Ohio State closes out its regular-season home schedule Friday night when the Buckeyes host Northwestern at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, and before the 7 p.m. kickoff the program will honor eight seniors in a Senior Night ceremony, according to Ohio State athletics. The match, streamed on B1G+, is the final home appearance of the regular season for Andre Roberts, Will Arnesen, Jacob Maisonneuve, Isaiah Chisolm, Ryan Hannosh, Christian Baumgartner, Elijah Bishop and Marko Borkovic.
Ohio State athletics noted that the senior class mixes transfers who made immediate impacts with Buckeyes who spent multiple seasons in scarlet and gray, and that the group has combined for hundreds of appearances across their collegiate careers. Friday’s ceremony gives home supporters a final chance to recognize that group at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, which seats 4,518, before the postseason picture is settled.
The Buckeyes enter Friday at 6-6-2 overall and 1-6-1 in Big Ten play, according to Ohio State athletics. Ohio State has been one of the league’s more productive attacking teams this season, scoring 26 goals while averaging 1.86 goals per match and outshooting opponents 208-139, and its wins this year include Virginia Tech, DePaul, Memphis, Northern Kentucky, Kentucky and Penn State.
Northwestern arrives in Columbus at 5-5-4 overall and 2-3-3 in Big Ten play, and the Wildcats are unbeaten in their last three matches after recording draws against Penn State, UCLA and Indiana, Ohio State athletics reported. Northwestern has relied on balance, scoring 21 goals while allowing 20 and posting four shutouts this season.
The contrast sets up an intriguing home finale: an Ohio State side that has been dangerous going forward, averaging nearly 15 shots per match, against a Northwestern team that has made a habit of grinding out close, low-margin results in conference play. A strong home crowd for Senior Night could matter in a matchup between two sides separated by fine margins all season.
Friday also offers one last regular-season look at a senior group Ohio State athletics described as representing perseverance, leadership and commitment to the program. Players such as Chisolm, who recorded a hat trick in the 5-0 win over Northern Kentucky earlier this season before missing time, headline a class that has carried the program through a demanding Big Ten schedule.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, with the Senior Night recognition before the match and the live stream on B1G+. Fans can also follow live stats through Ohio State athletics as the Buckeyes close the home slate against Northwestern.