As a storm and chants of “Let’s go Bucks” simultaneously rained down on Ryan Fieldhouse, Ohio State goalkeeper Jocelyn Torres corralled the game-winning save of junior midfielder Taylor Lapointe’s shot.
No. 4 Northwestern was stunned at home once again.
Despite a 9-1 scoring run that put the Wildcats (5-3, 0-1 Big Ten) ahead 10-6, they couldn’t hold on and fell 16-15 to the Buckeyes (6-2, 1-0 Big Ten) on Sunday afternoon’s Senior Day.
NU has lost two straight games for the first time since 2022 and three home games for the first time since 2017.
The ’Cats won the draw 21-12, committed three fewer turnovers and outshot Ohio State 35-22, but they could not come away with the victory.
“We score one more goal on one of those shots, and it’s a different game,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “It’s a game of inches, and when you’re in this conference, you have to be ready to step up every moment from wire to wire.”
Senior attacker Madison Taylor, one of the 11 graduating players honored after the game, led NU with 10 points, tallying seven goals and three assists. Lapointe added three goals and one assist, and senior attacker Lucy Munro posted three assists and one goal.
During a 17-minute stretch across the first and second quarters, the ’Cats scored nine goals and allowed just one. However, they were outscored 15-6 over the other 43 minutes.
For a team looking to bounce back from a slow offensive game, NU was unable to find its footing early. In the first 90 seconds of the game, the ’Cats lost the draw, freshman attacker Kate Ratanaproeksa picked up a yellow card, Taylor committed a turnover and NU allowed a goal.
Through nearly 10 minutes of play, the ’Cats trailed 5-1. During that span, NU mustered five shot attempts. However, the ’Cats led 6-5 at the end of the first quarter, thanks in part to two goals and one assist from Taylor.
Ohio State got back on the scoreboard at the start of the second quarter as the teams traded scoring runs. NU went on a 4-0 run through the middle of the quarter, and the Buckeyes scored three straight goals in the final two minutes of the half.
The ’Cats led 10-9 at halftime while attempting seven more shots, controlling four more draws and committing two fewer turnovers.
NU extended its lead back to three goals early in the third quarter. However, the ’Cats’ recent third-period woes struck again, and they left the third quarter having only scored three goals as they led 13-12.
This is the third straight game in which NU has scored three or fewer goals during the third quarter.
The teams continued to trade goals to open the fourth quarter, but the Buckeyes scored to take their first lead since the first quarter with under five minutes to go. Lapointe found the equalizer with two minutes to play, but Ohio State midfielder Kampbell Stone put the visitors back ahead with under 75 seconds to play.
After Taylor narrowly controlled the draw, the ’Cats called timeout to discuss their play to tie the game.
As the clock ticked under 30 seconds, Lapointe fired a shot from the top of the 8-meter fan, but she couldn’t find the back of the net. The Buckeyes ran out the clock and secured their first win in Evanston since 2003.
Graduate student goalkeeper Jenika Cuocco allowed a season-high 16 goals while recording just six saves, her lowest total among games she has played all 60 minutes in. Redshirt sophomore midfielder Madison Smith controlled 10 draws, marking her second game this season with double-digit controls.
“We just have to start anew,” Amonte Hiller said. “There’s nothing you can do about the past, so you just have to move forward and get better.”
NU will look to break its losing streak when it faces Oregon on Saturday.
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