Women’s Soccer: Buckeyes trounce Milwaukee thanks to hat trick from Dudukovich

Three goals, 30 minutes and Kailyn Dudukovich.

Dudukovich — the senior forward — recorded a hat trick in the women’s soccer team’s second regular season game, propelling Ohio State (2-0-0) past Milwaukee (0-2-0) 4-0 Thursday night at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Dudukovich paved the way for the Buckeye offensive attack with a trio of goals, while sophomore forward/midfielder Amanda Schlueter put the cherry on top with a late-game score.

“Starting out with a top-24 game was new, but I think it really made us rise to the occasion and show more potential,” Dudukovich said. “We kind of created a new expectation for ourselves with that game and I think that set the tone for this one going in — that we’re here to dominate and we’re here to show who we are”

Dudukovich set the tone early, scoring in the sixth minute on a pass from Schlueter to give the Buckeyes an early lead over the Panthers.

Dudukovich ripped another shot in the 15th minute that was saved by Milwaukee senior keeper Parker Donahugh. The Panthers had two corners in the 16th minute, the second one being cleared by sophomore defender/midfielder Ava Bramblett.

In the 21st minute, Buckeye junior keeper Molly Pritchard got a stop off a free kick after a foul by Ohio State junior midfielder Ella Giannola.

Dudukovich netted her second goal in the 23rd minute off an assist from Bramblett.

Giannola kept the pressure on, getting off shots in the 26th and 28th minutes, the second of which was saved by Donahugh.

Minutes later, Dudukovich broke through once again, scoring her third goal and securing the hat trick in the 30th minute off an assist by freshman forward Jadin Bonham.

“Kailyn getting herself on the ball in some great spots, she had a tremendous game,” Ohio State head coach Lori Walker-Hock said. “The thing we are all most impressed with is her defensive work and her willingness to get back. It was a great effort and great work from her.”

The Buckeyes held strong defensively in the first half,  keeping the Panthers off the scoreboard and limiting them to just one shot and no shots on goal in the first half.

Senior keeper Arden La-Rose, was subbed in for Pritchard in the 74th minute, making her Ohio State debut after transferring from the University of Central Florida. She proved stout in her first appearance for the Buckeyes, holding the Panthers to a joint shutout with Pritchard.

The second half was rather uneventful, with the Buckeyes holding the Panthers to just two shots on goal. Schlueter put the nail in the coffin in the 86th minute, scoring off an assist by Bonham to put Ohio State up 4-0 against Milwaukee.

The Buckeyes would finish the game with 11 shots on goal while holding the Panthers to just two.

In the contest, Dudukovich would earn the second hat trick of her career and the 20th in program history. Her three goals moved to 67 career points, tied for 10th in program history.

“The game plan was just to come out and show who we are,” Dudukovich said  “We’ve been practicing really hard so just trusting what we have been working on, which is making clean passes, getting into the open space,”

The Buckeyes’ next game is Sunday against the Ashland University Eagles at 6 p.m.