Interview with Danica Wu

Interview with Danica Wu #19 Sophmore, Midfielder

How long have you been playing soccer?

Since I was 4
Do you play any other sports?

I've tried every sport out there, but soccer is my true calling
Why did you choose soccer?

It is fun not only because it not only brings out your competitive spirit, but I love the team aspect of it
Other than your position, what other positions can you play?

I try to be as versatile as possible, but really I try to stick to center mid, the occasional outside mid and if it really came down to it an outside defender. I guess where ever the team needs me.
Do you plan on going pro?

When school is over, who knows. I may want to dive it a shot and see if it works out. It would be an honor to have the chance and a great opportunity that I don't think I would be able to pass up.
What is your major?

I am currently planning on majoring in pharmaceutical sciences and minoring in Chinese.
Who is a major influence in you soccer career?

The person who influneced me the most would be my dad. He has been my coach, supporter and just everything to me ever since I started.
What is your relationship with your teammates?

My teammates are my best friends and are basically like the sisters I never had. I know everyone says that about their team, but until you really experience it, I don't know, we area ll just so close and able to share everything. I love it!
What do you think holds the team together?

Hmm... well one binding component could be our love of the game and out desire to win and achieve something great together. The other, I think is that we all trust and believe in each other. It;s hard not to when you are striving to survive through pre-season and work your tail off everyday during practice or fitness.
What players do you play well with?

I would like to think I play well with everyone on my team, though it is easier to play with those who play your position because they understand the role and how you think. It is funny though, I am from Canada, and there are 3 other Canadians on the team, and whenever we are together the team likes to joke and say that we are playing in an international friendly, US against Canada. Of course us Canadians always come out on top though!! :)
As a soccer player, what do you feel like is your strongest point? Weakest point?

I think my strongest point is my understanding of the game, and being able to "read it". When you are "in the game", its like eveyting around you is in slow motion and passes and interceptions are so obvious. It is such like an addictive high that you work on the other oats of your game, like the technical and physical part, so that you can focus on being in the present and not having to worry about anything else.

What is or has been your biggest obstacle in your soccer career?

My weakest would be that I sometimes lose focus and drift off during a game. Soccer is a 90 minute + game that requires attention the whole time. If for one second you aren't there, you could be trailing by 1.
I think the biggest obstacle in my career happened when I was 11 and coaches were telling me I was too small to play for them. I am 5''1 now and have always been small for my age and people just didn't think I would be able to hold my own and they tried to convince my parents that I could get hurt if I tried to play at a higher level. I think it was something I needed to hear because that made me change to way I played. I couldn't use physical strength to compete with the other girls so my dad taught me to be faster and smarter. He definitely saved my life and career!
What is your biggest accomplishment in your career with Ohio State?

From a personal accomplishment point of view I think I am a better player now than I was when I started, the coaches taught me a lot this season and I am more confident now than ever. From an award standpoint, it was an honour to be named to the big-ten freshman team last year along with 2 other teammates, Rachel Middleman and Megan Fuller. and this year was an even bigger surprise to be named to the all big-ten second team.
What have you gained or learned from coach Lori Walker?

Coach Walker taught me to be confident in myself and my abilities. She made me believe I could do anything I put my mind to and for that I am grateful. I love her as our head coach and the rest of the coaching staff, Coach Miller and GT make going to practice way more fun than it should be.
Any advice for aspiring players, especially those at a college level and coming into OSU?

I say just work hard and do well in school. If you work on everything that is in your control, then you will know at the end of the day you gave it everything you had and that is something to be proud of.
Any hobbies or special talents?

I love reading and watching movies.. pretty normal teenage stuff. Talent wise.. if touching your tongue to your nose counts as one check me off as talented!

Interview with Kiiri Kuld

Interview with Kirri Kuld #25 freshman, midfielder

How long have you been playing soccer?
I have been playing soccer since i was 7 years old. I began playing rep soccer, a more competitive level, when I was 8 years old.

Do you play any other sports?
I have played basketball, volleyball, softball and ran track in high school. I also played rep basketball for 3 years.

Why did you choose soccer?
Soccer was the one sport that I really enjoyed above all others. I used to love going to practice and games and I really loved just going into my backyard and kicking the ball around.

Other than your position, what other positions can you play?
I have been an attacking midfielder for the past 3 years however I can also play as an outside midfielder or a striker.

Do you plan on going pro?
My goal has always been to play soccer at the college level. I have not thought about my future soccer career. I plan on letting things play out and see where I am by the end of my senior year!

What is your major?
Currently my major is strategic communication however I am still unsure of what I want to do!

Who is a major influence in your soccer career?

My youth coaches when I was growing up were huge influences for my soccer career. They taught me almost everything I know about the game of soccer and helped me improve my game. I wouldn't have ever been able to play at this level without their help.

What is your relationship with your teammates?
The soccer team at OSU is very friendly and supportive of one another. I have a very good relationship with my teammates. They are girls I can turn to whenever I am in need for anything! We are a family, and I am very grateful for that!

What do you think holds the team together?
I think that the team is held together by the love that all the players have for one another. Everybody cares for each other and wants everybody to be successful. Every player on the team plays for each other, not just for themselves.

What players do you play well with?
I don't think there are any specific players that I play well with. I think throughout the year the team as a whole became far more cohesive on the field which helped us in the NCAA tournament.

As a soccer player, what do you feel like is your strongest point? Weakest point?
I feel that there is room for improvement in all parts of my game, but currently my strongest point would probably be my vision of the field. My weakest point is not being vocal enough with my teammates.

What is or has been your biggest obstacle in your soccer career?
The biggest obstacle I faced in my soccer career was recovering from a bad ankle injury that occurred in my junior year of high school. I was unable to play soccer for 7 months and I had a painful recovery.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your career with Ohio State?
Since I am a freshman and have only spent 4 months at Ohio State I feel that I have plenty to accomplish! Although so far my biggest accomplishment is being recruited to Ohio State and starting every game this season.

What have you gained or learned from coach Lori Walker?
I have learned a lot from Lori. She is a good role model to have as a young adult. She taught me how to be confident and believe in myself. She taught me how to push myself and always strive for a goal.

Any advice for aspiring players, especially those at a college level and coming into OSU?
The advice that I would give is to always keep working with the ball whenever you can. The soccer ball should be your best friend!

Any hobbies or special talents?
I enjoy playing the piano and guitar and writing my own music. Whenever I am not playing soccer I turn to music to keep me busy!

Women's Volleyball Season Wrap Up

The regular seasons has come to a close for most teams around the country and the bracket has been drawn up for the road to the championship. Ohio State finished seventh in the Big Ten and received an at-large bid to extend its season into tournament play.

For the third consecutive year, the Ohio State (19-14) will travel to be a part of the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship. The team will begin the tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee on Thursday afternoon when they take on the Middle Tennessee State Raiders. The Raiders (21-11) have seen tournament play for the last six years, under the direction of head coach Matt Peck, who is in his eighth season.

Although MTS has a better record than that of Ohio State, the statistics lean in Ohio State's favor. The Bucks have far more attack errors on the season than the Raiders, but no one on the MTS team even comes close to the numbers put up by Buckeye Mari Hole. Amanda Peterson is setting more balls per set than MTS's setter, and Ohio State has about 200 more kills on the year. The Raiders also have nothing on Sarah Mignin, who has nearly 63% more digs than the other team's libero.

The winner of that round will go on to face either Duke (21-8) or no.14 Tennessee (27-3) on Friday night. Should Ohio State get a win in round 2, it is likely that they will meet their old Big Ten pal no.3 Illinois (27-4) in the Florida Regional in Gainsville. Ohio State was only able to win one set in two matches against Illinois in the 2011 regular season. Under the direction of head coach Geoff Carlston, the Bucks have never won a game against the Fighting Illini.

But if we see a well prepared, collected Buckeye team like we have seen in the past, Ohio State should advance far in the bracket.

Last year, the Buckeyes defeated Lipscomb University in four sets in the first round of play. They then upset no.14 Dayton in five sets to move on no.3 Stanford in the regional semifinal, who they fell to in four sets.

