This post was updated Oct. 1 at 12:38 a.m.
Redshirt sophomore forward Sergi Solans Ormo was flying head over heels toward the ground just seven minutes into the game.
A slide tackle that picked up almost exclusively grass and ankles immediately earned a yellow card for Buckeye defender Nick McHenry. And the referee upgraded the call to a red card after a video review, ruling Solans Ormo had a clear shot at the goal before the last line of defense took him out.
And so, McHenry – who earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 16 – was sent to the bench. The Buckeyes played the rest of the match with just 10 players – a blessing that turned into a curse for the Bruins.
UCLA men’s soccer (2-5-2, 2-2-0 Big Ten) was defeated 2-1 by Ohio State (5-4-0, 2-1-0) on Monday afternoon at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes netted two goals off five total attempts, marking the program’s 500th win.
Sophomore forward Artem Vovk scored the Bruins’ sole goal – and his first of the season after leading the freshman class in scoring last year with three goals – from the penalty spot, hitting the underside of the crossbar to send the ball into the net.
Vovk and freshman midfielder Ander Marticorena notched four shots each, and four other Bruins recorded two shots each. Despite posting 19 combined shots, UCLA only mustered one score.
Ohio State’s first goal also came from the penalty spot after junior defender Tre Wright committed a penalty in the box. Midfielder Marko Borkovic – whose five goals tie him for fourth in the Big Ten – lifted the ball past freshman goalkeeper Ryan Tiltack in the 29th minute before limping off the pitch and sitting out the rest of the game with an apparent hamstring injury.
The Buckeyes suffered multiple injuries throughout the game. With multiple fouls and video reviews, stoppages repeatedly disrupted play. The Bruins dominated possession thanks to the 11-10 player advantage.
But coach Ryan Jorden’s squad struggled to score on the Buckeyes’ backline, though frequently breaching the 18-yard box.
Ohio State made the most of its limited time with the ball, and midfielder Ashton Bilow sent a powerful shot just past an airborne Tiltack. The score in the 63rd minute – a quick answer to Vovk’s equalizer in the 62nd – went unanswered despite UCLA’s subsequent seven shots and four corner kicks.
Ohio State earned its first win with a player disadvantage since 2012, when its bested Davidson in overtime.
And so what looked like a golden ticket gifted to UCLA instead gave way to the team’s second consecutive conference loss.
The Bruins will return to Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Friday, where they boast an undefeated conference home record.
Comments are closed.