Ohio State midfielder Victor Labite (4) dribbles the ball forward on offense away from defenders. The Buckeyes beat Northern Kentucky 5-0 on Sept. 3, 2026. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Sports Photo Editor.
Four games. Four shutouts. History made.
For the first time in program history, Ohio State men’s soccer has held its first four opponents scoreless.
The Buckeyes cruised past Northern Kentucky 5-0 Thursday night, with senior forward Isaiah Chisolm scoring three goals in the victory.
However, the shutout streak wasn’t the only history made Thursday.
Chisolm’s performance marked Ohio State’s first hat trick since Danny Jensen scored three goals against Valparaiso on Sept. 21, 2016. Chisolm now has seven goals through four games, tied for the most in Division I men’s soccer this season.?
“His movement in the box, his ability to offer in the box, he’s always in the box,” head coach Brian Maisonneuve said. “Credit to him in terms of his discipline to know where he needs to be to score those goals, and he has them.”
Forward Nyle Waugh and midfielder Cole Evans also scored for the Buckeyes.?
Buckeyes senior goalkeeper Patrick McLaughlin, who is in his first year as a starter, has been in net each game for the Buckeyes.?
“I’m very grateful to be a part of this history,” McLaughlin said. “But, I mean, none of it would happen without our backline.”
Entering Thursday, Ohio State had allowed only 14 shot attempts through three games, compared to 70 shot attempts by the Buckeyes’ offense.?
That trend continued in Ohio State’s fourth straight win of the season, holding Northern Kentucky to four shot attempts. McLaughlin saved all three shots that were put on goal.
For graduate defender Elijah Bishop, communication has been key to the Buckeyes’ defensive success.
“I think first and foremost it’s the communication and the willingness,” Bishop said. “Every single person that’s come on or started for the back line, it’s just nothing but energy.”
Bishop said the defense’s communication reaches every part of the field.
“As a back line, especially centerbacks and keepers as a whole, we see the entire field,” Bishop said. “So the more that we communicate to our midfielders and our front lines, to our wingers, the easier it’s going to be for us.”
Maisonneuve said the defensive success has come from the entire team defending together.
“Our backs have been playing really well, our box defending’s been good, but from front to back, we’ve been good on the defensive side so far,” Maisonneuve said.
The win pushed Ohio State, the No. 4 ranked team in the country, to 4-0 on the season.?
Bishop said the result has given the Buckeyes confidence heading into a tougher stretch of their schedule.
“The amount of confidence that we have now going into these tougher games in the next couple weeks, it’s incredible,” Bishop said. “But it also shows that we can get the job done, and we know we can.”
Ohio State will try to keep both its unbeaten start and shutout streak alive Tuesday when it travels to Kentucky.