The Big Ten is well represented this year with Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Penn St. and Purdue all finishing in the nation's top 12. Interestingly enough, no.12 Minnesota (18-11) has the highest recorded losses of any seeded team this year. No.11 Penn St. looks to keep its national title from the previous four championships, but will have to call on younger players to step up after losing key seniors. Ohio State made semifinal appearances all the way back in 1991 and 1994, but the team has never seen a championship game.

Women's Volleyball Seniors

Sarah Mignin is from Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio where she played volleyball for four years and served as team captain for two years. She will graduate from The Ohio State University with a degree in nursing.

Mignin saw action early on in her college athletic career with 23 matches and two starts her freshman year. She got a career-high 13 digs at Indiana in 2008. The following year, Mignin started 15 matches and played in 32. She recorded a career-high 3 service aces at Illinois. Her junior year, Mignin played in 35 matches and started all but one of them. She was named Ohio State Athlete of the Week twice in 2010 and ranked sixth in digs in OSU season records. The same year, Mignin suffered an ankle injury during the Minnesota game which lead to her being carried away on a stretcher. A determined Mignin returned to the court to face Stanford after the Buckeyes won their first two NCAA tournament rounds.

Her senior season brought honors like being named Big Ten Co-defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12 for her performance in the Rocket Classic and then again the following week. When the Bucks took on a highly ranked Wisconsin, Mignin scored a team-high 16 points. A returning letterwinner and sporting a different color jersey than the rest of the team, the 5'5'' libero is known for her aggressive defensive strategy and smile on and off the court.

Senior middle blocker, Kelli Barhorst, is from Anna High School in Anna, Ohio where she recieved several honors for her efforts on the court. Her team took the state title in 2006, and she was named first-team All-Ohio that year. She served as team captain her senior year and won the Most Valuable Senior Athlete award. Barhorst will graduate with a degree in English.

During her freshman year at Ohio State, Barhorst started in all of the 25 matches in which she played. She saw double-figure kills in five games and ranked tenth in blocks within the Big Ten. Barhorst started and played in 33 matches the following year. She had season-high records of 12 kills and 14 points against California. Barhorst was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention her junior year and was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 18, 2010.

Barhorst has continued to shine into her senior year. In the home opener weekend at St. John Arena, Barhorst posted a match-high 16.5 points in a sweep against Akron. In a match against Michigan State, she recorded 11 kills and six blocks. She also lead the team in aces in back to back matches against Northwestern and Illinois. The 6'2'' senior would like to persue a career in teaching.

Both ladies were given an opportunity to speak after the Indiana game on Nov. 20 and thanked the coaching staff, their familes, and others. It was an occasion to celebrate for Mignin and Barhorst, although team and family members had tears in their eyes.

Congratulations to both Sarah and Kelli on an outstanding season and good luck to all the Buckeyes in the NCAA tournament!

Women's volleyball at Michigan

The Ohio State women's volleyball team closed the regular season with a win Friday night in Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan in front of 2,286 fans. The Buckeyes (19-14, 9-11 Big Ten) took the no.22 ranked Wolverines (20-12, 8-12 Big Ten) in four sets.

The first set saw nine tied scores, many early on in the game. Tied at six, two Buckeye attack errors and a kill from Michigan's Courtney Fletcher gave the Wolverines their first lead. Errors from both teams and a kill from Alex Hunt of UM put the score at 8-12 in Michigan's favor. Ohio State was able to tie the game at 12 with kills from Emily Danks, Mariah Booth and Kaitlyn Leary. Fletcher returned with another kill and was followed by Buckeyes Mari Hole and Kelli Barhorst. A service error from Danks tied the game at 14. At 15 a piece, back to back Hole kills forced a time out from Michigan, but Hole answered with her third kill in a row. UM began to close the gap and a service ace from Lexi Dannemiller made OSU take its first time out at 19-18. The Wolverines would only score once more in the set on a Buckeye error. Ohio State closed the set a kill from Amanda Peterson, after a long run of kills from Leary, Danks and Booth, 25-19.

The first six points scored by Michigan were due to errors from Ohio State and Jennifer Cross, their 6'4'' sophomore. At 4-8, Hole set fire again with three consecutive kills. Interrupted by a Peterson block and a Michigan time out, Hole gave the Bucks their first lead with another kill. Fletcher, Dannemiller and Hunt scored three more points for UM to take back the lead. Tied at 12, Michigan gave up three points in error and saw two Booth blocks and a Leary kill. At 20-14, Catherine Yager, in collaberation with Cross, got two crucial blocks. A Hunt-Cross block, a Leary error and a Cross kill tied the second set at 20. A Fletcher kill put the game at 22 all, but the Bucks got to set point first with a block and kill from Booth. Danks sealed the set with a kill, 25-22.

Michigan, although down by two sets, came out of the locker room ready to play and took the third set 25-16. UM got ahead early in the set and Ohio State was unable to catch up. At 2-2, Claire McElheny and Lexi Erwin of Michigan both recorded kills. Two blocks, Cross-Erwin and Cross-Dannemiller, forced OSU to take its first time out. In an attempt to close the gap on Michigan, the Buckeyes scored nearly every time the Wolverines did for the next several plays. Kills from Peterson, Leary and Barhorst helped Ohio State stay alive, but they were answered by Fletcher, Hunt and McElheny. At 8-12, Michigan went on a four point scoring drive with kills by Cross and Erwin and a Fletcher service ace. After a time out from Ohio State, the Bucks were able to get several more points on the board, but the damage had been done. A Barhorst kill made it 14-21, and McElheny and Erwin gave UM two more. A Hunt service error and a Danks kill gave OSU its 16 points. Finally, a Fletcher service ace spelled victory for Michigan in the third set.

Now with the task of winning the next two sets, Michigan put up a fight in the fourth set. A Cross kill made it 4-7 in Michigan's favor before a five point run by Ohio State put them in the lead. Michigan caught up and tied the game at 12 with three Buckeye errors, a Dannemiller kill and a McElheny-Fletcher block. Tied at 14, Booth, Danks and Barhorst all earned points for OSU, while UM gave the ball to Molly Toon for a kill and gave up a point in error. Another Toon kill made it 19-16 and two OSU attack errors put the Wolverines back in the game. Barhorst and Danks answered with a kill and a service ace, twice. Erwin's serve sailed out of bounds to put Ohio State at match point. Barhorst, in her senior season, got one last powerful kill and the Bucks celebrated a 3-1 win over their rivals, 25-20.

Ohio State finished no.49 in the national rankings. Michigan finishes 23rd.

Women's Volleyball v. Penn State

The Ohio State women's volleyball team fell to the no.9 Penn State Nittany Lions in four games Wednesday night in their last home game of the season in front of 3,235 fans.

Ohio State started strong and took the first set 25-23. The set tied 10 times and had six lead changes as Penn St. kept it very close. A quick kill by Mari Hole and a service ace by Sarah Mignin kicked off the match. Tied at five, the Nittany Lions took their first lead with two Buckeye errors, a service ace from Maddie Martin and a kill from Deja McClendon. Ohio State was able to tie the score again and retake the lead thanks to two Hole blocks, a Hole kill, two PSU errors and a kill by Mariah Booth, making it 11-13. Penn St. then saw a kill from both Katie Slay and Martin, two attack errors by Hole and an ace from Ali Longo. Geoff Carlston called a time out for OSU and was able to get his team back on track. Tied at 19, a kill from Buckeye Emily Danks followed by two Danks service aces gave Ohio State the lead. PSU recovered and tied the score at 23 with kills from Slay and McClendon and an ace by Nia Grant. A block from Hole and Kelli Barhorst put the Bucks at set point before a Barhorst kill ended the set.

It would be Ohio State's only victory of the night.

Set two brought even more tied scores with 11. Both teams kept the game very close early on. We saw action from Nittany Lions Aiyana Whitney and Micha Hancock and Buckeye Kaitlyn Leary who all had kills. When the score read 15 a piece, Ohio State began to build a lead. A kill from Amanda Peterson, Hole's kill and block and two PSU errors put the Bucks ahead, but Penn St. answered with kills from Slay and Ariel Scott and a Scott service ace. A Danks-Booth block tied the game at 20. Then three consecutive Buckeye errors put Penn St. in position to take the set, which they did with a McClendon block, 22-25.

