Ohio State goalkeeper Molly Pritchard (1) during the Buckeyes’ Sept. 11, 2024, matchup against Indiana University at the Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. Ohio State has posted four straight shutouts.
For senior goalkeeper Molly Pritchard, success doesn’t always mean celebrating goals. Much of the time, it means keeping them out.
Pritchard has been responsible for four straight shutouts for Ohio State, and the first time, the Buckeyes played to back-to-back scoreless draws—against Michigan on Sept. 12 and Wisconsin on Thursday.
Pritchard said the shutout streak means a lot to her, but praised her backline, especially redshirt-sophomore defender Netta-Nina Hiltunen and senior defender Mirann Gacioch, for their part in the accomplishment.
“They have had some huge plays,” Pritchard said. “The shots on goal have declined this entire season, so I give them a lot of credit. They make my job easy.”
Thursday’s game was nearly even on the stat sheet. Wisconsin outshot Ohio State 13-7, but both teams had four shots on goal. Wisconsin finished with three corner shots to Ohio State’s four.
Head coach Lori Walker-Hock said even though Ohio State was not able to score a goal, it provided more players with important experiences.
“Wisconsin’s got a very good team,” Walker-Hock said. “We managed another shutout, which I think is fantastic. We had to clear out our bench and use everybody…in many ways I am pleased that we got a tie.”
Walker-Hock added that there are still many ways the team can improve for success in upcoming games.
“You can’t be offside six times in a game, so we’ve got to be a little bit more disciplined in where we are on the line and how that goes,” Walker-Hock said.
Pritchard said she hopes the draws serve to motivate the team moving forward.
“I hope this just fires us up for the next game,” Pritchard said. “Two ties in a row, 0-0 [you] don’t feel very good after,”
The Buckeyes will get that chance at noon Sunday when they host Nebraska at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
