It took 76 minutes to get on the board, but the Buckeyes are Big Ten champions for the first time in 15 years.
No. 1 Ohio State defeated its archrival Michigan Wolverines 1-0 to secure the Big Ten Championship in front of a program record 8,938 fans thanks to a second-half goal from midfielder Parker Grinstead Sunday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
“I’ve been here for five years, and it hasn’t gone our way throughout that time, but now it’s finally happening, the program’s in a good spot, and I’m just so happy for the team, for the program, for the coaches, for the school,” Grinstead said. “You know, it’s awesome.”
The Buckeyes showed their defensive prowess early in the half, blocking two back-to-back shots from the Wolverines to keep the match scoreless in the first minute.
Ohio State struggled offensively in the first half, failing to find its first shot in the 16th minute, with midfielder Luciano Pechota targeting the bottom right of the Wolverines’ net but narrowly missing wide right.
After a collision with Wolverine midfielder Duilio Herrera, the first yellow card of the afternoon was issued to defender Thomas Gilej in the 27th minute.
Michigan almost found its opening in the 35th minute, with a shot from defender Will Baker being deflected at the line by defender Nathan Demian.
By the end of the half, the Buckeyes had a season-low of one shot against Michigan’s eight, with three saved by goalkeeper Max Trejo while accruing nine fouls and two yellow cards, compared to the Wolverines’ five.
Grinstead found the lead for the Buckeyes in the 76th minute, drilling the ball into the upper middle of the Wolverines’ goal.
“The ball came over top, our coach, Trav [Travis Morris], he drew a play for me to go back post on it, and it felt right to me,” Grinstead said. “I took a touch and just had to finish it,”
In the second half, Ohio State had 12 shots across 15 fouls, compared to the Wolverines’ 12 shots and 11 fouls.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Maisonneuve said. “I’m just proud of these guys. I mean, they battled.”
Next up, the Buckeyes will prepare for the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State will learn their seed when they’re released Monday.
