Northeastern field hockey (3-2, 0-0 CAA) fell 2-0 to the #12 Ohio State University Buckeyes (3-3, 0-0 Big 10) in the Sundae Fundae Alumni game. But an ice cream truck helped to console the watching alumni, and a local children’s field hockey team in attendance got to have posters signed by every member of the Northeastern team.

Ohio State has been a big name in college field hockey for years. One of its forwards, Makenna Webster, has the third-highest goals per game average in college field hockey this season, and the team has the tenth-highest average scoring margin. Northeastern was ranked #31 by the NCAA last year.

“Showing that we can play at that level is really exciting, especially so early on in the season,” said senior defender and midfielder Ashley Pappas. “We’ll just work on keeping that energy on for the next games.”

Sophomore forward Helen Baldy and senior forward Emilia Adragna made Northeastern’s only two shots on goal, compared to Ohio’s 10, and graduate student goalkeeper Arabella Loveridge made seven saves. 

The first quarter started with Northeastern in possession. Throughout the game, Northeastern struggled to keep the ball — the Buckeyes kept the pressure up and were fast enough to make constant interceptions. But the Huskies stayed focused and never let the Buckeyes go undefended.

For the first 10 minutes, the ball stuck to Northeastern’s side. Ohio’s first shot on goal four minutes in flew left.

To finally get the ball out of Northeastern’s half, freshman defender Lucy Walton hit a long pass down the field — long enough that it rolled out of bounds. Ohio tried to run it back to Northeastern’s goal, but senior defender Tori Postler intercepted.

Northeastern took the ball to the midline before Ohio managed to steal it back again. Freshman midfielder Hannah Simon stole it back with a quick hook from behind.

The rest of the quarter was much of the same: The ball flew between teams, but almost always on Northeastern’s half. Long passes by both teams to get the ball across the field rolled past the sidelines.

The Huskies made some impressive passes, considering the strong pressure by Buckeye attackers. Senior midfielder and defender Maya Prasad made a forceful pass between the sticks and legs of a Buckeye guarding the midfield, but that ball, too, rolled out of bounds. The Huskies could not get control of the side they were defending.

At the end of the quarter, Ohio earned five consecutive corner penalty shots. Loveridge and the defenders blocked every single one. Loveridge stopped the first ball with her foot, knocking the ball straight up into the air. Some of the Buckeyes’ corner shots strayed too far left, which was also true for non-corner shots throughout the game. In two of these corners, the Buckeyes’ passes were too slow and gave Northeastern defenders time to rush the ball before a shot.

The second quarter started with a foul on Northeastern for hacking. 

Walton again passed the ball out of Northeastern’s half and then out of bounds. When Ohio took possession, a series of strong passes brought the ball right up to the goal, and Postler blocked a shot on goal with a tackle.

Simon ran the ball back down the field surrounded by Buckeye midfielders, who forced her to pass back to Prasad. Ohio quickly stole the ball from her and sent it closer to the goal with an aerial. But when the receiving Buckeye tried to carry the ball, she received a penalty that gave it to Northeastern.

Later, Walton intercepted a long pass by Ohio. A Buckeye quickly stole it back, and when Walton and Prasad trapped her in a two-on-one to fight for the ball, the Buckeye came away victorious.

The Buckeyes intercepted multiple aerials by sophomore defender Camille Armaganian and forceful drives by Pappas and Prasad. 

With five minutes left, sophomore midfielder and forward Ava Sanchez made an unlikely interception and barreled the ball away from the sideline to cheers from the crowd.

But when Ohio regained possession, they scored the first goal of the game by drawing the goalie out to the left and hit a short, strong shot into the right side of the net.

Three minutes into the third quarter, Ohio scored its second goal, and the scoreboard stayed static for the rest of the game. This goal was also a tap coming only feet from the net. Defenders crowded in front of the scorer but failed to stop the ball.

Northeastern earned and failed its second penalty corner of the quarter. Ohio earned nine, thanks in large part to its streak in the first half, which was more corners than any other team earned against the Huskies this season.

Another of Ohio’s shots on goal went left. Northeastern took back the ball, and a defender swept it far away from the goal.

The Huskies earned a corner inserted by junior forward Julia Puccio. The shot went straight down the middle and was blocked by the Buckeye goalkeeper laying across the goal.

Ohio idled with the ball by the midline to close out the quarter.

Northeastern started with the ball in the fourth quarter, but once again Ohio quickly intercepted. Puccio pushed hard on the Buckeye in possession until she stumbled over the line, giving Northeastern the ball.

Ohio’s first shot on goal of the quarter went wide on the right. Its second was another tap near the goal that Loveridge blocked.

“She really made some amazing saves for us,” Pappas said.

Senior defender Ava Tello also made her first save of the season.

Simon received a yellow card at 53 minutes, knocking Northeastern down one player. She came back into play just in time for Prasad — who had been particularly successful in stealing and controlling the ball in this quarter — to receive a green card. With less than two minutes left in the game, she would not be able to return to the field. The Huskies received four cards, the most of any game this season.

The teams evened out once Ohio lost a forward to a green card shortly after. Northeastern kept the ball out of its goal until the timer ran out.

The Huskies will hit the road to play the University of Maine (4-3, 0-0 AEC) on Sept. 19 at 3 p.m.