Devyn Etling prepares to kick the ball during the Ohio State-Northwestern game on March 7. Ohio State won 4-2. Credit: Christian Harsa | Special Projects Director
Coming off a strong win over then-No.7 Akron, second-half goals by sophomore midfielder Laurence Wootton and redshirt senior forward Devyn Etling propelled the Buckeyes to a 2-0 win over in-state foe Cleveland State.
Both the Buckeyes (3-3-1) and Vikings (3-3) attacked early in the game. Ohio State had several opportunities to score in the first half but couldn’t convert any into goals. Ohio State found its rhythm in the second half, however, and head coach Brian Maisonneuve pointed to a major improvement in performance from his side in the match’s final 45 minutes.
“Part of our game plan was just being aggressive, and we were not aggressive at all in the first half. Nobody wanted to take anybody one-on-one, nobody wanted to take a risk in the first half,” Maisonneuve said. “But in the second half, we made it very clear that we have to get after these guys. You could certainly feel the difference and you saw the difference by the score.”
Senior midfielder Luke Kiley applied pressure on Vikings freshman goalkeeper Omeed Naeemy, but was also unable to create any strong offense in the first half.
Cleveland State was unable to optimize on the Buckeyes’ poor passing. Both teams got three shots off in the first half, but no goals.
Early in the second half, Cleveland State attacked, but Ohio State maintained strong defense and didn’t allow any goals. With seven offsides in just the second half before the first goal came in, it seemed that the Buckeyes were holding themselves back.
Maisonneuve had other thoughts, however.
“I’ll be honest with you, we don’t mind the offsides,” Maisonneuve said. “It usually means someone’s pushing the line to get behind. Our timing’s just got to be a little bit better.”
Finally in the 68th-minute, a long, cross-field pass by junior forward Channing Chasten led to Wootton’s goal, showing some hope for the Buckeyes. Then Etling’s goal in the 82nd-minute off a corner kick rolled in, sealing the win for Ohio State.
Maisonneuve, Wootton and Chasten all mentioned that the difference between the first and second half was the aggression.
“Being more aggressive definitely helped us in the second half,” Chasten said. “We were a little hesitant in taking people on, but in the second half, we weren’t afraid of that and we enjoyed playing.”
Maisonneuve praised the team’s mentality for taking chances, shooting 10 kicks toward Cleveland State’s goal.
“Channing comes in and provides a whole different dynamic. He likes to get the ball and go at guys, and that’s what we need,” Maisonneuve said, “[Redshirt senior midfielder] Luis [Hernandez], for the 10 minutes he played, definitely added some energy and bite and character, and that’s what we needed. The mentality of going after them instead of playing it more safe is what raised us up in the second half.”
Wootton said he saw the energy the Buckeyes brought in the second half, saying he was fortunate to lift the team with his team-leading third goal.
Ohio State next hosts No.7 Maryland on Friday at 7 p.m., and it will definitely be a challenge again.
Already at a two-game winning streak, Ohio State hopes it can make it three with a win over the Terrapins, holding a 2-1 record over top 10 teams.
