Men's Soccer: No. 22 Ohio State plays to 3-3 draw at No. 14 Akron

The Buckeyes’ men’s soccer team gathers on the field during the Ohio State-Northwestern game on March 7, 2021. Ohio State won 4-2. Credit: Christian Harsa | Managing Editor for Digital Content

The No. 22 Ohio State men’s soccer team scored three goals and matched No. 14 Akron Zips for a draw Tuesday at FirstEnergy Stadium in Akron.

Redshirt freshman goalie Max Trejo started his first match of the season for the Buckeyes (4-0-2) and played the entirety of the match. Senior goalie Keagan McLaughlin, back-to-back Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week who recorded four straight shutouts, did not see any action, but Trejo held down the fort and came up with a draw against a top-15 team.

Both the Zips and the Buckeyes came out aggressive from the start, with a fifth-minute goal by junior forward Ryan Kingsford of Akron, followed by a seventh-minute goal from redshirt junior defender Owen Sullivan.

The remainder of the first half, and the match for that matter, was plagued with fouls from both sides — nine from Ohio State and six from Akron, including one yellow card on Kingsford at the ninth minute.

Both teams played with more intensity and urgency in the second half, with each scoring two goals apiece. The Buckeyes went up 2-1 with a 55th-minute goal by senior midfielder Xavier Green on a crucial turnover by the Zips’ defense that led to a one-on-one with Akron redshirt freshman goalie Mitch Budler.

Ohio State kept the pressure after taking the lead, but when Akron had any chances, the Zips took advantage of it. The Zips netted a 63rd-minute goal from sophomore forward Jason Shokalook and a 69th-minute header from freshman forward Stefan Dobrijevic on a corner kick.

The next 10 minutes contained three yellow cards and one red card on Shokalook for the Zips.

Akron, which played down a man with 10 due to the penalty, allowed sophomore midfielder Anthony Samways to score an 85th-minute goal to tie up the match late, and the draw held at the end of the match.

The Buckeyes face the No. 15-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (2-1-1) on Alumni Day Sunday at 2 p.m. at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.