No. 1 Buckeyes, Broncos Clash in NCAA Second Round Sunday

No. 1 Seed Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Western Michigan Broncos -- 2024 NCAA Tournament Second Round
Date: Sunday, Nov. 24
Time: 5 p.m.
Venue: Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Tickets: Purchase HERE
Parking: Free
Game Notes: Ohio State | Western Michigan
Rosters: Ohio State | Western Michigan
2024 Stats: Ohio State | Western Michigan

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 1 seed and top-ranked Ohio State (14-1-3) will open the 2024 NCAA Tournament in the second round against Western Michigan (12-2-6) at 5 p.m. Sunday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The Broncos won their NCAA opening round match against SIUE, 5-1, Thursday.

Western Michigan defeated SIUE in snowy conditions Thursday in Kalamazoo, 5-1, to advance in the NCAA Tournament to face the Buckeyes in the second round. Ohio State is 1-1-2 all-time in the series with the Broncos. The last meeting was a 2-all draw in South Bend, Indiana, Oct. 7, 1990. The only meeting in Columbus was a 3-0 Ohio State win Sept. 12, 1982.
Ohio State is the first team to end the season ranked No. 1 after being unranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll since Wake Forest in 2015. New Mexico was unranked entering the 2011 season before climbing to No. 1 entering the NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State has played seven teams this season that qualified for the 2024 NCAA Tournament and posted a 7-1-1 record in nine matches: SIUE (1-0), UCLA (0-1), Maryland (1-0), Michigan (2-0), Washington (2-0), Akron (1-0), Indiana (0-0-1).
In the nine games vs the teams Ohio State faced that made the NCAA Tournament this year, Michael Adedokun led the Buckeyes with 13 points with four goals and five assists. David Wrona and Parker Grinstead each was credited with two match-wining scores. Keeper Max Trejo was 4-0 while Patrick McLaughlin posted a 3-1-1 record. In the nine games, Ohio State scored 23 goals while allowing nine.
Ohio State enters the NCAA tournament with a wealth of experience. Eight rostered players have played 50 or more matches over their careers to date. Michael Adedokun (63), Thomas Gilej (60), Parker Grinstead (80), Luciano Pechota (56), Anthony Samways (69), Deylen Vellios (75), Tommaso Villa (52) and David Wrona (82) lead the way. Ashton Bilow (49) will play his 50th match in the NCAA opener for the Buckeyes.
The 14 wins this season are the second-most in program history behind the 2007 team that finished 17-4-5 after making it to the College Cup finals.
Michael Adedokun's 11 assists this season are the second most in program history behind Xavier Balc's 14 in 2007. His 27 points (8g/11a) and 68 shots both rate sixth all-time. The point total is the most since Balc has 30 in 2007.
Ohio State's current winning percentage of .861/14-1-3) is the highest in program history. The 46 goals scored to date rates second all-time behind the 47 scored in 1983. Ohio State has improved its win total by eight games over the 2023 season (6-6-6), the second most victory improvement in consecutive seasons (2 wins in 1973 to 11 in 1974 (+9).
Keeper Max Trejo has a goals against average of 0.56, a program record, with an 8-0-1 record. He's allowed just five goals on the year. Defender Anthony Samways has 14 career assists, good for the No. 10 spot all-time.
2024 Big Ten Tournament No. 1 seed knocked off No. 7 Michigan 1-0 in the finals last Sunday in Columbus on a second-half goal by senior Parker Grinstead.
Attendance at the BTT Final was 9,838, which set both an Ohio State program and Big Record for attendance at a league home match.
Grinstead was named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player. He also scored twice in Ohio State's 3-1 win in the semifinals over Washington. Grinstead joined Siggi Magnusson, Anthony Samways and keeper Max Trejo on the all tournament team.
Ohio State is making its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance after last making the field in 2022 as an at-large participant. The Buckeyes won at Wake Forest (3-0) before UNC Greensboro advanced on penalty kicks (6-5) in the second round.
Overall, Ohio State is 8-10-4 in the NCAA Tournament, including a 5-2-2 record in Columbus. The last home NCAA Tournament game was against Dayton in 2015. The Buckeyes and Flyers battled to a 1-all draw before Ohio State advanced 4-3 in PKs.
Ohio State's No. 1 seed is the highest in program history. Ohio State was seeded No. 5 in 2007 when it last advanced to the College Cup. Ohio State was a No. 9 seed in 2015. The Buckeyes fell to No. 1 Wake Forest, 2-1, in the NCAA Championship match in 2007. No. 8 Stanford eliminated Ohio State, 3-1, in 2015 in the NCAA Third Round.

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