The Ohio State men’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
A shaky start to the season didn’t affect the Buckeyes in the first round of postseason play.
The Ohio State men’s soccer team (6-6-5, Big Ten 4-4-1) advanced to the second round of the Big Ten tournament off a goal from freshman midfielder Andre Roberts in the second half, sealing the deal 1-0 against Michigan State.
The Buckeyes were able to get the better of Michigan State (7-2-7, Big Ten 3-2-4) for the second time after winning 3-2 in their first matchup earlier this season.
Head coach Brian Maisonneuve said he enjoyed watching the team’s second-half performance this time around due to their offensive and defensive success.
“I thought the first half we played okay, but in the second half we played better offensively and defensively,” Maisonneuve said. “To get the shutout against a good Michigan State team was very well done in terms of team defending.”
The first half consisted of a strong defensive effort with the Buckeyes and Spartans having two shot attempts apiece. There were no shots on goal in the first half, leading to both teams heading into the locker room scoreless.
The second half consisted of much more action, especially from the Buckeyes’ end.
Ohio State controlled the tempo, having eight shot attempts to the Spartans’ two.
The first shot for the Spartans came at 46:44 from senior defender Elijah Howe, who shot at the bottom center of the net but was saved by redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Max Trejo.
This was Trejo’s only save of the game.
Less than 10 minutes into the second half, Roberts scored at the bottom center of the goal to give the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead. It was Roberts’ third goal of the season.
Ohio State had a chance to double the lead at 84:51 with sophomore midfielder Luciano Pechota’s shot attempt. However, the shot was saved in the middle of the goal by redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Zac Kelly, his second of the match.
The Buckeyes defense came up big, holding out the Spartan offense for the last five minutes to latch on to the 1-0 win.
Roberts said his goal against the Spartans means a lot to him because it keeps the team’s playoff hopes alive.
“Obviously, it means a lot to get into the next round and try to go on a little run for us,” Roberts said. “The team is feeling really confident, and we’re buzzing right now, I feel.”
The second round of the Big Ten tournament takes place Wednesday against Penn State at Jeffrey Field. The time of kickoff is 6 p.m. EST.
