For a team that had won nine of its last 10 games, a fourth consecutive Big Ten win doesn’t sound like inspiration for its players to storm the field in jubilation.
Ohio State’s reaction to their overtime golden goal was telling of how uncharacteristically they had struggled for a jaded, tight, goal-less 90 minutes at Lakeside Field.
Northwestern (5-6-3, 1-3-1 Big Ten) dropped its Sunday matchup 1-0 to Ohio State (10-2-1, 4-0), the only team in the Big Ten with a perfect conference record, and lost 2-1 at home to Penn State on Friday. Both teams played sluggishly as Ohio State also played two days prior in a 3-1 win at Iowa.
“I thought we battled again,” coach Stephanie Foster said. “Sunday games are hard for both teams. Legs are tired. There were details we missed here and there; some of them we got away with. In the end, we didn’t.”
The one clear-cut chance for either team in the first half fell at the feet of Ohio State’s Genna Brand, who turned deftly on the edge of the six-yard box past her defender and hit the ball straight at senior goalkeeper Carolyn Edwards, who stopped Brand’s shot.
With fewer shots recorded by both teams in the second half than in the first, the game headed into overtime scoreless.
“We did really well,” Foster said. “We contained them well, kept them in front of us…. We battled, but the game just got too long for us.”
Nine minutes into overtime and with the golden goal rule in play, Ohio State’s Paige Maxwell latched onto the ball after it had bobbled past Edwards. From barely a yard out, the Buckeyes’ leading scorer earned her seventh goal of the season.
“(Losing so late) makes it harder because we were in the game so long and so close to turning it around,” freshman forward Bo Podkopacz said.
On Friday, the Cats hosted Penn State (5-7-1, 3-1-0), who won the Big Ten title the last 12 seasons. Heading into the game, the Nittany Lions had lost seven of their last 10 games. But against the Cats, they showed signs of their undoubted talent.
Senior Sam Greene, who has played defense this season, started in midfield alongside senior Jennifer Baumann and freshman Kate Allen, NU’s leading goal-scorer. Up front, Podkopacz earned her first collegiate start. She didn’t take long to make an impact.
Twelve minutes into the game, she picked up a careless pass from the Penn State defense, carried the ball to the edge of the penalty box and laid the ball to senior defender Leigh Jakes. With her first touch, Jakes curled the ball into the top right corner of the goal.
“First of my career, so extra special there,” Jakes said. “Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time. Bo (Podkopacz) gave me a great pass back, so I just had to do my part and put it in the back of the net.”
After NU’s dominance in the first 15 minutes, Penn State raised its game. In the 31st minute, Penn State drew a handball from senior defender Alison Schneeman and earned a penalty kick. Penn State midfielder Christine Nairn placed her shot beyond the reach of Edwards, who had guessed the right way.
Midway into the second half, Nairn became her team’s leading scorer when she headed the ball over Edwards for her fifth goal of the season. The Cats had no response to the Nittany Lions, who held firm for their fourth win of the season.
“It was one of our best games when it came down to competing and having a lot of heart,” Foster said afterward. “It just didn’t go our way, but I thought we played a good game tonight.”
The Cats have lost three games in Big Ten play, one to Purdue and two this weekend. The Cats lost to all three teams last season.
“We wanted to win both games – we’re at home,” Foster said. “We know we have to do something different when it comes to our record than last year, and we’re right where we were last year – same result against same teams. We didn’t meet our expectations.”