The third set brought the return of Buckeye freshman Amy Schwarzwalder, who had four kills on the set. With OSU up 4-8, the Nittany Lions went on a five point scoring drive with kills from Hancock, Martin and Scott, a Martin block and another Scott service ace. A kill from Leary gave OSU a slight lead, but it was quickly reversed by a McClendon kill and a Schwarzwalder attack error. Schwarzwalder redeemed herself with a kill on the next play, which tied the teams at 13. Ohio State was unable to regain the lead in the third set. Danks, Leary and Peterson all had kills late in the game. Two more service aces from Penn St. put them at set point. Schwarzwalder's fourth kill slowed PSU down, but a kill from Martin ended the set 23-25.

In the fourth and final set, the Bucks brought in two more freshman players, Anna Faul and Erin Sekinger, who both had one kill. Faul's kill tied the game at six. Grant and McClendon answered with kills and Booth was called on an attack error. Booth came back with a block and a kill, but two McClendon kills and a Slay block forced a time out from Ohio State. With Penn St. up 16-10, a service ace from Dominique Gonzales, two Scott-Slay kills and a Danks error all went uninterrupted before a Schwarzwalder kill attempted to slow the pace. An attack error from Leary made the score 21-12. Ohio State was only able to score one more point on a Sekinger kill before a Sekinger attack error gave the Nittany Lions their seventh road win this season, 25-13.

The Buckeyes (18-14, 8-11 Big Ten) will close the regular season tonight in Ann Arbor, Michigan when they take on the Wolverines (20-11, 8-11) at 7 p.m.

Women's Volleyball v. Indiana

The no.25 ranked Ohio State women's volleyball team swept the Indiana Hoosiers in three sets Sunday afternoon to bring their record to 18-13 (8-10 Big Ten). Indiana fell to 9-21 (1-16).

Senior players, Kaitlyn Leary and Sarah Mignin of OSU and Caitlin Cox, Mary Chaudoin and Lindsay Enterline of IU, were recognized for their years of experience on the court.

In the first set, what could only be described as a Buckeye blow out, Ohio State quickly put 9 points on the board before Indiana's Morgan Leach earned her team a point with a kill. Two Hoosier errors and a block by OSU's Mariah Booth and Emily Danks put the set at 2-13. Another Leach kill was followed up by two more errors and another Booth-Danks block making it 3-16, forcing Indiana to take its second time out. After a word from their coaching staff and senior players, Indiana scored three points with Samantha Thrower, who had a block and a kill, and a Kelci Marschall kill. The Hoosiers wouldn't score again until the Buckeyes were at set point. Kills by Danks, Leary, and Kelli Barhorst, with help from several Hoosier errors, put them Ohio State in position to take the set. Thrower was able to capitalized on one more kill before Chaudoin's attack error gave OSU the set at 7-25.

The second set brought a more focused Indiana team. They were able to keep the lead until late in the set thanks to seven OSU errors. Two blocks and a kill from Leach and the entry of Ivie Obeime into the set, who quickly made two kills of her own, brought the game to 7-3. A crucial block by Whitney Grenado of IU forced a time out from Ohio State. Kills from Leary and Barhorst, with three Indiana errors, made it 11-8. A block by Barhorst and Amanda Peterson tied the game at 12, but Indiana held onto the lead. At 15 a piece, the Bucks took their first lead of the second set, but easy points due to errors tied the game again at 17. Finally, Ohio State pulled ahead late in the set with blocks from Leary, Booth and Danks, a Leary kill, and a service ace from Mari Hole. At 17-24, Indiana scored one more time with a block from Thrower. Ohio State then sealed the set with a kill from Leary making it 18-25.

In the third and final set, Indiana took an early lead again. When the set tied at 6, two Danks-Barhorst blocks and a Hole kill gave OSU the edge it needed. Two service aces followed in the nest couple of plays, one by Danks and one by Thrower. Kills from Hole, Booth and Leary, and a Barhorst attack error, put the set at 10-14. A Marschall kill, followed by two Hole kills, two Danks kills, and a Booth attack error made the score 12-18. Thrower answered with her own kill and Booth got her first ace of the day. A Leary kill made the board read 15-22. Indiana, who wasn't ready to give up just yet, quickly put up four points, one of which was a service ace by Whitney Grenado. A wild serve by Obeime put Ohio State at set point. With her team's fifth service ace of the night, Amanda Peterson ended the match 19-25.

The Buckeyes will host no.9 Penn State (21-7, 14-4) on Wednesday night. The Nittany Lions swept OSU earlier in the season in University Park. The Hoosiers will host Purdue (25-4, 13-4) also on Wednesday. The Ohio State women's volleyball team will play its last regular season game on Friday in Ann Arbor when they take on the Michigan Wolverines.

Women's Volleyball v. Purdue

In an exciting three set match, the no.8 Purdue Boilermakers swept the Ohio State women's volleyball team Friday night in front of a crowd of 1786. The Bucks left the game with a record of 17-13 (7-10 Big Ten) and Purdue came away with a 24-4 (13-3) record.

In set 1, the Buckeyes started off strong and quickly put five points on the board thanks to three Purdue errors and kills by Mariah Booth and Kaitlyn Leary. Kills by Boilermakers Tiffany Fisher, Rachel Davis and Val Nichol early in the set tied both teams at seven. Purdue began to pull ahead, but Ohio State was able to keep it very close until the end. More errors from both teams gave easy points to their opponents including attack and service errors by Purdue's Ariel Turner and Catherine Rebarchak and attack errors from OSU's Emily Danks, Mariah Booth and Leary. At 17 a piece, Purdue went on a four point streak before Ohio State was forced to call two time outs. Three Buckeye errors from Mari Hole, one from Booth, and a service ace from Purdue's Emily Ehlers contributed to the run. After recollecting themselves, the Bucks scored four points of their own with two Booth kills, a Booth service ace and a Davis ball handling error. A Boilermaker time out at 21-22 gave Purdue the chance slow down and end the set with two Turner kills and a service ace by Amanda Miller, 21-25.

Set 2 brought five quick Purdue points due to attack errors from Danks and Hole and kills by Rebarchak, Turner and Fisher. Buckeyes Booth and Kelli Barhorst were able to keep Ohio State alive with kills of their own. Purdue began to create a lead, but the Bucks never gave up. At 7-10, kills by Barhorst, Booth, Hole and Turner, and a Rebarchak error, tied the teams at 11. Two Turner kills, a Blair Bashen service ace and a Rebarchak attack forced another time out from Ohio State. Kills by Booth, Leary, Fisher and Turner balanced each other late in the second set. With OSU trailing by four at 18-22, kills from Hole and Leary, in addition to a Turner error, put the team back in the game. But it would be Purdue's set again as a ball handling error from Buckeye Amanda Peterson and two kills from Boilermaker Kierra Jones sealed the deal, 21-25.

In what would turn out to be a long, exciting third set, both teams kept it even with three Buckeye errors and kills from Turner, Leary, Hole and Danks. At 5 all, Ohio State began its largest lead of the night. Three Hole kills, two Barhorst kills, one from Leary and two service aces put the Bucks at 13-7. Purdue was able to tie the game at 16 with a long scoring drive with kills from Ehlers, Davis, Fisher and Turner. Buckeye errors helped the Boilermakers along with two each from Booth and Danks. Tied at 20, errors by Hole and Leary added to Purdue's score, as did kills from Jones and Turner. Ohio State tied the score at 23 and found themselves at set point after an attack error by Turner. Turner was able to tie it up again at 24. After a Leary kill, OSU was in position to take the set again, but two Purdue kills put them at set point. Hole, not finished just yet, tied the score at 26. The Boilermakers needed two points to end the match and they came from a Nichol kill and a Hole attack error, 26-28. The score tied 17 times in this set.

The Buckeyes went on to sweep Indiana on Sunday afternoon and Purdue fell to no.12 Penn State on Saturday.

