All season long, the Ohio State men’s soccer team has struggled to score. Before Wednesday the Buckeyes had only found the net seven times in its previous 13 matches.
Against Oakland, though, the Buckeyes couldn’t stop scoring. OSU beat the Golden Grizzlies, 4-0, Wednesday to record their first victory since Sept. 8.
Junior midfielder Ryan Ivancic said it felt great to string together a few goals.
“We were finally able to finish which was nice,” Ivancic said. “Getting on them early has been a key of ours, so it was good to see that.”
The scoring started early when freshman forward Danny Jensen crossed a ball into the box. Junior midfielder Yianni Sarris headed the ball to Ivancic who was able to finish it for the goal. Ivancic’s third goal of the year makes him the leading goal scorer on the team, in just his first season as a walk-on.
In the 27th minute, Jensen was able to make it 2-0 when he headed home a corner kick, from sophomore midfielder Zach Mason, as he was left unmarked. The goal was Jensen’s first of his career.
“It was a pretty easy header but it felt hard because the struggles I’ve been having,” Jensen said. “It’s nice to have though. I can’t describe a better feeling right now.”
Just after half, junior forward Kenny Cunningham tallied his first goal of the season off a cross from freshman defender Austin Bergstrom. Sarris then joined in on the scoring affair, notching his first of the year.
Coach John Bluem was impressed by his team’s defense and quality goals.
“I thought Oakland was a very good attacking team,” Bluem said. “We were able to score good goals against them and they weren’t like they were cheap ones. Kenny Cunningham’s goal was a beauty.”
Redshirt-junior goal keeper Alex Ivanov recorded his sixth shutout of the year and the seventh on the season for the team. Ivanov recorded seven saves in the match, officially passing former Buckeye and current Columbus Crew goalkeeper, Matt Lampson, as 10th all time in single season saves. Ivanov is also currently ranked second in the nation in saves with 87.
“I have a lot of respect for Matt Lampson, he’s a guy that I definitely emulate,” Ivanov said. “It’s pretty awesome but we’ve done well as a team so that’s good.”
Senior defender Sage Gardner was helped off the field in the second half after an apparent ankle injury. Redshirt-senior defender Ben Killian did not play due to injury.
Up next the Buckeyes play Cleveland State Sunday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.
