The Ohio State Womens Soccer team (5-2-1) travels to The University of Michigan on Sept. 22, hoping to win their first game in Ann Arbor since 2016. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
The Ohio State women’s soccer team failed to score for the second-consecutive game and the third time in five outings Thursday, playing to a scoreless draw with Michigan at U-M Soccer Stadium.
The Buckeyes (5-2-2, 0-1-1 Big Ten) had the edge through the first 30 minutes of the game, posting three shots on goal compared to Michigan’s two. Senior forwards Emma Sears and Kayla Fischer along with freshman forward Ella Giannola recorded the three attempts on target for Ohio State.
The latter of the two Wolverine shots on goal was a breakaway opportunity for senior forward Lily Farkas, who entered the game with four goals, but Ohio State graduate goalkeeper Kat Robinson denied her.
Both teams failed to register another shot on goal and entered halftime with a scoreless tie.
Ohio State started the second half strong, as just 44 seconds in junior midfielder Peyton McNamara tried to score her team-leading fifth goal but was denied by Michigan graduate goalkeeper Izzy Nino.
Michigan responded with two chances of its own within the next five minutes, but both were stopped by Robinson, who made a rare appearance in the second half of a game, as freshman goalkeeper Molly Pritchard has replaced Robinson at halftime several times throughout the season.
In the 55th minute, Ohio State countered as sophomore forward Kailyn Dudukovich attacked the net but her shot was denied by Nino.
With just 20 minutes to play, both teams were scoreless, with Ohio State posting 11 shots with five on goal compared to Michigan’s nine shots with four on goal. However, the game was physical, with the Buckeyes and Wolverines committing nine and seven fouls to that point, respectively.
With just 17 seconds to play, graduate defender Olivia Sensky had the potential game-winner denied by Nino, who preserved the Michigan shutout.
Ohio State finished with a 14-11 edge in shots and a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Wolverines committed 11 fouls to the Buckeyes’ 10, with senior defender Talani Barnett picking up the only yellow card of the night.
The Buckeyes continues their Big Ten schedule when they play Iowa Sunday at noon at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The game will stream live on BTN+.
