Photo by: Jay LaPrete
Improvement Key to Future for Buckeyes
9/12/2025 3:37:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Ohio State to face next three opponents on the road
Columbus, Ohio – Brian Maisonneuve, head coach of the Buckeyes, has incorporated new athletes into the Ohio State program over the the early portion of the 2025 season and the results are promising for the remainder of the campaign.
The Buckeyes enter the battle with Butler Saturday with a 2-3 overall record while working to blend several returners from its run to the 2024 College Cub Semifinals with several newcomers.
Maisonneuve knew it was going to take some time to get things clicking The bright side is seeing the progression each game, he said.
"The best thing is we are getting better every game," Maisonneuve said. "We still have a little ways to go, but we're getting there. I think that's something we can definitely build on."
The offense has struggled to put the ball in the net, totaling three goals on 71 shots. The Buckeyes have dominated the stat sheet offensively with 30 more shots than their opponents, 11 more corners and a higher shots-on-goal percentage.
"We're obviously missing in terms of scoring goals, which is the hardest thing in our game to do. And we have to find a way to get some," Maisonneuve said. "We've created some chances. I thought our build up and our possession was the best against Louisville that it's been. Now we just got to create a little bit more productive chances and then we got to bury a few."
On Ohio State's three goals, sophomore midfielder Nick Skubis has assisted on two of them, including the game-winner against Oakland (1-0). With his production and experience there comes added responsibility in the midfield.
"People rely on you in that position," Skubis said. "You just need to be 100 percent knowing what you're going to do in certain scenarios."
As the team looks ahead to Butler, Skubis said the focus is improving as a team, from the game on Saturday to the Big Ten tournament in November.
"It's a big game for us to get back into the winning ways," Skubis said. "We want to really focus on our positivity and making our final opportunities the best we can make them."
The Buckeyes will face off against the Bulldogs (2-4) on Saturday at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl. The game will be streamed at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).
The Buckeyes enter the battle with Butler Saturday with a 2-3 overall record while working to blend several returners from its run to the 2024 College Cub Semifinals with several newcomers.
Maisonneuve knew it was going to take some time to get things clicking The bright side is seeing the progression each game, he said.
"The best thing is we are getting better every game," Maisonneuve said. "We still have a little ways to go, but we're getting there. I think that's something we can definitely build on."
The offense has struggled to put the ball in the net, totaling three goals on 71 shots. The Buckeyes have dominated the stat sheet offensively with 30 more shots than their opponents, 11 more corners and a higher shots-on-goal percentage.
"We're obviously missing in terms of scoring goals, which is the hardest thing in our game to do. And we have to find a way to get some," Maisonneuve said. "We've created some chances. I thought our build up and our possession was the best against Louisville that it's been. Now we just got to create a little bit more productive chances and then we got to bury a few."
On Ohio State's three goals, sophomore midfielder Nick Skubis has assisted on two of them, including the game-winner against Oakland (1-0). With his production and experience there comes added responsibility in the midfield.
"People rely on you in that position," Skubis said. "You just need to be 100 percent knowing what you're going to do in certain scenarios."
As the team looks ahead to Butler, Skubis said the focus is improving as a team, from the game on Saturday to the Big Ten tournament in November.
"It's a big game for us to get back into the winning ways," Skubis said. "We want to really focus on our positivity and making our final opportunities the best we can make them."
The Buckeyes will face off against the Bulldogs (2-4) on Saturday at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl. The game will be streamed at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).
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Players Mentioned
Midfielder
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