The Ohio State University women's soccer team compete in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament vs. Dayton. November 12, 2016. Credit: Courtesy of OSU athletics

The Ohio State University women’s soccer team compete in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament vs. Dayton. November 12, 2016. Credit: Courtesy of OSU athletics

The Ohio State women’s soccer team played through its very last whistle of the season Friday night as the Buckeyes fell to No. 1 West Virginia in a tightly contested 1-0 match. The Mountaineers defeated OSU in double-overtime in the 104th minute of the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

West Virginia junior forward Michaela Abam sent a designed cross into the back of the net, just over the reach of OSU sophomore goalkeeper Devon Kerr, ending the game.

West Virginia came into Friday night’s game as the top seed in the tournament, along with having bested the Buckeyes earlier in the regular season, 2-1.  The Mountaineers outshot OSU 26-5 on the night, but the Buckeyes defense did not break in regulation. Kerr kept the Buckeyes in the game with multiple key saves.

Although the West Virginia offense dominated play throughout much of the game, Ohio State had several close goal-scoring opportunities.  In the 28th minute senior forward Nichelle Prince found her way past the Mountaineer defense, with a strike towards the left of the goal, but was saved by a diving stop.  Three minutes into the first overtime period, senior forward Lindsay Agnew had a one-on-one faceoff versus the goalkeeper, but was turned away.

The Buckeyes finish the 2016 season with a record of 11-7-3 record after making the program’s 11th NCAA Tournament, and the seventh time in eight season