COLUMBUS – The stakes were certainly high.
The Michigan men’s soccer team’s Cinderella run into and through the Big Ten Tournament set it up with a rematch against No. 1 Ohio State in the final. Despite opportunities aplenty, the Wolverines couldn’t pull off what would’ve been the most significant win in team history.
Michigan has never beaten a No. 1 ranked team, but in front of a crowd nearing 8,000 spectators at an overflowing Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, the Wolverines had a chance to make history.
Ultimately, No. 7 seed Michigan (9-5-8 overall, 3-4-6 Big Ten) fell to its rival No. 1 seed Ohio State (16-1-3, 9-1-2) in Sunday’s Big Ten Championship matinee, 1-0. The Wolverines executed a strong defensive strategy throughout the entire game but conceded in the 73rd minute off of a Buckeye corner kick. The Wolverines’ offense came infinitesimally close to pocketing a goal but left a goose egg on the scoreboard, ending the hopes of a second Big Ten Tournament title in school history.
Michigan started out excellently, dominating the time of possession and creating twice as many chances as the Buckeyes in the first half.
“I thought we did some really good things in the first half,” Michigan coach Chaka Daley said. “Just weren’t rewarded with a goal from the opportunities created.”
Senior forward Jason Bucknor had an opportunity just two minutes into the game at the center of the goal box, but an Ohio State defender blocked his shot. Graduate midfielder Bryce Blevins had two separate opportunities that were both saved by Buckeye goalkeeper Max Trejo. The prime chance came in the 35th minute off a cross from graduate forward Beto Soto.
Sophomore defender Will Baker redirected Soto’s cross with his right foot, setting it on a trajectory to score. Ohio State defender Nathan Demian arrived in the nick of time and executed a goal line clearance to keep the game scoreless, and the Wolverines never broke through the Buckeye defense for the remainder of the match.
In the two teams’ previous matchup on Oct. 4, Ohio State dominated the Michigan back line, putting up six goals en route to a 6-3 blowout.
“That was a big moment, a big wake up call for our group.” Daley said regarding the Oct. loss. “We played a team that made us really uncomfortable. Today, they were the ones who were incredibly uncomfortable at home, in front of thousands of people.”
Although the Wolverines didn’t come out on top, they certainly changed the narrative.
Michigan’s four horsemen of defensemen, consisting of Baker, fellow sophomores Patrick O’Toole and Matthew Fisher, and junior Nolan Miller, flipped the script from that six-goal disaster in October. They nearly shut out the offense of the No. 1 team in the country.
The one blemish on the scoreboard came on a corner kick. A poorly cleared cross ended up at the feet of Buckeye midfielder Parker Grinstead, who powerfully slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Other than that moment, every time an Ohio State playmaker broke into space, one of those four came flying over and ended the chance. In open-field play, they were rock solid against this dangerous offense that averaged over 2.5 goals per game this season.
“They did a great job when they needed to,” Daley said. “I thought we probably played well enough to win the game. That’s football, as we say, you don’t always get what you deserve.”
Daley, although disappointed in the loss, kept an optimistic mindset heading forward.
“We got to take this as a learning experience. We got a lot of younger guys and I’m really proud of the leadership in the group.”
This young team for Michigan will look to grow into the final stretch of the season and into the future. Although the Wolverines couldn’t capture the Big Ten Championship, they earned their way into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019.
Michigan left Columbus heartbroken, but this team’s performance when the lights were brightest still peeked through the cloudy result on the scoreboard.
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