Women's Volleyball Big Ten Update

• Nebraska Cornhuskers 20-2 (13-1)
• Illinois Fighting Illini 22-3 (11-3)
• Purdue Boilermakers 22-3 (11-3)
• Penn State Nittany Lions 18-6 (11-3)
• Michigan State Spartans 18-8 (7-7)
• Ohio State Buckeyes 17-10 (7-7)
• Minnesota Gophers 14-9 (7-7)
• Wisconsin Badgers 14-12 (6-8)
• Michigan Wolverines 17-9 (5-9)
• Northwestern Wildcats 14-11 (5-9)
• Iowa Hawkeyes 11-16 (1-13)
• Indiana Hoosiers 8-18 (0-14)

As of Nov. 6, the Big Ten is led by Nebraska and Illinois who are ranked no.1 and no.2 in the country respectively.

Nebraska, Illinois and Ohio State all made Sweet Sixteen efforts in last year's NCAA Division I tournament. While the final round has been dominated by the Big Ten for five years (Penn State 2007-2010, Nebraska 2006), OSU has never seen a national championship game.

Ohio State fell from the nation's top 25 to no.41 after losing in four games to Minnesota on Saturday. Buckeye Mariah Booth was chosen as this week's Big Ten Co-Defensive Player along side Purdue's Kierra Jones. Booth had seven blocks against the Gophers and nine blocks against Wisconsin Friday night.

The Buckeyes continue their stretch on the road in Illinois this week where they take on Northwestern in Evanston on Friday and the Hawkeyes in Champaign on Saturday.

Ohio State vs Iowa Women's Volleyball

The Ohio State women's volleyball team defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes in four sets Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 1048.

The Hawkeyes, who entered St. John Arena on a six game losing streak, won the first set 25-23. Ohio State started the set strong, but Iowa was able to quickly recover and take the lead for the first time 9-8. Kills from Buckeyes Mari Hole, Emily Danks, and Kaitlyn Leary put OSU ahead 15-13 before Iowa head coach Sharon Dingman called the first time out. Iowa was able to take advantage of a few Buckeye errors and kills made by their star outside hitter, Tiffany Nilges, to tie the set at 17. Kills by Hole kept Ohio State close, but a kill by Iowa's Alex Lovell brought set point. Leary's kill was able to put Ohio State in position to take the set at 24-23, but a Buckeye error handed it to Iowa. OSU had nine errors on the set.

Set 2 brought more early kills from Danks and Leary, accompanied by their teammates, Mariah Booth and Kelli Barhorst. More OSU errors and kills made by Hawkeyes Megan Eskew and Chante Thompson tied the set at 6. Leary and Barhorst pulled their team ahead but were quickly answered by yet another one of their errors and a Thompson kill to make it 15 all. Booth began to connect with the ball at this point, and gets a kill and a crucial block with help from Taylor Sherwin. A kill by Lovell gave the team its final point in the set before the Bucks went on get six straight points and win 25-17.

Iowa was able to keep the third set very close with 9 tied scores, but were only able to lead the Buckeyes once early on 6-4. When the score showed 13-13, Booth and teammate Amanda Peterson answered with back to back kills. Iowa tied it up again at 15 with a kill and block from Nikki Dailey. OSU began to run away with the set thanks to kills from Booth, Danks, Leary and Hole. A service ace by Hole shook the arena as the team and crowd celebrated with her, making it 23-16. Hole's next kill made it set point, and a Booth-Danks block sealed the third set.

In the fourth and final set, the Buckeyes went on an early six point stretch to take the lead. After several errors in favor of Iowa and a kill by Nilges, the score remained 17-13. After a kill by Booth, Buckeye libero, Sarah Mignin, had the third service ace of the night. Iowa struggled to catch up as Thompson made a kill and a block. Kills from Peterson, Danks, Barhorst and Dailey, in addition to an Iowa error, brought the score to 24-16. Iowa, unable to make anything happen, watched as Barhorst clenched the match with her ninth kill of the evening.

Mari Hole scored on 19 of her 41 attack attempts and claimed 14 digs and 21 points, a match high. Leary had 13 kills, while Danks and Booth both had 12. Peterson, the OSU setter for most of the match, had 41 assists. Iowa's Thompson and Dailey both had 8 kills; Dailey had 29 assists. Iowa had 16 errors. Although Ohio State had 24 errors on the match, they were able to make up for it in hitting percentage.

The no. 23 Ohio State women's volleyball team walks away with a record of 16-9 overall (6-6 Big Ten) as they prepare for two weeks on the road. The Bucks will face Wisconsin (13-11, 5-7) on Friday and no.15 Minnesota (13-8, 6-6) on Saturday. The Hawkeyes fall to 11-14 (1-11 Big Ten) as they travel back to Iowa City to get ready for Michigan State (17-7, 6-6).

OSU Women's Volleyball vs Michigan State

The Ohio State women's volleyball team defeated MSU in an exciting four game match in a pink themed St. John Arena last night.

Supporters from both teams made up the 1,431 attendees as the players honored breast cancer awareness month, sporting pink socks and pink ribbons in their hair.

The no. 23 ranked Buckeyes came into the match with a record of 14-8 (4-5 Big Ten) having just lost to Penn State Wednesday night. Michigan State, lead by Head Coach Cathy George, stepped onto the court with a 16-5 (5-4 Big Ten) record coming off a defeat by no. 1 Illinois and a win against Northwestern.

The Spartans made themselves known early in the first set with a quick 8-5 lead. Ohio State was able to recover and place themselves four points ahead, thanks to three Spartan errors and kills by Buckeyes Emily Danks and Kaitlyn Leary. MSU's talented Jenilee Rathje began to warm up at this time and remained a key asset to the team throughout the match. Rathje got a kill and a block after a Buckeye service error to even up the score at 23. Two more Buckeye errors gave Michigan State the set.

In the second set, the Spartans started strong with a five point lead. The Buckeyes put up their own points with Amanda Peterson and Kelli Barhorst blocking several Spartan attacks. Both teams kept the rest of the match very close with exciting volleys and defensive efforts. When the score tied up at 18, Ohio State pulled ahead for the first time in the set 22-18 with points from Danks, Leary, and Mariah Booth. Rathje of MSU, assisted by Jazmine White, answered with three kills and three blocks each to tie the set at 23. This was quickly followed by two Spartan errors giving the Buckeyes the set.

Set 3 brings freshman setter Taylor Sherwin into the match for the first time who gets 10 assists. Both teams again kept it very close with 4 tied scores until the Bucks began to pull ahead at 8-8. Action from Booth, Danks and Leary kept Ohio State in the lead, but Buckeye errors gave MSU opportunities to catch up. That is until a service ace and kill by Danks, a block by Barhorst and Peterson and a costly Spartan error made the score 16-11. Kills from Rathje and Kyndra Abron of the Spartans began to close the gap. After three MSU errors and kills by Rathje and Peterson, Buckeye Mari Hole finally starts making contact with the ball and gets an important kill making it 23-17. Booth sets up the Buckeyes for set point with a kill, and is followed by Danks who gets a kill of her own. Ohio State takes the set 25-19.

In the fourth and final set, we see the return of Buckeye Erin Sekinger, the 6'3'' freshman out of Columbus. Sekinger replaces Hole only for a few plays, but makes a kill out of her only attack attempt. Early in the first set, Michigan State gets a five point lead. Kori Moster, the Spartans' Ohio native, gets a service ace and is followed up by a White block and some OSU errors, making it 13-5. Sarah Mignin of the Bucks gets her own ace while Barhorst, Booth and Leary each get kills narrowing the Spartan lead. An error in OSU's favor tied the game at 16. Barhorst continued to work hard for three more kills and a block. Answered by none other than Rathje, who begins to catch up to Ohio State making it 20-19. Set and match point came for the Bucks thanks to three Spartan errors. Danks ends the game with a punishing kill 25-21.

Spartan standouts include Rathje with 23 kills, Moster with 28 digs, and Kristen Kelsay with 24 assists. Mignin and Hole led the Buckeyes in digs with 23 and 14. Peterson gets 27 assists and Danks gets a team high 16.5 points on the match.

On October 28, the Ohio State women's volleyball team (15-8, 5-5) will host no. 4 Nebraska (16-1) who are 9-0 in conference play. Michigan State (16-6, 5-5) will go home to East Lansing to prepare for Indiana (8-13, 0-9) on Wednesday.

Ohio State vs Iowa and Nebraska

What an exciting, but frustrating weekend for the Ohio State Women’s soccer team. Ohio State took on Iowa (Friday 10/14/11) and Nebraska (Sunday 11/16/11). OSU came out strong in both games!

