Ohio State men’s soccer coach John Bluem called it, “a breath of fresh air.” Midfielder Matt McCune said the team is excited. Forward Taylor Korpieski said he thinks they’re ready and are looking forward to the challenge.
The Big Ten tournament offers hope for a team like OSU, which finished a long, disappointing season losing to Maryland 3-0 on Nov. 7.
“If we can put together a three-game winning streak, we’re Big Ten champions and we’re in the NCAA tournament,” Bluem said.
OSU enters the round of seven seeded No. 4 and will face the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers today in a quarterfinal match hosted by Indiana University. The Buckeyes, on a two-game losing streak, are looking to put those losses behind them and focus on the tournament.
OSU was not at full strength against the Terrapins, who beat No. 1 UCLA 1-0 earlier this season. Midfielder Brent Rohrer and Korpieski were unable to play. Rohrer suffered an ankle injury during the game and is listed as doubtful for the Wisconsin match, while Korpieski sat out because of yellow card accumulations.
“We didn’t play well, but we played with a lot of heart, passion, commitment and we never gave up,” said Bluem, whose team was out shot 20-5. “All those things are good signs for a team that’s 4-11-4.”
Fortunately for the Buckeyes (4-11-4, 2-3-1 Big Ten), they don’t have to play Maryland again and instead will take on an opponent they’ve already beat this year. OSU got an early goal in the first half and held off the Badgers (10-9-1, 1-4-1 Big Ten) for a 1-0 win in its Big Ten opener Sept. 28 at Wisconsin.
“It gives us a lot of confidence going into the game knowing we’ve already beat them 1-0,” McCune said.
Korpieski will be able to play and should aid a Buckeye offense that finished fifth in the league in scoring with a total of six goals (1.00 goals per game). Wisconsin, which has 13 freshmen out of 22 players on its squad, was even worse. The Badgers ended the season in last place with just two goals (0.33 goals per game).
“We should feel good about our chances,” Bluem said.
Look for this game to be low scoring, not only because both teams have difficulty scoring but also because both excel at keeping their opponent out of the net. OSU was second with eight goals allowed (1.33 goals per game), while Wisconsin was right behind them allowing nine goals (1.50 goals per game).
“Wisconsin is pretty good,” Korpieski said. “You can’t look past any team in the Big Ten; there can always be a surprise.”
Depending on what kind of defensive formation the Badgers use, the Buckeyes might go with a three-forward formation like they’ve done during the season to help the struggling offense. Three forwards worked well in OSU’s win over Wisconsin, as it produced nine shots, four of them on goal.
“I think that’s a good way for us to play when our opponent plays with four defenders in the back,” Bluem said. “We’ll have to check and see if they’ve changed their system at all.”
If there is any thought to Buckeye players looking past the Badgers, think again.
“We haven’t won two games in a row all year, so let’s just win the first one and then worry about the second,” McCune said.
OSU, which hasn’t won a quarterfinal game in two years, would face No. 1 seed Indiana tomorrow in a semifinal match if they advance past Wisconsin.
