Oct. 11, 2014
Columbus, Ohio
Bert L. & Iris S. Wolstein Field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
2OT: Ohio State 1 (5-7-2, 2-4-2 Big Ten), Maryland 1 (5-4-4, 3-2-3 Big Ten)
Attendance: 868
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s soccer team played to a 1-1 draw against Maryland Saturday night at Bert L. & Iris S. Wolstein Field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. With the draw, the Buckeyes move to 5-7-2, 2-4-2 in the Big Ten, while the Terrapins sit at 5-4-4, 3-2-3 in conference play.
After a quiet first 30 minutes, the Buckeyes earned a quality opportunity in the 33rd minute when Kayla Varner fired a shot from 20 yards off a feed from Ellyn Gruber but Maryland goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands ranged far to her left to make the diving save to keep it a scoreless game.
Ohio State took the 1-0 lead in the 43rd minute when Gruber played a long ball that Nichelle Prince tracked down, headed over an oncoming Beanlands, and finished into an empty net from six yards.
The Buckeyes took the lead into the half after holding a 6-3 lead in shots, 3-1 on goal. The Terrapins led 3-1 in corner kicks.
Prince had another opportunity early in the second half after a cross from Nikki Walts but her left-footed strike from 12 yards narrowly missed wide left in the 47th minute.
Maryland then tied it in the 50th minute on an own goal when a Buckeye defender deflected a cross from Natasha Ntone-Kouo into the back of the net to make it a 1-1 game.
Walts then had an opportunity to take the lead right back less than a minute later but her shot from 10 yards was stopped by a diving save from Beanlands to keep it a 1-1 contest.
Neither team was able to muster anything until the final 30 seconds when Cory Ryan struck a right-footed shot from the top of the box that Ohio State goalkeeper Megan Geldernick was able to deflect off the crossbar before the Buckeyes cleared it out of play to send the match to overtime.
Over the first 90 minutes, Ohio State held an 11-6 lead in shots, 6-4 on goal.
Gruber had a chance to end it in the 93rd minute but her shot from 15 yards off a feed from Michela Paradiso just sailed over the crossbar.
Prince then had an opportunity of her own five minutes later but her left-footed shot from eight yards missed wide left to send the match to a second overtime.
Maryland’s Sarah Fichtner almost scored the game-winner in the 105th minute but Sarah Fichtner’s shot from 10 yards on the right wing sailed wide left as the match ended in a draw.
Ohio State travels to Michigan State Oct. 16 and Michigan Oct. 19. The match against the Spartans will be televised live on BTN at 3:30 p.m.