Against Iowa (1-0)

On this day Ohio State showed its support for breast cancer by warming up in pink shirts and giving honor to those who have survived breast cancer. A block “O” with a pink ribbon stood out in the middle of the field. There were about 7 survivors that lined the field with the player. Then both teams let out pink balloons.

Within the first 5 minutes of the game Paige Maxwell and Tiffany Cameron began making passes towards the goal. Maxwell attempted the first goal and was blocked by Iowa’s goal keeper Emily Moran.

Ohio State had the first corner kick of the game taken by Megan Fuller.

Ohio State was faced with an impressive player from Iowa. Cloe Lacasse, a freshman, named top freshman by the Big Ten and has 10 goals to her name this season. She played very aggressively in this game. There were a few times when Megan Fuller from OSU’s defensively line challenged her to stop her from making any goals.

During the second half of the game OSU’s starting goal keeper Katie Baumgardner was substituted by Rachel Middleman. She did a great job holding down the goal, with 2 great saves.

There were a lot of great passes and had a lot of great passes throughout the game.

Liz Sullivan was an ideal player in the game. She was very aggressive throughout the whole game. She used her speed moving up and down the field. She definitely stood out in this game.

As far as Iowa’s team, players Alyssa Cosnek, Morgan Showalter, and Alex Melin all played aggressively and had excellent speed throughout the whole game. Alex Melin made the winning goal with an assist by Morgan Showalter.

Towards the end of the game OSU tried to set up another goal. Tiffany Cameron was determined to make something happen for her team. With 10 seconds to go she gained possession of the ball and attempted for a shot.

Against Nebraska: (3-2)

This game was an exciting battle right from kickoff!

Both Ohio State and Nebraska started this game off strong. Ohio State was faced again with a challenge. Nebraska’s team holds a player, Morgan Marlborough who had already had 16 goals under her belt for this season alone. She definitely posed as a threat for OSU. Throughout the first half of the game, she didn’t really have a lot of footing on the ball.

Nebraska had the first attempt at goal as well as the first goal on the scoreboard, a questionable goal. All players on the field thought the refs might stop the play, so everyone stopped and the ball rolled into OSU’s goal. No one was given credit for the goal.

Nebraska played very well defensively, often having 2 or 3 players on attack on ISO offensive.

Ohio State then scored next. The goal was made by Lauren Granberg, assisted by Paige Maxwell and Kiirri Kuld.

Throughout most of the first half OSU had possession of the ball and had 18 shots on goal compared to Nebraska’s 5. Emma Stevens is an impressive goal keeper deserves recognition for her talent. Despite everything that OSU threw at her she was able to stop most of them. She had a total of 12 saves for the game.

There was an interesting turn in the second half. OSU wasn’t playing as aggressively and Nebraska dominated the field the most of the second half, keeping the ball in OSU’s territory.

Paige Maxwell attempted a goal from a backwards kick. The ball actually made it into the net but was not counted because of an “off sides” call.

Megan Fuller also had a backwards kick in the game. Her kick was to help save an attempted goal shot by a Nebraska player.

Despite a not so good start to the game, star player Morgan Marlborugh came through with 2 goals in the second half.

Nebraska had a very good defensive line. Players such as Maritza Hayes and Mayme Conroy stood out for their speed and ability to challenge players.

Danielle Scoliere made the second goal for OSU.

Ohio State has 3 more games left in the Big Ten conference.

Exclusive Interview with Tiffany Cameron 10/14

Interview with Tiffany Cameron #11

This interview took place after the OSU- Iowa game. I found Tiffany Cameron very frustrated as the buckeyes fell to to Iowa 1-0 after a very well played game. Tiffany notes that she wishes her team would have worked a little harder together to make a goal.

How long have you been playing soccer?

*Since the age of 10

Do you play any other sports?

*Yes, basketball, swimming, and volleyball

Any hobbies or special talents?

*I play the piano

Other than your position (forward), what other positions can you play?

*Left mid-field

Do you plan on going pro?

*Yes, not sure on what team yet

What is your major?

*Strategic Communication, with a minor in General Business

Who is a major influence in you soccer career?

*My boyfriend, he also plays soccer. During the summer and off season we often play with and against each other.

What do you think holds the team together?

*We are all very caring and supportive of each other. Our team has a lot of chemistry.

What players do you play well with?

*Paige Maxwell, Lauren Granberg, Liz Sullivan, Danica Wu

As a soccer player, what do you feel like is your strongest point? Weakest point?

*Running is my strong point, especially my speed. As far as my weakest point, I would say headers.

What is or has been your biggest obstacle in your soccer career?

*I can't really think about one.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your career with Ohio State?

*Last year I had 7 goals and 5 assists. My freshman year I had 4 goals. My biggest goal was in the game against Georgetown, made with my left foot.

What have you gained or learned from coach Lori Walker?

*How to really compete, how to train hard, working to possess the ball and stay focused.

Any advice for aspiring players, especially those at a college level and coming into OSU?

*Play with confidence.

Ohio State vs Northwestern Women's Volleyball

The Ohio State women’s volleyball team welcomed the Northwestern Wildcats to St. John Arena Saturday night.

The Buckeyes came away with a win and a record of 13-6 overall. The match was Ohio State’s sixth conference game this season and gave the team a record of 3-3 in Big Ten play.

The Wildcats served first, but quickly gave possession back to the Buckeyes with a ball handling error by Madalyn Shalter. It would not be the only point given up in error by either team.

Ohio State put eight points on the board in the first nine serves of the game thanks to kills by Kaitlyn Leary, Kelli Barhorst and Emily Danks. Northwestern began to close the gap on Ohio State’s lead late in the first set but was only able to score nineteen points.

The Wildcats, after receiving some words of encouragement from Head Coach Keylor Chan, retook the court looking more aggressive and energized. The team scored nine points in a row in the second set, five of which were Buckeye errors. Northwestern clenched the set 25-18 with Wildcat standouts Hannah Crippen, Katie Dutchman, Kathryn Chrystal and Yewande Akanbi.

In the third set, two long scoring drives by Ohio State’s Emily Danks and Amanda Peterson gave the Buckeyes the advantage. The Wildcats gave up eight points in offensive errors and were not able to stop Buckeye’s Mari Hole, who had five kills. Ohio State ended the set with a 25-14 lead and one set ahead of Northwestern.

The final set was a close one with Northwestern keeping the score within one point until late in the game. Assists by Ohio State’s Peterson and libero Alyssa Winner gave the Buckeye offense a chance to end the match with a string of kills.

The Ohio State women’s volleyball team will travel to Bloomington, Indiana next to take on the Hoosiers at 7 pm on Friday.

Ohio State vs Northwestern women's soccer

Ohio State takes on Northwestern at home at noon. This is the third game in the Big Ten Conference.

The weather was perfect for a soccer game. There were more students at the game, this time being very energetic.

It was alumni day for the soccer team and 7 alumni players showed up at the game.

Both teams played well in this game.

Ellen Gruber never fails to get in the game and be noticed. She had a lot of energy in this game and played very aggressively.

The first goal of the game was made by Tiffany Cameron with assists from Kristen Niederhaus and Caitlyn Martin.

Paige Maxwell made the second goal of the game with an assist from Caroline Murray. Paige Maxwell is a player on the Herman watch list. Even though Paige is the top scorer for the team, she has only made 3 goals this season. Despite that, she is always working to get her foot on the ball to make a goal or help with an assist. I believe we will see more from her.

We were sad to see Danica Wu get injured in the second half of the game and become unable to finish.

On Northwestern team, Kate Allen is the top scorer and was at first seen as a threat. She did manage to get her foot on the ball but not able to get a shot.

Briana Westlund played an awesome game of defense. She was very fast and aggressive and able to run the ball.

On September 29, 2011 Ohio State took on Penn State at Penn State and fell to a loss of 3-1.

So far in the Big Ten Conference Ohio State stands at 2-1-1.

The Buckeyes will take on Wisconsin at Wisconsin on October 2.

