No. 15 Penn State women’s soccer (11-5-3, 5-4-2 Big Ten) fell to No. 21 Ohio State (11-4-3, 6-3-2 Big Ten) 4-1 in Columbus on Sunday afternoon.

Ohio State’s immense pressure on the Nittany Lion defense put it up at the half. The Buckeyes continued to create chances, imposing 21 shots on the day. After going down 3-0 with 15 minutes remaining, Penn State could not navigate its way to a comeback, dropping its last game of the regular season and second in a row.

How It Happened

Kaitlyn MacBean came out of the gate firing, curling in a shot at the edge of the box that narrowly missed the net. On the next possession, midfielder Jordan Fusco took the ball down the right side, creating a similar chance to MacBean’s. Penn State built up two solid chances within the first four minutes.

On Ohio State’s first journey to Penn State’s half, Kayleigh Herr committed a foul on the top right tip of the box. The Buckeyes passed and shot off their free kick, sending the ball well wide of the net. Ohio State regained possession of the ball after the goal kick and launched a powerful ball low toward keeper Mackenzie Gress, forcing her to go down low to scoop up the ball. The Buckeyes got another shot off two minutes later, but Gress held her position unchallenged.

Ten minutes in, Ohio State won a corner kick after a deflected shot. Jadin Bonham connected with the cross, but a group of Nittany Lion defenders cleared the ball away from danger. After a fast start from Penn State, the Buckeyes settled in and started to create more chances.

Julia Raich chased a ball down the left side, where she was tackled hard by a Buckeye defender for a foul. Bella Ayscue stepped up to send the free kick into the box, but keeper Molly Pritchard snatched the ball out of the air.

In the 18th minute, Ohio State led a possession down the right side, whipping the ball into the box. Gress was awkwardly caught off her line and tried to punch the ball away, but her contact didn’t clear it. The ball landed right at Bonham’s feet, who blasted a shot into the bottom right corner to put the Buckeyes up 1-0.

Two minutes later, Ohio State’s Amanda Schlueter laced an inch-perfect through ball to a fellow Buckeye, beating the entire Penn State defense. Gress stepped up in front of the attacker and deflected the ball away before the attacker could maneuver around her to get a shot on goal. Another quick Buckeye attack quickly after that chance culminated in a shot that defender Mieke Schiemann knocked away. Gress impressively saved another shot on goal before it was blown offside.

The Nittany Lions eventually worked their way back into the Buckeye half, where Fusco launched a shot on goal, forcing Pritchard to get down low for a save.

After an incredibly intense first 30 minutes, the match settled down as both sides exchanged possession but did not create any meaningful chances. With 10 minutes remaining in the half, Elle Kershner beat the Buckeye defense with a through ball to Rebecca Cooke, but Pritchard rushed off her line to prevent a shot. On the ensuing possession, Cooke continued to work her way down the right side, firing a shot at the near post. Pritchard once again made a save to retain the Ohio State lead.

In the last minute of the half, Aubrey Kulpa expertly weaved between two Buckeye defenders and launched a shot that hit the post. This shot marked the last chance of the half, keeping the deficit at 1-0.

Nine minutes into the second half, Jadin Bonham’s twin sister, Jacinda Bonham, slapped a long-distance shot from the right side that hit the post and rattled the net. Gress remained glued to the spot, watching the ball fly by as the Nittany Lions fortunately stayed at only a one-goal deficit. In the 56th minute, defensive miscues in the Penn State back line gifted Kailyn Dudukovich a direct shot on goal, but Gress impressively jumped in front of the ball to save it.

Penn State rapidly switched the field, where Cooke let loose a swiveling knuckleball toward goal. Pritchard smacked the ball out for a corner with her right hand, preserving the Buckeye lead.

Ohio State passed the ball up to Jadin Bonham, who was isolated in the box. Her shot flew over the goal, not challenging Gress. A minute later, the Buckeyes fired a shot low towards Gress. Gress saved it and pushed the ball away, unable to corral it into her arms. Buckeye Sydney Jones rushed for the rebound, beating the nearest Nittany Lion. Jones beat Gress with a shot at the right post to double the Buckeyes’ lead.

Penn State’s increased pressure following the goal led to Schiemann curating a perfect shot to the top right corner in the 63rd minute. Pritchard acrobatically jumped high to tip the ball over the crossbar, not allowing the Nittany Lions to inch their way back into the match. Fusco shot another ball on the next Penn State possession, but a Buckeye centerback diverted the attack. Pritchard calmly collected another Fusco challenge in the 69th minute.

The Buckeyes won their third corner of the day in the 74th minute. Ella Giannola crossed the ball into Anika Poremba, who fired in a first-time volley to beat Gress. Immediately after resuming play, Penn State pressed high into Ohio State’s half. Fusco played the ball into the box, where MacBean cleaned up and slotted the ball into the bottom right corner to pull one back for the Nittany Lions. The score inflated to 3-1 after an immensely eventful minute.

Goal 14 on the year for Kaitlyn MacBean, assisted by Jordan Fusco and Aubrey Kulpa.

1H | 73:37 | OSU 3, PSU 1#WeAre | #PSWS pic.twitter.com/DCpIFMaQAz

— Penn State Women’s Soccer (@PennStateWSOC) October 27, 2024

With 15 minutes left to play, Jones slapped another one-time volley off a corner for Ohio State. Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, a defender cleared this one away from their box to keep the game within reach.

MacBean almost scored her second goal of the day in the 77th minute, but just pulled the ball high over the crossbar. Penn State’s leading scorer came so close to bringing the game even closer.

The Nittany Lions won a free kick three minutes later, and a cluster of players in the box almost led to a Penn State goal. A Buckeye defender steered the ball away at the last second before Schiemann could reach it.

Ohio State iced the game with six minutes remaining, as Dudukovich beat Gress with a low-driven shot that nestled perfectly into the bottom right corner to make the game 4-1.

Takeaways

• Penn State was outplayed by Ohio State in the first half. The Buckeyes put so much pressure on the Nittany Lions early, which proved to be too much for Penn State to overcome late in the match.
• MacBean closes off her impressive regular season with 14 goals, outscoring the next-highest-scoring Nittany Lion by nine.
• Although Ohio State went up 3-0, Penn State’s hustle in the final 15 minutes showcased a lot of character in the team. The grittiness and ability to give Ohio State a run for its money despite the large lead is a key attribute to build on going into the Big Ten tournament.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions await the remainder of tonight’s Big Ten results to determine their first-round matchup in the Big Ten Tournament.