Ohio State sophomore forward/midfielder Amanda Schlueter (2) throws her hands up in celebration during the Pennsylvania State University game Sunday. The Nittany Lions fell to the Buckeyes 4-1. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
The Big Ten Tournament is here, and the Buckeyes are hoping to take it all.
The No.8-seeded Buckeyes (11-4-3, 6-3-2 Big Ten) will take on the No. 9-seeded Wisconsin Badgers (9-4-4,5-3-3 Big Ten) 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.
The first round will span Oct. 31 and Nov. 2-3, with the semifinals and finals set to take place at CityPark Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, Nov. 7 and 10.
Ohio State officially finished tied for seventh in the Big Ten standings, following its 4-1 victory over Penn State Sunday.
This marks the first time this season that Ohio State will take on Wisconsin. Therefore, the game doubles as an extension of the regular season that other teams might not have.
“I love this, that we are playing a team we haven’t seen. I have a ton of respect for Wisconsin, and I think it’s going to be a really fun matchup,” head coach Lori Walker-Hock said. “We’ll just have to wait and see what the outcome looks like.”
This is the Buckeyes’ 22nd total appearance in the Big Ten Tournament and their fifth consecutive year competing in the contest.
Senior defender Sydney Jones said the Buckeyes are aiming to tackle the tournament one game at a time.
“Every year that I have been here, we haven’t done well in the tournament, and I think this year, we’ve made it a point to rewrite that history and to change that,” Jones said.
Senior forward Kailyn Dudukovich recently scored her 41st career goal against Penn State, becoming the highest scorer in program history and leading the team with 16 goals on the season.
On the other hand, Badgers graduate midfielder/forward Aryssa Mahrt leads Wisconsin with nine goals so far in 2024.
If they beat Wisconsin Thursday, the Buckeyes will see a rematch against USC Nov. 3 in the quarterfinals, but Ohio State isn’t looking that far ahead just yet.
“There’s not anything else after that. It’s just Wisconsin; it’s just [Thursday],” Jones said. “If we don’t do what we need to do, then nothing else really matters.”
