Pechota’s Two Goals Help Down No. 16 Spartans, 3-2

Tuesday, October 24

DeMartin Stadium, East Lansing, Mich.

6:00 PM

Ohio State

4-6-5, 2-4-1

Michigan State

7-1-6, 3-1-4

Ohio St.

Michigan St.

Photo by: Kirk Irwin

Pechota’s Two Goals Help Down No. 16 Spartans, 3-2

10/24/2023 8:31:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score PDF Box Season Stats (PDF)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State (4-6-5, 2-4-1) attempted to take down one of the four-remaining undefeated teams nationally at No. 16 Michigan State (7-1-6, 3-1-4) Tuesday in East Lansing at DeMartin Stadium. The Buckeyes jumped to a 2-0 lead after the first 45 minutes but the Spartans came back to tie it with a pair of scores in the second half.

Luciano Pechota then scored his second goal of the match in the 87^th minute to give the Buckeyes the road win.

How it Happened
Ohio State possessed the ball the majority of the first half with a 10-3 advantage in shots and a 5-1 edge in attempts on frame. The effort paid off with a goal in the 25' by sophomore Luciano Pechota after a rebound found his right foot just out front. He put it away in the left corner for this third of the season and fifth as a Buckeye.

Pechota scores his third of the season and fifth career goal for the 1-0 lead. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/zRwCpnSh18
— Ohio State Men's Soccer (@OhioStateMSOC) October 24, 2023

Marko Borkovic then gave the Buckeyes a 2-0 lead off a feed from Anthony Samways in the 36'. Borkovic owns two goals this season and has five over the last two years. Samways posted his first point of the season with his 10^th career assist.

Anthony Samways sets up Marko Borkovic for the 2-0 Buckeye lead. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/eQiMWPW1vM
— Ohio State Men's Soccer (@OhioStateMSOC) October 24, 2023

The Spartans cut the lead in half with a penalty kick goal by Sean Kerrigan in the 48' after Ohio State's Parker Grinstead was called for the foul just left of the Ohio State goal.

Both teams had quality chances to change the course of the match in the 57' when the Spartans hit the cross bar at one end then stopped a Laurence Wootton shot with a clear by an MSU defender at the line on the other.

The Spartans tied the match at 2-all when Jonathan Stout had an Ohio State clearing attempt bounce off his left foot and find the back of the Ohio State net from just off the line.

87' | Pechota gives the Buckeyes a 3-2 lead with a blast that finds the right corner. OSU 3, MSU 2. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/BwgaaMcg3q
— Ohio State Men's Soccer (@OhioStateMSOC) October 25, 2023

Pechota then scored the match-winner in the 87' on a right-footed blast that found the lower left corner of the Spartan net.

Another look at the Pechota game-winner. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Sq79cuzRlE
— Ohio State Men's Soccer (@OhioStateMSOC) October 25, 2023

The Buckeyes are 26-29-3 all-time vs. the Spartans and 8-15-2 in East Lansing.

Up Next
Ohio State will recognize its seniors Sunday in the final regular-season match of the season. Maryland will supply the competition with a 12:30 p.m. scheduled first touch. The match will be streamed live by B1G+.

#GoBucks