Photo courtesy of Ohio State Department of Athletics
Ohio State senior midfielder Geoff Marsh splits Akron defenders during Wednesday’s game. The Buckeyes lost 1-0 in double overtime..
With five seconds left in double overtime, the season for the Ohio State men’s soccer team came to an end Wednesday. A free kick set up the header goal for the fifth-seeded Akron Zips as the Buckeyes fell 1-0 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The Zips were awarded a free kick with 20 seconds left in double overtime after a scoreless game. With the clock ticking, Zips midfielder Ben Zemanski found the head of midfielder Matt Tutich, who redirected his cross into the left corner of the goal.
After beating Oakland University in the first round with a squad that was undermanned because of suspensions, the Buckeyes (9-9-3) were back to full strength against the Zips (17-1-4).
But the Buckeyes were out-shot 20-9 as the Zips controlled the bulk of the possession. The defensive effort, led by goalkeeper Drew Czekanski’s six saves, kept the Zips off the scoring sheet through 109 minutes.
Unplayable field conditions in Akron on Tuesday forced the game to be postponed until Wednesday afternoon.
The Buckeyes will look toward the spring season to develop their younger talent with six seniors ending their careers. Senior midfielder Danny Irizarry led the team in total season points with six goals and one assist, including two game-winners this season.
Tyler Gillespie can be reached at [email protected].
