The No. 3 Ohio State women’s soccer team closes its final home weekend of the regular season on Sunday, hosting Illinois at noon at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus after a convincing 3-0 win over Rutgers on Thursday night. The Buckeyes, 13-1-1 overall and 9-1-0 in the Big Ten, sit alone atop the conference standings with 27 points.
Ohio State wasted little time against Rutgers. Ava Bramblett scored in the fourth minute, heading in a sequence that started with an Andrea Lu corner and an Ava Greco header into the middle of the box. Sophomore Callie Tumilty made it 2-0 in the 26th minute, collecting a pass just outside the box and rifling a shot into the upper right corner for the first goal of her career.
Tumilty was the star of the night, according to Ohio State’s match report. She added her second career goal in the second half, while Lu finished with a pair of assists and Bramblett’s goal was her second of the season and the 11th of her career. Goalkeeper Peighton Northrup needed only a quiet night in net to record her ninth shutout of the season.
The defensive numbers behind the run are striking. Through the Rutgers match, Ohio State had allowed just seven goals all season, the fewest in the Big Ten, and Northrup ranked first in the conference in goals-against average. Rutgers did not generate a shot on target until deep into the match and finished with only one dangerous look.
Sunday’s opponent, Illinois, arrives for a noon kickoff that will be streamed on B1G+. Admission and parking are free for all Ohio State women’s soccer matches at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, giving Columbus fans a no-cost chance to see the highest-ranked team in program history in its regular-season home finale.
The Buckeyes also carry one of the nation’s most productive attackers into the match. Amanda Schlueter has 41 career goals, second in program history and three behind the school record, and her 14 goals this season rank among the NCAA leaders. She also leads the nation in game-winning goals, a streak of points in six straight matches heading into the weekend.
A win Sunday would add to the most Big Ten victories in a season in program history, a mark Ohio State has already matched. After Illinois, the Buckeyes turn to the postseason with a top seed in reach and a defense that has made them one of the hardest teams in the country to score against.