With an automatic NCAA tournament berth on the line, Illinois soccer’s magical run through the Big Ten Tournament ended Sunday in the championship game. And now the team must wait to learn its fate.

No. 5-seeded Illinois squared off against No. 2-seeded Ohio State with the hopes of pulling off its fourth upset in as many games and defending last season’s Big Ten title. The Lady Buckeyes, however, had other plans and took the 2-1 victory in Bloomington, Ind.

After a scoreless first half that featured chances for both squads, Ohio State broke into the goal column in the 64th minute. Senior forward Tiffany Cameron was able to knock the ball in after she gained possession after a headed pass off a corner kick. Four minutes later, Cameron put another one in the net from the top of the 18-yard box.

“She was quick, she did a lot of runs over the top,” junior defender Kassidy Brown said of Cameron. “Defending her throughout the game, she was just quick and made pretty threatening runs. It was sometimes difficult to track her, but I thought, otherwise, we did a pretty good job containing her.”

Ohio State had the edge in total shots and corner kicks, putting Illinois on the defensive for much of the second half. Brown said some of the Illini’s clears were not good enough, which led to Buckeyes attackers turning it around on them and taking advantage of the turnovers.

“I think that was our biggest fault,” Brown said.

In the 81st minute, the Illini offense came alive, as junior midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo was able to find junior midfielder Allie Osoba with a cross. Osoba headed the ball into the back of the net, giving the Illini hope with just nine minutes remaining. That hope diminished, though, despite the offense’s fast-paced play to record the equalizer.

“I thought our possession was good at times, but we didn’t have the urgency going to goal until the very end,” head coach Janet Rayfield said.

Despite the loss, the Illini hope they get an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. Illinois’ win in Friday’s semifinal against No. 1-seeded Penn State will certainly help its cause. The Illini defeated the Nittany Lions 1-0 to avenge a 4-0 loss earlier this season.

“We’re pretty confident, especially after the Penn State game,” Brown said about how the team feels about its NCAA tournament chances. “We shouldn’t have to worry about Monday’s selection show, but always still you want to be careful. Once we get our name on the board, it’ll be really exciting.”

Friday’s win was the first time the Illini defeated a top-three team in school history, and it was also the second straight season they eliminated the Nittany Lions from the Big Ten Tournament.

“We played with a lot of heart (against Penn State). I think going into that game, we were all thinking that we were almost younger than them in the sense that Penn State was ranked so high,” Brown said. “It was kind of like we have nothing left to lose so we just all fought for each other for a big win.”

Monday afternoon’s selection show will determine whether the Illini’s recent hot streak was enough to drown out their midseason slump.

“I am so proud of the heart and spirit this team showed all throughout the tournament, and that is not about the Xs and Os, it’s about what you’ve developed inside,” Rayfield said. “We will take that forward into the future and see what Monday brings.”

Charlie can be reached at [email protected].