Ohio State Dominates Memphis 3-1 in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Memphis walked into Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on Sunday night with a ranking, belief, and a point to prove. Ohio State sent them home with a 3-1 defeat and a clear reminder of what a top-10 side looks like in full flow.
The Buckeyes, now 4-0-1, struck early, struck before halftime, and then struck again just as Memphis began to chase the game. The Tigers, 2-3-1 on the year, finally found a response through Mihiro Furuya, but the gap was already too wide.
Buckeyes seize control early
The tone changed in the 15th minute. Off a corner, the ball fell to Elle Britt, and she punished Memphis with a clean finish to give Ohio State a 1-0 lead. One lapse. One set piece. One goal down.
Memphis tried to settle and play their way back, but the Buckeyes kept asking questions. Pressure mounted, and just when the Tigers needed to get into the break at 1-0, Ohio State struck again.
In the 41st minute, Callie Tumilty whipped a cross into the box and found Amanda Schlueter. The finish was composed, the timing brutal. Suddenly it was 2-0, and Memphis headed to the locker room with a mountain to climb.
Schlueter and Britt combine again
Any hope of a second-half surge took a major hit just past the hour.
In the 69th minute, the same names that tormented Memphis before the break linked up again. Schlueter turned provider this time, sliding a ball to Britt, who tucked away her second of the night. Ohio State’s lead stretched to 3-0, and the scoreline finally matched the pressure they had been applying.
The Buckeyes finished with 19 shots, seven on target, constantly forcing Memphis to defend deep and scramble in their own box.
Furuya strikes, Tigers push late
Memphis refused to fold.
In the 79th minute, Ally Casey drove a cross into the area, and Furuya met it, forcing the ball over the line for her first goal of the season and the third of her career. It cut the deficit to 3-1 and gave the Tigers a late spark.
From there, Memphis pushed. They threw bodies forward, chased second balls, and tried to turn territory into tension for the Buckeyes back line. But the final pass and final touch never quite matched the intent. The clock ran out before the comeback could gather real momentum.
The Tigers finished with 13 shots, seven on goal, forcing Ohio State goalkeeper Peighton Northrup into six saves. At the other end, Memphis keeper Ava Galani made four saves as the Buckeyes kept the pressure on.
Young Tigers log big minutes
There were important individual notes amid the defeat.
Furuya’s goal capped a busy 31-minute shift, where she recorded two shots and finally got her season off the mark. Casey’s assist was her first of the year and the second of her career.
Freshman Abby Forsgren continued to be a bright spot in attack. She led Memphis with three shots, putting all three on frame, and now has nine shots and seven shots on goal over her last three matches.
Seven Tigers — Ava Galani, Ava Gaida, Yuna Nagata, Evelyn Mackay, Ally Casey, Natalie Dvorakova and Maira Boosman — went the full 90 minutes. For Dvorakova and Boosman, it was the first time in their collegiate careers they have stayed on the pitch from whistle to whistle.
Freshman Miyu Morota logged a career-high 33 minutes, while Neko Michell, Dvorakova and Grayson Williams each earned their first collegiate starts, another sign of how much youth is being trusted in this Memphis side.
What’s next
Memphis drops to 2-3-1 but returns home next Sunday, September 13, to face Kansas City at the Track and Soccer Complex, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
A ranked team tested on the road by a top-10 powerhouse. Young players pushed into major roles. A late goal that refused to let the scoreline flatter the hosts. The question now is simple: how quickly can these Tigers turn lessons from Columbus into results back in Memphis?
