No. 8 Ohio State Defeats No. 23 Memphis 3–1 in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Memphis walked into Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium with a ranking and intent. Ohio State sent them home with a lesson in ruthlessness.

The No. 8 Buckeyes stayed unbeaten with a 3–1 win over No. 23 Memphis on Sunday night, striking twice in the first half and tightening their grip with a third midway through the second. The Tigers’ late response from Mihiro Furuya gave them a flicker of hope, but not a comeback.

Ohio State moves to 4-0-1. Memphis drops to 2-3-1, still searching for a signature road result.

Buckeyes seize control early

The tone changed quickly in the opening quarter-hour.

In the 15th minute, Ohio State made its first real spell of pressure count. A corner kick wasn’t cleared, and Elle Britt pounced, turning the loose ball into the night’s first goal and a 1–0 Buckeye lead.

Memphis tried to settle, pushed forward in spurts, and found shots of their own. They would finish with 13 attempts, seven on frame, but the home side carried the sharper edge in the final third.

Just before halftime, the gap widened.

In the 41st minute, Callie Tumilty drove a cross into the box, picking out Amanda Schlueter. Schlueter stayed composed and slotted home for 2–0, giving Ohio State a cushion to take into the break and leaving the Tigers chasing.

Britt and Schlueter combine again

Any hope of a Memphis reset after halftime didn’t last.

The same pairing that tormented the Tigers in the first half linked up again in the second. In the 69th minute, Schlueter turned provider, finding Britt in space. Britt finished for her second of the match and Ohio State’s third, stretching the lead to 3–0 and putting the game firmly under Buckeye control.

Memphis goalkeeper Ava Galani, who finished with four saves, could only do so much as Ohio State piled up 19 shots, seven on target.

Furuya strikes, Tigers push late

Memphis refused to fold.

In the 79th minute, the Tigers finally carved out the moment they had been chasing. Ally Casey whipped a cross into the box, and Furuya met it, forcing the ball over the line for 3–1. It was Furuya’s first goal of the season and the third of her career, a bright personal milestone in a difficult night.

The goal sparked a late surge. Memphis threw numbers forward in the final 10 minutes, testing Ohio State again and again. They forced Buckeye goalkeeper Peighton Northrup into six saves overall, with freshman forward Abby Forsgren particularly active. Forsgren led the Tigers with three shots, all on target, and has now produced nine shots and seven on goal across her last three matches.

The breakthrough never came. The Buckeyes absorbed the pressure, saw out the final minutes, and protected their unbeaten record.

Workload and firsts for young Tigers

For Memphis, the night also carried significance in minutes and milestones.

Seven Tigers went the full 90: Ava Galani, Ava Gaida, Yuna Nagata, Evelyn Mackay, Casey, Natalie Dvorakova and Maira Boosman. For Dvorakova and Boosman, it marked the first time in their collegiate careers they have played every minute.

Freshman Miyu Morota logged a career-high 33 minutes, adding to a growing role. Neko Michell, Dvorakova and Grayson Williams each earned the first starts of their college careers, a clear sign that Memphis is leaning on youth as the season builds.

On the stat sheet, the Tigers matched Ohio State in shots on goal (seven apiece) despite the defeat, a reminder that chances were there even as the Buckeyes dictated the scoreline.

Home test up next

Memphis now heads back to the Track and Soccer Complex, where the next chance to reset comes quickly. The Tigers return home on Sunday, Sept. 13, to face Kansas City at 7 p.m.

The question is simple: does this night in Columbus harden them for what’s coming, or linger longer than it should?