Penn State women’s soccer (2-2-2, 0-1-0 Big Ten) lost to No. 6 Ohio State (5-0-1, 1-0-0 Big Ten) 1-0 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday night.

After letting up an early goal, the Nittany Lions struggled to get much on net and were shut out on the road.

How It Happened

Ellie Kocher got things going early; she tallied three shots in the opening 10 minutes, the first of which was on net.

Ohio State responded with an attack of its own, forcing Mackenzie Gress to make two saves before Jadin Bonham found the top right corner of the net to give the Buckeyes an early lead.

The Nittany Lions generated five corner kicks shortly after conceding the goal, but were unable to get a shot on net following any of them.

After giving up the goal early, Gress closed out the first half with two nice saves on Berkley Mape to keep Penn State within one going into the locker room.

Penn State came out much more aggressive in the second half, with Kennedy Ring and Audrey Kulpa both taking shots that just missed wide of the goal in the opening minutes.

After two fouls on the Buckeyes, Kupla and Bella Ayscue fired off-target shots, and Ohio State held on to its lead as the midway point of the half approached.

The Buckeyes controlled possession over the next five minutes, including a breakaway by Callie Tumilty, but Penn State’s strong defense and strong efforts by Gress kept the game at 1-0.

Kaelyn Wolfe was the first Nittany Lion to test Ohio State goalie Peighton Northrup in the second half; the Buckeye made the save.

Both teams continued to trade shots that just missed the mark over the next several minutes, with neither goaltender being challenged as full time approached.

Penn State was unable to find an equalizer late as it struggled to keep possession, and the Nittany Lions dropped their Big Ten opener 1-0.

Takeaways

• Ohio State was simply better at getting its shots on net. The Buckeyes led in shots on goal, 5-2.
• The Nittany Lions really struggled to generate offensive chances on corner kicks. They didn’t test Peighton Northrup on any of their seven corner kick opportunities.
• Despite conceding the early goal, Penn State’s defense played quite well, with Gress continuing her strong play throughout the season.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will continue Big Ten play back at Jeffrey Field, where they’ll take on Minnesota on Sunday, September 13. The match starts at noon and will air on the Big Ten Network.