Ohio State
4-4-2, 1-1-1B1G
Michigan State
5-4-1, 1-1-1B1G
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Unbeaten Streak Extends to Five with 2-1 Win at Michigan State – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 4, 2015
Ohio State at Michigan State – Men’s Soccer Highlights
Ohio State topped Michigan State 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Posted by BTN Video on Sunday, October 4, 2015
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EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Ohio State men’s soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to five-consecutive matches with a 2-1 win over Michigan State Sunday afternoon in East Lansing, Mich. With its third straight victory, the Buckeyes improve to 4-4-2 overall and 1-1-1 in Big Ten play, while the Spartans fall to 5-4-1 and 1-1-1 in conference action.
“It was great to see us score in a counterattack situation for the 1-0 lead in the first half,” head coach John Bluem said. “Marcus had a solid finish and Danny is starting to find a goal-scoring touch. Those are both good signs for our team. It was a typical, hard-fought road Big Ten game and I’m very pleased for our guys to get these important points on the road.”
Just like last year, sophomore Marcus McCrary scored his first goal of the season against the Spartans. The scoring chance started in the 17th minute when freshman Abdi Mohamed gained possession at midfield and advanced forward before sending a through ball to Kyle Culbertson at the top of the 18. Culbertson fired in a left-footed shot that was saved by goalkeeper Zach Bennett, but McCrary was in perfect position on the near side to send in the tap-in goal at 16:08.The Buckeyes would go into halftime with the 1-0 lead despite being outshot, 8-5, by the Spartans.
“Kyle hit a nice shot from the outside and I was just in the right place at the right time,” McCrary said. “I knew it was a good opportunity to get my first goal of the year and I was able to finish for our team. The first goal is always the hardest and hopefully more will come now. Our team is really jelling right now.”
In the second half, junior Danny Jensen was also in good position to extend the lead to 2-0. Following a long throw in by Culbertson, Zach Mason whipped a shot off the far post that deflected straight to Jensen for his third goal of the year at 56:47. Jensen, a native of Weston, Fla., leads all active Buckeyes with 12 career goals.
“I honestly thought the ball was going in but it bounced right off the post to my left foot,” Jensen said. “I hit it kind of soft, but a goal is a goal. You can’t be upset about that. We really have depth up top this year and I think that’s having an impact. We constantly stay fresh out on the field and that’s putting pressure on the defense. We are happy with the results we are getting.”
The Spartans cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 87th minute when Ryan Sierakowski scored from the far post at 86:57. But the Buckeye defense held off late pressure from the Spartans to hold on to the 2-1 victory. A MSU free kick from midfield went wide right of net in the 89th, while a final scrum in OSU territory was denied by the OSU backline.
Senior goalkeeper Chris Froschauer improved to 4-4-2 overall in 2015 with four saves. Overall, Michigan State held a 18-9 lead in shots, while the Spartans had a 5-2 lead in corners.
The Buckeyes return to the pitch at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Oct. 7 against Bowling Green at Bert L. & Iris S. Wolstein Field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. As always, admission is free.
MATCH NOTES
- The game was broadcasted live on BTN.
- Ohio State claims its first win on the road as well as in conference play Sunday.
- The Buckeyes are now unbeaten in their last five matches in East Lansing (4-0-1).
- The Scarlet and Gray scored two goals against a Michigan State team that allowed just 0.77 goals per game coming into the contest.
- Seven different Buckeyes have now registered goals in 2015.
Team Stats
McCrary, Marcus (1)
Assisted By: Culbertson, Kyle
off rebound after GK save
16:08
Jensen, Danny (3)
Assisted By: Mason, Zach
off deflection
56:47
Sierakowski, Ryan (3)
Assisted By: Carroll, Zach , Cristobal, Jerome
header from 6 yards
86:57
