The Ohio State field hockey team closed its regular-season non-conference slate with a surge on Sunday afternoon, scoring three times in the fourth quarter to beat Kent State 4-1 on the road. The Buckeyes trailed in shots early but controlled the final 15 minutes, turning a 1-1 game into a comfortable win in their last tune-up before the final stretch of Big Ten play.
Phillippa Jowett put Ohio State in front midway through the first quarter, scoring her fifth goal of the season off a direct penalty corner feed from Carmela Maro and Katie Crump. The Buckeyes earned three penalty corners and took three shots in the first two minutes, setting an aggressive tone even as Kent State settled in and evened the score at one in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter belonged entirely to the visitors. Anne Marie Krebs scored her first goal of the season on a feed from Grace Dixon with 12:09 remaining, the first of three Buckeye goals in the final period and the first game-winning goal of Krebs’ season.
Emily Barker extended the lead to 3-1 with less than five minutes to play, converting her sixth goal of the season on a pass from Krebs. Victoria Kutz then sealed the 4-1 victory with her second goal of the season, burying a rebound off a penalty corner opportunity with just 37 seconds remaining.
Ohio State finished ahead in every major statistical category, outshooting Kent State 26-13 and leading 13-5 in shots on goal and 13-6 in penalty corners. Freshman goalkeeper Avery Alleva earned her fourth win of the season with four saves, her seventh appearance with four or more saves.
The win lifts Ohio State to 6-10 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten, while Kent State falls to 4-13 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference. For a Buckeye team that dominated the first half statistically, holding edges of 7-2 in corners and 11-4 in shots, the late breakthrough was a reward for sustained pressure.
Ohio State now turns back to conference play to close the regular season, carrying momentum from a fourth quarter that showed what the Buckeyes can do when their corner unit clicks. Kent State, meanwhile, closes its non-conference schedule and looks ahead to its remaining MAC fixtures.