s 6-0 win over Youngstown State. She is just the second Buckeye in history to record multiple hat tricks.
YOUNG GUN
Freshman forward Lauren Granberg has tallied five points over her last three games and now leads the team with 11 points in 2009. In all, freshmen or sophomores have accounted for 18 of the 26 Buckeye goals this season and six of the 10 game-winning goals.
DISHING IT OUT
Juniors Lauren Beachy and Lauren Steuer sit in a tie for fifth in the Big Ten with four assists.
EVERYBODY’S INVOLVED
18 Buckeyes have recorded at least one point in 2009. Only the 2004 team has had more Buckeyes contribute offensively with 19.
MOVING ON UP
The Buckeyes are ranked No. 19 in the Top 25 of the NSCAA/adidas rankings and No. 23 in Soccer America. It marks the fifth-consecutive week Ohio State has been ranked after the Buckeyes jumped all the way up to No. 15 two weeks ago.
The No. 15 ranking was the highest for the Buckeyes since Sept. 4, 2005.
BUCKEYES IN THE RPI
In the first Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings published by the NCAA on Oct. 6, Ohio State ranked 29th nationally and third in the Big Ten behind Penn State (24th) and Indiana (27th). The RPI will be released every two weeks for the remainder of the season.
AT HOME AT JESSE OWENS
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium has proved to be a more than advantageous home for the Buckeyes in its 10 years of existence. Consider:
– The home team is 72-30-9 all-time.
– Ohio State is 53-13-7 since 2003 and 28-8-3 since 2006.
– The Buckeyes went 6-3-2 at home in 2008.
– So far this season, Ohio State is 7-1 at home.
UP NEXT: ILLINOIS
After the pair of games this weekend, the Buckeyes travel to Champaign for the final match of their three-game road trip when they take on Illinois at 8 p.m. Oct. 22.