Since We Last Spoke

It has been awhile since my last blog update concerning the Buckeye soccer squad. Since that update a lot has happened. My beloved Red Sox have pissed away any semblance of a wild card lead they may have had and are now left to shake off the last few drops of self respect before zipping up, getting their foreskin caught in the zipper while doing so and heading home nursing their groin as well as their 170 million dollar pride. Also, since my last blog, Barack Obama released a Jobs plan that will be argued about much like how Bryce Harper argues balls and strikes, “Money Ball” has now hit theaters, leading a plethora of people to think that they understand the value of Scott Hatteberg, and The Ohio State University Buckeyes football team was 1-0 and still scoring touchdowns. Also, the Men’s Soccer Team has played a 5 more games on the season and tallied a 3-2 record in that run.

In Memoriam:

On a Somber day in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, the kind of day that puts into perspective the value of a trivial soccer game, the Buckeyes stepped up and continued their dominance on their home pitch. The motif that seems to be popping up like we live in some F. Scott Fitzgerald novel is the Buckeyes inability to open matches strong. An unassisted goal in the 5^th minutes by the Binghamton Bearcats’ Jake Keegan gave the visitors a quick lead, a lead that they seemed to think they could hold onto the entire game. Late in the 2^nd half the Buckeyes found their equalizer. The Goal, assisted by Ben killian and Adam Gorski, was netted by Chris Hegngi who has proven himself to be one of the most skilled players on the squad, one of the only ones that seems to have the ability to maneuver between three defenders at a time (has the ability, does not always execute though). But what we see from this play that is even more important is the continued emergence of freshman midfielder Adam Gorski. Gorski’s long throw-ins, from almost anywhere in the offense zone, are becoming a sort of trademark for the buckeyes, much like drug binges were the trademark of Amy Whinehouse; not always well executed but eventually one will be fatal. Then in the 86^th minute, one of the two “super-subs” for the buckeyes that have yet to crack the starting lineup, Sebastian Rivas, out in the go ahead goal with the assist going to Kenny Cunningham. Overall, a well played game from the Buckeyes that had them, as Coach Bluem says, “Chasing the game”.

Well….The Stats Say:

The Buckeys then went on the road to Coastal Carolina to take on John Bluem’s alma mater, Hartwick University, as well as the host school, Coastal Carolina University. These games are particularly difficult to cover if I am not willing to take the trip to the site, and, since I am a college student working a non-paid internship and going to school, a road trip to coastal Carolina was not in my budget so to speak. So the only way for me to get a feel for what took place in Ohio State’s 3-0 win over Hartwick and their 0-2 loss at the hands of Coastal Carolina was to look at the box scores and talk to coach Bluem. Stats in soccer can only tell me so much about how the game ebbed and flowed. But, from what I can tell, the Buckeyes got something they hadn’t had all year against Hartwick, 2 quick goals. Austin McAnena and Chris Hegngi each got on the score sheet within the first ten minutes. Hegngi notched another goal in the 67^th minute to improve the lead to a trendy trey. Yeah…I said it. Matt Lampson also recorded his first clean sheet of the season but Coach Bluem stressed to me that a clean sheet is just as much a team accomplishment as it is an individual. Early in the year Lampson had been put on the hook for some defensive follies that resulted in easy goals but this game saw the entire team stepping up defensively. That, sadly, was short lived. The Buckeye’s, in their first true away game, were kept off the board against one of the best scoring offenses in the country. Coastal Carolina snapped the 4 game winning streak the buckeyes were quietly putting together.

Revenge (No, no, Emily Vancamp will not be anywhere within this section…sorry guys):

The Buckeyes then faced off against the #5 ranked Louisville cardinals who were responsible for Ohio State’s departure from the 2010-11 NCAA tournament. Coach Bluem told me, “If we can keep them off the board deep into the second half then we’ll have a good chance.” This seemed to make sense. Ohio State had struggled in past games to start strongly so obviously the focus became to not get behind a team that may very well be one of the best in the country. Play cautiously. To me this meant; don’t over exert yourself, don’t beat yourself, let Louisville make mistakes and then, at the end, cover yourself in mud to thwart their heat seeking technology and cleverly develop a ploy to destroy them before the credits roll. And they almost executed it. After 80 minutes of battling against one of the best teams in the country, Kenny Walker took a ball that ricocheted from a corner at the top of the box and put it past Ben Killian and Matt Lampson trying to protect the net. Ohio state did have their opportunities though. One ball that bounced off the cross bar and straight down that, yours truly thought was in the net, squeaked out into the field of play without ever crossing the end line and then an amazing opportunity in the final minute that had Chris Hegngi in behind the defense but unable to capitalize. Hegngi tapped the ball just under a diving goalkeeper and then just to the left of the post. Utter disappointment ensued.

Keep an eye out for my post game recap on Ohio State’s Big Ten opener (coming very soon, I’ve already written 1000 words tonight and just don’t feel like writing anymore…. hey, at least I’m honest.) against the Wolverines as well as my Diary from Akron as the Buckeye’s take on the Zips this Wednesday.

Woman's Soccer Game 9/23/11

Ohio State Woman’s Soccer team takes on the Illinois at home, their second game in the Big Ten Conference. Their first Big Ten game was away against Minnesota. The Buckeyes came home with a score of 1-1 tied in double overtime.

The Woman’s soccer team played well against Illinois who is ranked #22.

This was the first game of the season since Ohio State students have returned on campus. There was a small, but supportive student section at the game.

One thing that definitely stood out in this game was Ohio State’s defensive line. They played exceptionally well and throughout most of the game Illinois’ offensive line were no match for them. Illinois offensive line consisted of 2 forwards against OSU’s 3 defenders.

Megan Fuller had a lot of energy and impact in this game. Even from up in the press box, you could see her communicating with fellow teammates and working well with the other players. She was aggressive in the game and had her foot on the ball a lot.

Ohio State’s midfielders also played well. Usually when watching Danica Wu, I see her playing more offensively. In this game however, I saw her set back more and play more defensively. Either way, Danica Wu puts her all into the games. It was interesting to see a different side of her, nonetheless, very impressive. Kiiri Kuld also had her foot on the ball a lot and helped to keep the ball out of Ohio State’s territory.

Katie Baumgardner was also very key in the game. She had some exceptional saves, with some being close calls. She was able to hold down the fort for Ohio State.

The first goal in the game was scored by Ohio State’s Lauren Granberg with assists from Paige Maxwell and Megan Fuller.

Illinois also played well in the game. Illinois had a lot of interesting and unique strategies in this game, especially on their corner kicks. Shayla Mutz, has a good leg on those corner kick, definitely a threat for any team.

It seemed that at most points n the game Illinois wanted to keep Tiffiamy Camaeon from having a foot on tee ball

Stephanie Pouse, defender made a big contribution to her team.

Other key players in the game were Marissa Mykines, who had her foot on the ball a lot with speed and Janelle Flaws, who had excellent control of the ball. Janelle Flaws also made the second goal of the game, unassisted.

The last goal of the game was made by Luaren Granberg with another assist from Paige
Maxwell. Ohio State had victory over Illinois 2-1.

Ohio State vs Dayton women's soccer

Ohio State Buckeyes vs Dayton Flyers

The game had a slow start. You could tell that Ohio State and Dayton were just kind of figuring each other out. Most of the first half was the two teams trying to get a feel for how the other team played.

Paige Maxwell (osu #10) and Tiffany Cameron (osu #11) worked well together on the forward offensive line. It seemed as though shots were a lot cleaner in the second half of the game. Paige Maxwell had a lot of oportunites to possibly put the ball in the net. Tiffany Cameron often struggled with possession of the ball as two Dayton flyers seemed to always be on the attack, having her 2 to 1.

Chelsy Swackhamer (osu #27) definitely showed her presence the game and is an impressive player for a freshmen player. She had great control of the ball and did a nice job of trying to set up a shot for her fellow teammates. She also had great speed throughout the whole game.

Katherine Boone (Dayton #0) had a very interesting strategy with her goal keeping. At time she would come completely out of her box to catch the 6149623096 ball and attempt saves. Often times she had very risky saves, a few of them sliding through her hands, but at the end of the day she served her team very well, not letting any of Ohio States’ 12 shots through.

