Ohio State Defeats Memphis 3

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Memphis walked into Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium chasing a statement result. Ohio State made one of its own.

The eighth-ranked Buckeyes overpowered the No. 23 Tigers 3–1 on Sunday night, striking twice before halftime and adding a third after the break to stay unbeaten at 4-0-1. Memphis, now 2-3-1, clawed back a late goal through Mihiro Furuya but never fully shook off the early damage.

Ohio State controlled the opening exchanges and cashed in on its first big moment. In the 15th minute, a corner kick broke kindly in the box and Elle Britt reacted quickest, tucking home to give the Buckeyes a 1–0 lead and an early grip on the match.

Memphis tried to answer. The Tigers generated looks of their own, eventually finishing with 13 shots and seven on frame, but Ohio State’s pressure kept tilting the field. Just before the interval, it told again.

In the 41st minute, Callie Tumilty whipped in a cross that split the Memphis back line. Amanda Schlueter met it and calmly slotted home for 2–0, a clinical finish that sent the Tigers into halftime with a mountain to climb.

Second Half

The second half offered little relief. Memphis pushed higher, but that left space the Buckeyes ruthlessly exploited. In the 69th minute, the roles from the second goal flipped: Schlueter turned provider, finding Britt in stride. Britt buried her second of the night to stretch the advantage to 3–0 and tighten Ohio State’s control.

Memphis refused to fold.

Ten minutes later, the Tigers finally broke through. In the 79th minute, Ally Casey drove a cross into the box, and Furuya crashed the area to force it over the line for her first goal of the season and the third of her career, trimming the deficit to 3–1 and injecting late life into the visitors.

From there, Memphis surged forward, chasing a second. They tested Ohio State goalkeeper Peighton Northrup repeatedly; she finished with six saves as the Tigers put seven of their 13 attempts on target. The Buckeyes, though, matched that accuracy with seven shots on frame from 19 total efforts and managed the closing minutes without conceding again.

Freshman Abby Forsgren again led the Memphis attack, firing three shots and putting all three on goal. Over her last three matches, she has piled up nine shots and seven on target, a steady stream of chances from a first-year player still settling into college soccer.

Furuya’s impact came in just 31 minutes, where she produced two shots and finally found the net. Casey’s cross on the goal gave her the first assist of her season and the second of her career.

The workload was heavy for several Tigers. Ava Galani, Ava Gaida, Yuna Nagata, Evelyn Mackay, Casey, Natalie Dvorakova and Maira Boosman all went the full 90 minutes. For Dvorakova and Boosman, it marked the first time in their collegiate careers they have played an entire match.

It was a night of firsts elsewhere in the squad as well. Freshman Miyu Morota logged a career-high 33 minutes. Neko Michell, Dvorakova and Grayson Williams each earned their first collegiate starts, adding another layer of experience against a top-10 opponent. Galani anchored the back, registering four saves in goal.

Memphis leaves Columbus with a loss, but also with minutes, miles and lessons spread across a young roster.

Next up, the Tigers return home to the Track and Soccer Complex on Sunday, September 13, where Kansas City awaits under the lights at 7 p.m. How quickly this group turns tonight’s sting into a sharper edge may define what comes next in their season.