OSU then-junior forward Nate Kohl (27) heads the ball in the second half Jesse Owns Memorial Stadium on Sept. 28, 2016. Credit: Michelle McDonnell | Lantern Photographer
In the first-ever matchup between the men’s soccer teams of Ohio State (2-1) and Lehigh (1-2), the Buckeyes defended their home turf and came away with a 2-0 win Friday.
The first goal came after a turnover allowed forward Joshua Jackson-Ketchup to dribble into the box and put it in the net from five yards out in the 18th minute.
Jackson-Ketchup wasn’t done, in the 38th minute, from 30 yards out he nails the upper right corner of the net to notch his second goal of the night.
“It feels amazing right now,” Jackson-Ketchup said. “The second score was one of the best goals I’ve ever had. I didn’t think I had much time. I just turned and it opened up and I let it rip. It was the perfect strike.”
The Buckeye defense held the Mountain Hawks scoreless on the night, allowing only two shots on goal. Both attempts were saved by goalie Parker Siegfried who picked up his fifth career shutout.
“We knew they were dangerous up front, so we had to defend well throughout the game,” coach John Bluem said. “Fortunately, we had a good first half and Jackson-Ketchup had a couple of really nice goals for us and that was the difference. We played side-to-side to create opportunities. We didn’t have such a good second half, but that’s something we will learn from.”
Kicking off Alumni Weekend, Bluem tallied his 200th career win as coach of the Buckeyes, the most in program history.
Bluem did not take credit for the achievement, citing all the former players he’s surrounded himself with over the years who have helped him reach this milestone.
“It means a lot to me and it means I’ve had a lot of good players here,” Bluem said. “You saw some of them here at halftime tonight. I think when you have an opportunity to coach at a place like this and the longevity I’ve had, that type of milestone will come at some point and time, but it’s because of the players that’ve been here.”
Making just his third career start, Jackson-Ketchup said it was a special feeling to be able to come out and help his coach reach 200 wins.
“To be able to come in here and score two goals as a freshman and help my coach get his 200th win is great,” Jackson-Ketchup said.
The Buckeyes will host Wright State at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Monday at 7 p.m. and finish their four game home stand to start the season.