Colleen Williams (Dayton #3) is definitely a powerhouse for her team. She is a threat to any team that they go against. She is a fast, aggressive player. She also has a backwards kick that is a good tacktet for “trick” opposing players.

Dayton made their first and only goal off of a corner kick that Alysha Mailon made, then another Dayton player, Katrin Loo, headed in.

Ohio States next game will start the first game of the Big Ten League against Minnesota.

Woman's Soccer Game 9/11/11

Rain, rain, go away! On Sunday, September 11th, the Ohio State woman's soccer game against Ohio University started off as a maybe as dark clouds began to cover the area and storms began to rumble. While warming up, both teams were called off the field and fans were called out of the stands. The 6:00 game was delayed over and over again as lightening was spotted less than ten miles away. OSU's team as well as supporting others had planned for a special parents night as well a tribute to honor 9/11 with the ROTC, but due to the weather delay, both were cancelled.

Finally at 7:45, after a long hour and forty-five minute wait, players began to make their way to back to the wet field. Players got into position as OSU would start the kick off playing left to right across the field. OSU works together to keep the mall mostly in Ohio's territory and within the first ten minutes of the game, OSU has an opportunity to score and did not succeed. Just as the game is getting good, lightening is spotted once again and the clock stops at 22:32 left in the first half. Players are summoned off the field and fans once again evacuate the stands for safety reasons. The game is then delayed for thirty minutes.

At 8:30, players go to the field for a quick warm-up and fans resume on the stands. Despite the dropping temperature and the cold rain fans still wait patiently to watch the game. The game resumes and OSU takes a corner kick, the play in action before the delay. Throughout the game both OSU and Ohio play very well. Ohio State's offensive line has multiple times and opportunities to score but they are no match for Ohio's defensive line.

By the end of the game, neither team had yet to score and at 10:05, overtime starts. OSU's Danica Wu tries for a shot, but Ohio's Mattie Liston catches it. The game is still 0-0

At 10:20 the second overtime starts. OSU's defensive line works hard to challenge Ohio as they come deep into OSU territory. Once the ball is turned over Kiiri Kuld tries for a shot and Liston saves it, falling to the ground. With, just under a minute on the timer, Tiffiany Cameron takes a shot at the right of the goal and makes the winning goal. At 10:30 the game is called. OSU defeats Ohio 1-0.

Fans cheer as players run off the field and the crowd of 461 begins a O-H-I-O chant.

Throughout the game, many players attempted to take shots, these players are:

Aly Walker, Tiffany Cameron, Ellyn Gruber, Paige Maxwell, Kirri Kuld, Danica Wu, Caitlyn Martin, Colleen Brady, and Chelsy Swackhamer.

Players that stood out in the game:

Danica Wu was a good ball of energy in the game and did a good job and gaining possession of the ball and being agressive toward Ohio players. She used a lot of headers in the game

Aly Walker was very fast on the field and held her own as she ran the ball up and down the field.

Danielle Scoliere and Ellyn Gruber had nice foot work throughout the whole game.

Over all OSU played very well. It seemed as though they definitley had a plan of action in the game. They made nice clean passes to each other and worked as team.

When it comes to the Ohio Bobcats, I would have to say that their defensive line is awesome. Although OSU had multiple opprotunites, Ohio's defensive line as well as Goal keeper, Mattie Liston would not let anything passed them. There were a lot of very close calls but many not a match for Liston. Liston definitely played her position well dive after dive. Paige Howard #6 has a very nice leg. She can kick nice and far. Midfielder Toye Famodu is very fast indeed. She is a good contribution to the team.

The Danger Zone: An Open Letter to The Ohio State University

Let me paint you a word picture, a whimsically wistful waxing on about the wonderful game of soccer. A picture lined with annoying and arrogant alliteration as well as lethal dose of literary devices that will leave John Travolta with no other choice than to stab you in the heart with an adrenal needle as you o.d. on the floor of some heroine dealer’s house.

Now, If you don’t hate me after that paragraph and are still reading this, then let me explain the fervor with which I believe it is absolutely necessary that Ohio State renovate, or, build a new soccer stadium. It is not because I dislike Jesse Owens Memorials stadium at all. The field is wonderful and the press box, though rather chilly, is accommodating and the stands have the capacity to hold enough people that currently attend the soccer games at Ohio State. But I think the experience could be better. Unspeakably better.

Take a look at this short video of the Portland Timbers fan’s reaction to a goal from the Timbers/Sounders game this past July. This is not only soccer in America that can produce this much energy (and there are a plethora of other videos on Youtube of the amazing Portland fans that I encourage you to watch) this is soccer in Portland! That’s in Oregon if you didn’t know. You know, Oregon, as in “The Oregon Trail” where everyone died of Dysentery or violent diarrhea, like diarrhea that was abused as a child and now that its all grown up the diarrhea doesn’t know how to handle the psychic agony it was left with so it victimizes you anus. So Anyway, I struggle heartily to believe that if Ohio State dipped into the Fort Knox that is our football program, built a modest soccer facility that would seat around 15,000-20,000 people, and put it right on top of the field so that it felt like every visiting player was at the mercy of the student population, this school would soon be the proud owner of the most admired soccer program in the country. What top soccer recruit wouldn’t want to come play at the greatest atmosphere in college soccer, where every week 16,000 students and alumni came out to scare the hell out of whoever was visiting and shake the very ground they walk on? Who knows, maybe some players with question marks in Europe decide to broaden their horizons with a degree from a terrific institution as well continue their career on the pitch in front of wildly passionate fans. If the tickets are still free to students (atleast until The Man decides the free ride is over) I can’t think of a scenario in which rowdy Ohio State fans cannot out do the hippies and folk artist in Portland. We’re Ohio state for gods sake, home of sports fandom but we only unleash that passion for football.

Let me describe a scenario from this past weekend’s Wolstien Classic tournament in which the men’s soccer squad walked away with two impressive wins. There was a point in the second half where the Buckeyes were up 3-2 over the Stetson Hatters. The frustration was beginning to build on the side of the Hatters (yes, that’s actually their nickname…they make hats. Slightly less scary that a poisonous nut) and they began to push the tempo of the game. At midfield one of Stetson’s best scoring threats went down after a tackle (read: won the Oscar for best actor) and let a yelp that was easily heard up in the press box. The player, Jonathon Mendoza, writhed on the ground in “pain” for about a minute. The trainers brought him some water and Midol and he was all ready to go. The crowd immediately erupted with jeers audible all around the stadium about the faux injury. Then, for the next 10 minutes, the crowd continued to harass Mendoza with cries of pain and boos every time he touched the ball. Remember, there are only about 500 people at this game. If crowd had been 30-40 times larger and this had happened I suspect that young Jonathon Mendoza would think twice about ever embellishing a tackle again, at least when he came to Columbus. I also think this would have been much more exciting as well.

This blog may sound like a cry for hooliganism in Columbus and it sort of is, but, within reason of course. We need to spread the love so to speak. Lets take the vigor with which we despise Mark May and put that towards supporting our soccer team. Mark May isn’t worth our time anyway. Why don’t we as a university finally put our foot down and say, “HEY! Where is our Pride? Akron shouldn’t be better than us in any sport! How did this happen? We’re we drunk? We swear we only had like four beers, and maybe a couple of martinis…and a couple shots of Lady Bly, BUT, that’s beside the point.” Its time for Ohio State to Chug some water, go to the sauna, grab some Jimmy Johns and get over this hangover of ours. Its time to spread the love, its time for a Key Party where OSU fans can love equally, with out prejudice, Futbol and Football.

The Danger Zone: Buckeye Soccer kick off

With the men’s soccer home opener just around the corner, it seems like an appropriate time for the inaugural Scarlet and Gray Radio’s I-Don’t-Think-That-Dude-Has-An-Adequate-Knowledge-of-Soccer-to-Be-Broadcasting-The-Games column, by yours truly. Now, im not as ignorant about the beautiful game of soccer as, say, Mitch Hedberg was ignorant about the dangers of heroine, but I am also no Alexi Lalas. I am not blessed with the luscious red hair that graces the head of, apparently, the only marketable U.S national Soccer player in recent decades. But I do have a soul. So if you’re looking for a soulful report about the Buckeye soccer squad and like to hang out in the sun, then this column is for you.

