The Ohio State men’s soccer team poses for a picture after beating Michigan 1-0 in the championship match at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Nov. 17 2024. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
Ohio State Men’s Soccer reached the Big Ten’s mountain top for the first time since 2009 when they won the conference championship.
That was 306 days ago, and with a new season of Big Ten play about to begin, the Buckeyes are hungry to prove last year’s success was not fleeting, but the beginning of a new era.
The 2024 Buckeyes’ campaign featured their best record in program history: 7-1-2 in Big Ten play and 16-2-4 overall.
Along the way, the team captured new records, including a season-high 51 goals and a spectator crowd of 8,938 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in the Big Ten Championship against Michigan, in which the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines 1-0. Ohio State also made its first appearance in the NCAA College Cup since 2007.
After the season, Ohio State lost players Michael Adedokun, Parker Grinstead, David Wrona, and Siggi Magnusson to graduation and eligibility limits. Of the team’s 51 goals last season, 38 were scored by non-returners. That loss in production has been evident so far this season, especially on the offensive end. The Buckeyes finished up their non conference schedule with a record of 3-3, and only 7 goals scored.
“We’re obviously missing in terms of scoring goals,” said head coach Brian Maisonneuve, “which is the hardest thing in our game to do. We have to find a way to get some,”
While the attack finds its footing, stability has come from the backline, where the defense has established a foundation for success.
Defender Nick McHenry has won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award twice since the start of the season. He also boasts two goals on the year, as well as an assist.
“Nick is one of our best passers out of the back,” Maisonneuve said. “He can help start our attack and also defend. He’s been great in the box and has had a really good start to the season,”
A trip back to the Big Ten Championship for the Buckeyes won’t be an easy task. The Big Ten is one of the most competitive conferences in college soccer, with two of the nation’s top eight teams in the country, Michigan and Indiana.
In 2024, the Buckeyes ended in a tie in the regular season standings with the Hoosiers. Their lone matchup came last September in a 2-2 draw.
Ohio State swept through both of its matchups with the Wolverines, once on the road 6-3, and the other in the coveted Big Ten Championship game.
The team also took down Big Ten third-place finisher Maryland, 2-1, and fourth-place finisher Washington, twice; once 3-1 and the other 2-0.
Out of the 48 goals scored by the Buckeyes last season, 28 of those came in Big Ten play; a statistic that the Buckeyes must parallel if they want to reach the pinnacle of the conference once again.
The Buckeyes’ first test in Big Ten play will come in a road matchup against Michigan State Friday at 7 p.m.
