Photo by: Jay LaPrete
Buckeyes Battle Through Toll of Two Matches in Four Days
9/29/2025 9:12:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Ohio State plays host to UCLA Monday in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio – The Big Ten Conference season is daunting from start to finish and having to play two matches in four days adds to the difficulty.
Ohio State traveled to Piscataway, New Jersey, last Friday to face Rutgers before returning to Columbus to welcome the UCLA Bruins Monday.
This reduces time spent on game-planning, strategies, rest and recover.
For forward senior Tanner Creech, the concentration has been on each game separately.
"We've just got to focus on one game at a time," Creech said. "Focusing on that mentality first is the biggest thing for us right now."
The competitive nature of the Big Ten does not make the two-game swing easier. Rutgers entered the match with the Buckeyes undefeated at home, while UCLA travels to Columbus winners of two of the last three league matches.
From a broader perspective, head coach Brian Maisonneuve said Ohio State isn't alone in facing a quick turnaround.
"It's a tough circumstance," Maisonneuve said. "But UCLA is coming off a game on Friday, so both teams are dealing with it."
In this short period of time there is limited recovery time, soreness and even injuries to deal with but for senior midfielder Luciano Pechota it may be more mental than physical, he said.
"Obviously, there's a good physical component of just doing the right things, eating the right things, just making sure you're hydrated, recovering with good sleep, all that," Pechota said. "But it's honestly a lot more mental."
The ability to focus on one team to immediately switch and lock-in to another takes a clear toll. Still, several Buckeyes including Pechota and Creech have experience with it.
Last year, Ohio State went on to beat Michigan 6-3 in Ann Arbor before returning home to shutout Washington 2-0 in a four day span.
Now, the Buckeyes will look to draw on that experience as they prepare for another demanding stretch, two Big Ten games in just four days.
Ohio State traveled to Piscataway, New Jersey, last Friday to face Rutgers before returning to Columbus to welcome the UCLA Bruins Monday.
This reduces time spent on game-planning, strategies, rest and recover.
For forward senior Tanner Creech, the concentration has been on each game separately.
"We've just got to focus on one game at a time," Creech said. "Focusing on that mentality first is the biggest thing for us right now."
The competitive nature of the Big Ten does not make the two-game swing easier. Rutgers entered the match with the Buckeyes undefeated at home, while UCLA travels to Columbus winners of two of the last three league matches.
From a broader perspective, head coach Brian Maisonneuve said Ohio State isn't alone in facing a quick turnaround.
"It's a tough circumstance," Maisonneuve said. "But UCLA is coming off a game on Friday, so both teams are dealing with it."
In this short period of time there is limited recovery time, soreness and even injuries to deal with but for senior midfielder Luciano Pechota it may be more mental than physical, he said.
"Obviously, there's a good physical component of just doing the right things, eating the right things, just making sure you're hydrated, recovering with good sleep, all that," Pechota said. "But it's honestly a lot more mental."
The ability to focus on one team to immediately switch and lock-in to another takes a clear toll. Still, several Buckeyes including Pechota and Creech have experience with it.
Last year, Ohio State went on to beat Michigan 6-3 in Ann Arbor before returning home to shutout Washington 2-0 in a four day span.
Now, the Buckeyes will look to draw on that experience as they prepare for another demanding stretch, two Big Ten games in just four days.
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Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Soccer
Midfielder
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