'This is why you come to Ohio State': Ohio State men's soccer prepares for NCAA Tournament

Laurence Wootton knew what he wanted in a collegiate soccer program.

He played for three years at Cardiff City Academy in Wales before getting cut, so Wootton had a taste of professional soccer. He knew what successful soccer looked like.

However, when he joined Ohio State, the program hadn't been successful in a while, last posting a winning record in 2015. What OSU coach Brian Maisonneuve sold Wootton on was not where Ohio State was at the time, but what it could be with him on the roster.

“I think winning something in a program that’s won for years, it’s not easy, but it’s been done before,” Wootton said. “But really trying your hand at something that maybe might take a bit of work and a bit of determination, I think I’d feel the benefits of if we could do it a lot more.”

Over the course of Wootton’s three seasons, Ohio State has grown into that contender. This year, the Buckeyes recorded their first winning season and NCAA Tournament bid in seven years, posting a 10-3-5 record with one-goal losses to Maryland, Wisconsin and Rutgers.

And while the Buckeyes are heading into uncharted territory against Wake Forest on Thursday, Maisonneuve, Wootton and the rest of the program feel this is just the beginning of a new standard at Ohio State.

Brian Maisonneuve sees Ohio State men's soccer match standard

It was a standard Maisonneuve had in mind when he first took Ohio State’s job in 2018. But it took much longer to cultivate than expected.

The former associate head coach at Indiana and Columbus Crew player was not hired until May 2018, leaving him unable to train with the Buckeyes over the summer and “no familiarity” with his new program, leading to a 1-15-2 campaign to start his tenure.

Losing another two springs in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 — playing a normal fall season in the spring of 2021 — wrecked development for Maisonneuve, who was still establishing the way he wanted the Buckeyes to play and the culture of the locker room.

While 2021’s fall season ended as the program’s fourth straight losing season, it’s when Maisonneuve began to see the tide turning.

“They knew what the standard was, what we were trying to build,” he said.

From the spring to the start of the preseason ahead of the 2022 campaign, Maisonneuve sensed something different. He saw the “little nuances” of a winning team − players figuring things out more quickly, developing a shape of a team that moves and plays together, finding ways to win games.

Ohio State felt momentum, something Maisonneuve’s been trying to establish since he first arrived. In 2022, it was all coming together.

“It’s like we’re all pulling in the same direction,” Wootton said. “It makes it really easy to come in on a day-to-day basis and just do well and enjoy what we’re doing.”

Momentum was on Ohio State men's soccer's side in 2022

Ohio State could see it from the start of the 2022 season.

Beginning with a 1-1 tie against South Carolina Aug. 25, the Buckeyes won or tied each of their first eight games. The first loss came Sept. 25 against Maryland.

But losses were few and far between, with the Buckeyes losing after that only to Wisconsin and then to Rutgers in the Big Ten tournament semifinal — each of three defeats decided by one goal.

Wootton led the way, recording a team-high five goals and tying the team lead with 12 points along with senior midfielder Xavier Green, while also being one of the “hardest workers” on defense, according to Maisonneuve.

But as one of the team’s captains, Wootton has helped set the team’s identity throughout his junior season, setting an even-keeled tone through the highs and the lows. For Wootton, his approach as a self-described “frontman” of the Buckeyes was easy with the rest of the roster on the same page.

“It’s like you’re playing with your mates almost,” Wootton said. “You like to do everything with your mates. If we’re playing the nice stuff and we’re having a great time, the tempo’s high and we’re playing really well, it’s great. But then, rolling your sleeves up and getting stuck in with your buddies as well, it’s just as enjoyable.

“It’s like you and your best friends are going into a battle, and we’ve relished it.”

'Knockout football is a real exciting thing to play'

Maisonneuve knows what it feels like to lead a team in the NCAA Tournament, having helped Indiana to eight tournament appearances, four Sweet 16 appearances and a national championship in 2012.

“You really have to enjoy the gift that the tournament is,” Maisonneuve said. “It’s lose or go home. It’s win and advance. This is why you come to Ohio State is to play in the tournament.”

Even though it was a step Ohio State hadn’t made in years, Maisonneuve said it was something the Buckeyes were preparing for all year, and that heading into the tournament, “the sky’s the limit.”

Wootton may not know what it feels like to play in the NCAA Tournament. But he has an idea of what to expect.

“These are the top teams in the country, so no matter who you play, it’s going to be a battle,” Wootton said. “Knockout football is a real exciting thing to play.”

It’s something Ohio State has been building toward, the junior midfielder said, something that the Buckeyes are right on the edge of.

While the focus remains on the tournament ahead, Maisonneuve knows the standard will shift once Ohio State takes the field against Wake Forest on Thursday.

“For national contenders and for the best programs in the country, they keep growing, and that’s something that we've got to continue to do, too,” Maisonneuve said. “Every year, you've got to fight for it. You've got to battle it. If you ever say ‘We’ve arrived,’ that’s when you plummet.”

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State men's soccer prepares for NCAA Tournament