Junior forward Amanda Schlueter (2) throws her hands up in celebration during the Pennsylvania State University game Oct. 27, 2024. Ohio State is on a four-game winning streak. Credit: Ohio State Athletics
Junior forward Amanda Schlueter scored both goals Sunday in Ohio State’s 2-0 win over Kentucky, but her impact on the women’s soccer team went beyond the box score.
The Buckeyes were outshot and hemmed in by corner kicks, but Schlueter’s steadying influence allowed them to extend their winning streak to four games heading into Big Ten play.
The game was not the cleanest, but it proved that even without record-breaking scorer Kailyn Dudukovich, Ohio State can find a way to win.
The Buckeyes improved to 4-1-1 entering Big Ten play.
“We’ve been challenged in a variety of ways,” head coach Lori Walker-Hock said. “I think our older leadership, our senior leadership, has done a nice job to meet those challenges.
“Where they’ve fallen short, they’ve learned.”
Schlueter has been dominant, scoring five goals across the four-game span. But that leadership was also on display at the defensive end, as senior goalkeeper Molly Pritchard recorded four key saves to keep Kentucky off the scoresheet.
Having opened the season with a loss and a draw against Clemson and South Carolina, respectively, the team’s goal now is to continue improving and make sure they are connecting on and off the field, Walker-Hock said.
“When you want to be on a team that’s pursuing championships, that needs to be the mentality,” Walker-Hock said. “I’m going to be the best version of myself, and the only reason I shouldn’t be playing is if I have a teammate who’s just better than I am.”
Moving into Big Ten play, building confidence and focus are vital to this team’s success, with the first test coming Friday when they host the Michigan Wolverines at 7 p.m.
“I like our momentum,” Walker-Hock said. “We look at the Big Ten like it is a whole other season. We look at it as we are 0-0-0. We have not earned anything at this point.”
