Sep 1, 2013
Columbus, Ohio
Bert L. & Iris Wolstein Field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
Ohio State 0 (3-0-1); Arizona 0 (3-0-1)
Attendance: 732
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 24 Ohio State women’s soccer team played to a scoreless draw Sunday evening at Bert L. & Iris S. Wolstein Field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. After the tie, both teams sit at 3-0-1 while Ohio State improved its program record unbeaten streak to 15 games.
“We played into what we feel is much more Arizona’s style of play tonight,” Ohio State head coach Lori Walker said. “We did a pretty good job of dropping and organizing behind the ball so from that perspective I think we battled and did a well not allowing them to score. Both of our goalkeepers have been fantastic this year and they proved that again tonight.”
The teams played to a scoreless first half in a physical first 45 minutes. Ohio State’s first opportunity came in the 13th minute when Ellyn Gruber got in free behind the Wildcat defense but Arizona goalkeeper Gabby Kaufman came out to make the diving save on the shot from the top of the box.
In the 27th minute Kristen Niederhaus took a chance on a low strike from 20 yards out but Kaufman came up with another diving save to keep the game scoreless heading into the break.
Arizona held a 6-5 advantage in shots while both teams put a pair on goal in the first 45 minutes.
The Buckeyes notched another chance six minutes into the second half when Kayla Varner was taken down in the box for a penalty kick after a beautiful ball from Ashley Gruenbaum. However, Kaufman came up big again, ranging to her right to make a diving save on the penalty kick by Gruenbaum.
In the 66th minute, Lindsay Agnew beat an Arizona defender on a horizontal run from the left wing but her shot from six yards out sailed into the arms of Kaufman as the game still stayed scoreless.
Arizona then had their best flurry of offensive activity with just under 10 minutes remaining. Kaitlyn Lopez played a nice through ball to Jackie Degracie but Ohio State goalkeeper Jillian McVicker came out to make the diving save. A minute later, the Wildcats had another opportunity but a header by Candice Osei-Agyemang was saved off the line by Alexis Degler and cleared away to keep it a tie game.
With less than a minute remaining, Lopez launched a shot from 25 yards out but McVicker came up with a leaping save to deflect the shot over the crossbar and send the match to overtime.
Through regulation, Ohio State held a 13-10 advantage in shots with each team putting five on frame.
Less than a minute into overtime, Ohio State had an opportunity when Nichelle Prince found Michela Paradiso with a ball over the top. Paradiso collected and dribbled in but Kaufman picked the ball off her foot on the shot from six yards out.
Neither team was able to muster anything through the final 19 minutes of overtime as the match ended in a draw.
Arizona held a narrow 17-16 advantage in shots while the Buckeyes put seven on goal to six for the Wildcats. Arizona also held a slight 6-5 lead in corners.
Rachel Middleman made a pair of saves in the first half while McVicker made three playing the second half and overtime.
Ohio State hits the road for the first time in 2013 when it faces Boston College at 7 p.m. Thursday.
