Valparaiso registered its first result of the 2003 season on Friday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, as the Crusaders battled to a 0-0 double-overtime tie with Ohio State.

Ohio State had one of the first chances of the match in the 20th minute, but Matt McCune's shot from 35 yards out sailed over the crossbar. Valpo its first opportunity of the contest 23 minutes in when Adam Newell (Indianapolis, Ind./Center Grove H.S.) received a feed from Owen Hoyt (Spring Grove, Ill./Prairie Ridge H.S.) at the top of the box, but was unable to get a shot off.

Nate Hyde (South Bend, Ind./Clay H.S.) gave the Crusaders a late opportunity, but his shot in the final minute of the half sailed high and wide of the goal as both teams went into the locker room scoreless.

The Buckeyes managed five shots in the opening stanza, while Valpo tallied just three. Neither team had a shot on net. Ohio State had five corner kicks, while Valpo did not have any.

Less than two minutes into the second half, Ohio State had a chance as Taylor Korpieski was all alone inside the box but fired the shot wide right. Mark McKeever went in on Jeff Oleck (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral H.S.) on a breakaway, but the sophomore keeper was up to the challenge and held on to the save to avoid the rebound.

Valpo had an opportunity midway through the second half as Mark Korba (Portage, Ind./Portage H.S.) took a free kick from 20 yards out following a Buckeye yellow card, but the Crusaders were unable to convert.

Ohio State had another opportunity with 20 minutes remaining but Sammy Tamporello's shot from the top of the box just missed high over the crossbar.

Hoyt had another outstanding scoring opportunity with just over 15 minutes remaining, taking a Korba cross and heading the ball just wide of the mark. Oleck again came up big in the 84th minute, making a leaping save of a Dan Morton opportunity.

Ohio State again had a flurry of opportunities in the 86th minute, with three straight corner kicks, the third just sailing wide of the far post.

Oliver Sanders (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Notre Dame H.S.) had a brief look at an open net in the 89th minute for the brown and Gold after Buckeye keeper Chad Brown punched out a long opportunity, but the shot went wide among heavy defensive pressure, sending the match to overtime.

Valpo won its first corner kick of the match three minutes into overtime, but the heading attempt went high. Derek Mackenzie of Ohio State had an opportunity in the 97th minute from 15 yards out, but his low shot went wide left.

Nathan Balfanz (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria H.S.) took a free kick 20 yards out for the Crusaders after Michael McCarthy was issued a red card at the 98:08 mark, but the Ohio State wall blocked the shot away.

Playing a man down, the Buckeyes still drew the only real opportunity of the second overtime, but Tamporello's shot from ten yards out went high.

For the match, Valpo (0-4-1) registered just five shots, while Ohio State (1-5-1) tallied 16 attempts. Oleck made three saves for the Crusaders, while Brown did not have to make a stop. The Buckeyes had 11 corner kicks, compared with just one for Valpo.

Valpo is now 4-3-1 in its last eight matches against the Big Ten.

The Crusaders will return to action on Sunday afternoon when the Muskateers of Xavier (Ohio) visit Eastgate Field for a 1 p.m. match.