Gophers Upset #8 Ohio State 3-2

Khyah Harper is HER

For the first time since 2015, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers soccer team knocked off a top-10 ranked team as the Gophers upset #8 Ohio State 3-2 Thursday night in Columbus. Khyah Harper scored the first two goals and now has 15 on the season to lead the nation in scoring.

Harper kicked off the scoring in the 18th minute when she took a pass from Evelyn Calhoon and sprinted past the Buckeye defenders down the right side of the field. Her shot was a low rocket that hit the far post and bounced in giving the Gophers an early 1-0 lead.

Harper would make it 2-0 in the 38th minute when she took a feed from the midfield. Harper beat the Buckeyes defenders again, and her first shot was stopped by Ohio State goalkeeper Molly Pritchard. But Harper corralled the rebound and ripped it into the back of the net to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead they would take to halftime.

Minnesota made it 3-0 in the 57th minute when Paige Kalal sent a perfect cross through the box and found Kate Childers who knocked it in off her left foot.

Ohio State woke up and decided to put on the pressure. The Buckeyes got one back four minutes later on a goal off a deflection off of a Minnesota defender. Four minutes later they struck again to cut the lead to 3-2 with 26 minutes left to play—an eternity in soccer. But the Gophers would hang on Sarah Martin made four saves to help the Gophers pick up the massive win.

Minnesota now move to 9th place in the Big Ten standings with 11 points. But their trek does not get any easier as they now head further east to take on #20 Penn State on Sunday at 1 PM.