-“In Bluem”:

The Buckeyes return eight starters this year but they will lose three players that coach John Bluem considered to be, “the teams three best players”. Konrad Warzycha, Sam Scales and Matt Gold were all drafter to the MLS after the 2010 season and Warzycha and Gold we’re lucky enough to earn contracts with Sporting Kansas City and Toronto FC respectively. The team is also suffering from the loss of Ryan Lee, who transferred to UCLA after last season, as well as the injuries of Joshua Breto and Dalton Summers. Altogether, the 6 players were responsible for 30 of the teams 62 points. Which is slightly worrisome, but not terrifying. Kenny Cunningham was solid in the preseason and tallied the Buckeyes only goal at the Penn State Classic this past weekend. With Cunningham being a legitimate goal threat we’ll (hopefully) see Omar Vallejo improve on his 5 points off of three assists and one goal from his freshman season. Vallejo was also tied for third on the team in with 12 shots on goal in 2010.

That brings us to the part where if you gave me a choice between, watching a marathon of Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns”, hanging out with Ray Small for more than 10 minutes with out asking him why he can not field punts, making a wild assessment about which EPL team this year’s squad does or does not resemble, or, using a lousy literary device to talk about something that I thought about when I was doing something sometime; I would pick the last two.

Good News, Bad News:

Some of you soccer fans out there may have seen 8-2 drubbing that Manchester United put on Arsenal recently. This, I opine, is because Arsenal lacks the leadership that Manchester seems to be brimming with. Both teams have dedicated much of their resources to putting youth on the field but only Manchester United has managed to do it as well as pepper the pitch with strong leadership to mitigate club issues and control the mood of the team this season. Van Persie and Walcott do not seem to provide the confidence that this Arsenal team desperately needs.

Looking over the roster, this 2011 Ohio state team looks to be smack in the middle of the Man U/Arsenal dichotomy. Youths like Kenny Cunningham and Omar Vallejo can be the cocaine at Charlie Sheen’s party and really spice things up but you’ll also need to have the savvy with which Keith Richards doused, with blow, his mucous membranes lining his sinuses; or else things get ugly. This is where players like Austin McAnena, Chris Hegngi, David Tiemstra and Jordan Lomnicki come into play. Lomnicki and Tiemstra (who has, Phonetically, the word ‘team’ right there is his name) are the captains of the 2011 squad and will also be anchors on the back line and in the mid-field respectively. Chris Hegngi and Austin McAnena are the two highest scoring returning starters and will also be crucial to the ignition the offense. Hegngi had trouble finding the frame against Siena this past week with 8 shots and none on goal. But it’s early. “The fitness levels of the guys isn’t great,” coach Bluem told me, this gives me hope that the Buckeye’s 7 of 51 shots that were on net is simply the team knocking off the rust. The most optimistic part of the Hegngi hinder is that there are two of them. Chris’ brother Parnell can also be relied upon in the mid-field and, I mean, isn’t the brother combination on your team always awesome? Especially when they play two different positions in a sport like soccer? Shouldn’t they have had years of time to perfect their chemistry and maybe even form a little sibling competition? I hope so.

Where’s Your Head at?

The Buckeyes 2010 squad had some issues with corner kicks. That’s me being kind. The team converted on only 1 corner kick last year out of 94 attempts. Now, before I make them sound incompetent on set pieces, which is not what I want to do, I should point out that statistics in soccer are worth about as much as a verbal alliance is on the Bachelor Pad and can be equated to reading the spark notes on Catcher in the Rye. You get the bare essentials of the story, you understand that Holden Caulfield hates phonies, but you don’t see it. Soccer is not baseball; a sport that is better understood when you are aware of and proficient in a litany of complicated stats and ratings. You need to feel out soccer, and, though the 1 for 94 on corners statistic is, too me, troublesome, it surely does not take into account goals that were created off of rebounds and chances inside the box after those set pieces. But still, set pieces are a problem for the buckeyes and Coach Bluem agrees, “We’re not dangerous enough now on corners. We trained on corner kicks a lot today for, and against because we have to defend better against corners as well. Our services are starting to get there and be hit to where we want to but we’re not attacking the ball well enough.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

A Quick Look Back at the Penn State Classic:

The Nuts were not exactly roasting this past weekend when they kicked off their season in State College, PA. In their first two games the buckeyes faced American University and Siena respectively and walked off the pitch that weekend after tallying merely one goal in 200 minutes of play. A late game equalizer against American that was netted by freshman Kenny Cunningham was the lone goal of the weekend for the Buckeyes. Cunningham’s goal sent the game into two overtimes in which both teams failed to find the back of the net, ending the game in a draw. In game 2, the buckeyes found themselves trailing late once again, however, this time there was no equalizer. Over the weekend the team dominated the stat sheets with 51 shots to their opponents combined total of 14. However, only 7 of the 51 shots we’re on frame and a couple defensive breakdowns left veteran net-minder Matt Lampson to take the fall. Lampson faced 5 shots on goal but only managed to save 3. Poor fitness and a lack of concrete team chemistry resulted in an 0-1-1 start for the buckeyes but don’t expect that to last. Eric Brunner, who was the captain of the 2007 runner-up national champions, told me that coach Bluem has a knack for getting guys comfortable and confident in their roles. So my hope is that the team will mesh as the season continues. But who knows, maybe it was just that smelly Penn State campus. I could believe that as well.

In Mark Dantonio Tressel Supporters Find Their Voice

Since Jim Tressel was forced to resign as head coach of the Ohio State football team on Memorial Day, two different camps have formed.

The biggest camp thinks Tressel should have lost his job, says Tressel is a liar, cheater, destroyed his own integrity, as well as the integrity of Ohio State, the Big Ten, and college football. This group has had a lot of prominent supporters in the media and has had no trouble getting their voice heard.

The second group is smaller, but just as passionate. They are mostly Ohio State fans. This group views Tressel as a great man who found himself in a bad situation, got in too deep trying to protect his players, and made some mistakes. They view the good that Tressel has done for The Ohio State University, Columbus, the State of Ohio, and America over the years as greater than the mistakes he made. This group thinks Tressel got a raw deal as Ohio State did not show the loyalty to Tressel that Tressel showed to his players.

Chances are you have heard mostly from the first group. They have a voice. They have sports reporters who can simply dismiss anyone from group two as being an OSU homer. The problem for group two was they lacked any real voice.

On Thursday in Chicago they found their voice, ironically coming from That State Up North.

No, not That School Up North, but the State.

“He becomes a tragic hero in my respect, in my view. Usually tragic heroes have the ability to rise above it all in the end and that's what I'll look for in the end,” said Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio using some of the strongest language of any public figure in support of Tressel.

“(Tressel’s) done a lot of good for college football. Every person he's come in contact with as a player and a coach, he's made a positive impact on their lives,” Dantonio said.

Dantonio called Tressel his mentor since 1983, when both were assistant coaches with the Buckeyes. Dantonio would go on to serve as a Defensive coordinator under Tressel at Youngstown State from 1986 to 1990 and at Ohio State from 2001 to 2003.

Dantonio described the Tressel situation as being, “Very heart wrenching for me and my family because we're close to Coach Tres.”

On Friday, Dantonio said he knew he would be criticized for his comments, but he had been criticized before so that was nothing new.

And Dantonio was criticized, perhaps most noticeably by University of Michigan football color analyst Jim Brandstatter who tweeted, “Sorry...but tragic hero remark about Tressel is wrong on a lot of levels.”

Brandstatter continued, “When is lying to your boss, to the NCAA heroic. Is it heroic to teach young men that wrong isn't wrong unless you get caught? Gimme a break.”

Dantonio responded by saying he did not know who Brandsatter was, but knew he had never been a head coach and had the relationship that a head coach has with his players.

Agree or not with Dantonio about Tressel, but we can all agree that Dantonio took a calculated risk in supporting Tressel and we should all be so lucky to have a friend like Mark Dantonio.

Aside from whatever personal reasons Dantonio had to publically support his friend, he needed to speak up for another reason. Someone needed to give a voice to the Tressel supporters who feel a good man has been done wrong.

Everyone deserves to have their voices heard and now supporters of Jim Tressel can have their voice heard.

All thanks to an old friend.