Ohio State women’s soccer huddles up during a game against TCU Sept. 12, 2021. Ohio State lost 1-4. Credit: Christian Harsa Managing Editor for Digital Content
Following a 4-0 win against Dayton on Thursday, Ohio State hosted No. 18 Texas A&M, both of which failed to score in their clash on Sunday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
While the Buckeyes (3-1-1) controlled most of the first half, the Aggies (4-0-2) had seven shots, including one that hit the post, compared to Ohio State’s two. In total, two of Texas A&M’s 14 shots were on goal, and four of Ohio State’s 15 attempts were on frame.
In the 40th minute, Texas A&M senior forward Jai Smith worked his way behind the Buckeye defense and raced into the box but was denied by Ohio State senior defender Talani Barnett’s slide-tackle. In that situation, Barnett said her mindset was simple.
“Just, ‘I don’t want her to score,'” Barnett said. “I want to help the team, and I don’t want her to score because she beat me, and I don’t want to get beat again.”
Barnett elaborated on her thought process when she has to make a tackle, especially in the 18-yard box, where a foul would result in a penalty kick.
“You can’t go into a tackle with fear because that’s when things mess up,” Barnett said. “You hurt someone or you hurt yourself, so I just go in and don’t think.”
Immediately after the first tackle, Barnett made another slide-tackle to prevent a scoring chance. She said her ability to make multiple plays in quick succession is natural.
“It’s a natural thing,” Barnett said. “I love tackling, so anytime I can go to ground I like going to ground.”
Head coach Lori Walker-Hock was pleased with the Buckeyes’ effort despite being held scoreless, even after several late attempts from senior forward Kayla Fischer.
“I’m super proud of our defense,” Walker-Hock said. “I thought we handled a barrage of attacks from them in various ways. I think our midfield played extremely well.
Walker-Hock highlighted how close the Buckeyes were to scoring.
“The piece missing was just that final pass,” Walker-Hock said. “The number of times that we got to the final third, but it was just the wrong entry pass or too much weight. But to be in that place, and to get that kind of effort out of our team on such a big week on campus, I’m really proud of their professionalism.”
The Buckeyes will travel to Providence, Rhode Island, for a matchup against Brown Thursday at 7 pm
.