Big Ten Champs! Buckeyes Defeat Michigan To Take Home Title – Ohio State Buckeyes

Wednesday, November 4

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State

11-5-2, 5-2-1

Michigan

8-5-4, 3-3-2

Team	1	2	Final F
Michigan	0	1	1
Ohio State	2	1	3

Big Ten Champs! Buckeyes Defeat Michigan To Take Home Title – Ohio State Buckeyes

11/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Nov. 4, 2015

RELATED INFO

Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
VIDEO: Match Highlights
VIDEO: Bluem Interview | Culbertson Interview | Mason Interview
Photo Gallery
Box Score
B1G Tournament Bracket

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the fourth time in school history, the Ohio State men’s soccer team are Big Ten champions. Senior Kyle Culbertson scored a pair of goals, while classmate Zach Mason tallied his first career goal as the No. 18 Buckeyes (11-5-2, 5-2-1 B1G) defeated Michigan, 3-1, to claim the title in front of a season-high 3,448 fans Wednesday night at Bert L. & Iris S. Wolstein Field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

“This team has become a very special group,” head coach John Bluem said. “We’ve been so good in the second half of the season, it’s just been really fun to be a part of the ride. We were very dangerous on the counterattack tonight. Our four attacking players are competing at a high level and finding goals in big games. Our defense was solid again. It’s an amazing recovery from earlier this year. We never lost confidence this season.”

After starting the year 1-4, the Buckeyes turned it around winning 10 of their last 11 matches to claim the first conference title since the 2009 campaign. With the conference crown, the Buckeyes earn the No. 1 seed in the tournament and will play the winner of No. 8 seed Michigan State and No. 9 seed Penn State at 4 p.m. ET Sunday live on BTN in Columbus. The Buckeyes will host the play-in game at 1 pm. ET Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

“We are playing well at the best time of the season,” Bluem said. “There are a lot of games in front of us still and hopefully we can continue the success on our home field.”

You really couldn’t have scripted it any better on Senior Night as two seniors found the back of the net.

Culbertson, a native of Columbus, Ohio, struck first in the 24th minute when a deflected pass found the OSU senior at the top of the 18. Culbertson collected the ball and struck a shot from 12 yards out into the back left of for his fourth goal of the year. The assist came from freshman Westerville, Ohio, native Abdi Mohamed.

“The front four played fantastic tonight,” Culbertson said. “I’ve been around three different schools in my career and it’s great to be back in Ohio. These guys are my brothers and it was also great to see former players out here supporting the team. These guys are my family. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Just nine minutes later, Ohio State made it 2-0 when Mason, a native of Galena, Ohio, scored his first career goal in his 77th career start. On an OSU corner, the OSU midfielder went up for the service and knocked in a shot while falling to the ground for the score at 33:19.

“It’s a dream,” Mason, a Senior Class Award Finalist, said. “I went up for the header and missed, which is what I usually do and I fell on the ball and it went in. I actually started laughing instantly. It’s ironic that I never scored a goal in my career and when I did it wasn’t like a good goal. It still counts though. We are going to celebrate this one tonight and move on to the next. “

Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium was electric! More than 3,400 fans witnessed the Buckeyes’ fourth B1G title

Even with the 2-0 lead, the Buckeyes did not let up on the gas pedal after halftime. In the 55th minute, Ohio State attacked on the breakaway through midfield. Danny Jensen sent a pass from the Top of the 18 over to Yaw Amankwa, who flicked it to the near side where Culbertson hit a sweet left-footed shot to the far post for the 3-0 advantage at 54:25.

Michigan scored its lone goal of the contest in the 85th minute when James Murphy had a a netter following a service from the near side at 84:08.

Overall, shots were 15-13 in favor of the Buckeyes, while both teams had three corners. Chris Froschauer improved to 11-5-2 with three saves vs. the Wolverines.

It was quite a scene at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on an unusually warm November night in Ohio. The crowd of 3,448 was the second-largest crowd in stadium history. Throughout the day, the team received an enormous amount of support on social media from other OSU varsity sports teams, groups and clubs and they all showed up in numbers.

“I really appreciate in particular Urban Meyer and the other coaches that encouraged people to come to the game tonight,” Bluem said. “It was a fantastic crowd and to be able to win a championship and have a lot of people here to celebrate with us just made it a special moment.”

Ohio State honored its 2015 senior class before the contest vs. the Wolverines

MATCH NOTES

Ohio State claims its fourth title in school history and first since the 2009 campaign.
Buckeyes improve to 20-10-1 all-time vs. Michigan. Ohio State has won nine out of the last 11 meetings.
The Buckeyes tied the single-season stadium record with their eighth home win of the year, tying the mark set during the 2007 season.
Ohio State has won seven-consecutive home games and improve to 8-1-1 overall at JOMS.
Ohio State honored its 2015 senior class before the start of the contest as seniors Joao Ehlers, Kenny Cunningham, Chris Froschauer, Kyle Culbertson, Liam Doyle and Zach Mason were recognized in their last regular-season match of their careers.
Ohio State has claimed all four B1G crowns under 19th-year head coach John Bluem.
Zach Mason scored his first career goal in his 77th start of his career.
Kyle Culbertson notched a career-best four points on a pair of goals.