Coming off a win against city rival Duquesne, the Pitt women’s soccer team suffered a 2-0 loss against no. 23 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday evening.   

This game was one of three that Pitt will play within the next five days. Not only is this a quick turnaround for the players, but this game was special for another reason: It was a homecoming for head coach Greg Miller, who previously coached the Buckeyes squad for 11 seasons.

“Having recruited and coached a lot of those kids, I knew it would be a good contest for us,” Miller said. 

And a good contest it was. Knowing the Buckeyes’ skill level, the Panthers were not surprised by the challenging team they faced during the game.

Ohio State’s tenacious offense came out strong, immediately challenging the Pitt defense. The Buckeyes dominated the first half, totaling nine corners and eight shots. However, Pitt junior goalie Nicole D’Agostino remained cool under pressure, only allowing one shot to slip by and recording two saves in the first half.

D’Agostino made a total of three saves in the match.

Ohio State first took the lead in the 35th minute of play when Alexis Degler headed the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead that extended into the second half. 

Pitt freshman forward Ella Vanhanen tried to tie the game in the 53rd minute with a shot on goal, but saw no success. 

The Ohio State defense stayed tight and strong, only allowing Pitt one shot on goal throughout the whole game.

In the second half, Ohio State extended its lead with a goal by senior midfielder Danica Wu, topping Pitt 2-0 in the 59th minute. This goal would seal the win for OSU. 

The Panthers did not want to give up without a fight, however. Pitt channeled its remaining energy to attempt a comeback, as three different players managed to take shots. Unfortunately, all three fell short.

Ohio State did not make a comeback easily attainable for the Panthers. The Buckeyes played a rough game, tallying a total of 12 fouls twice the number of fouls committed by Pitt.

With this game behind them, there is only one thing the Panthers can do: prepare for the next opponent. 

“Our first home game is against Bucknell on Friday, another quick turnaround. We’re just going to get ready for them,” Miller said. 

Pitt’s record is now 1-1 and they open their home schedule against Bucknell this Friday at Ambrose Urbanic Field at 5 p.m.