Sometimes even when you play your best, the ball just doesn’t bounce your way. And the Michigan women’s soccer team felt the agony of bad fortune yesterday in possibly the most painful way to lose a soccer game.

The Wolverines fell 1-0 to No. 21 Ohio State (8-1-1 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) yesterday in Columbus — with the only tally an own goal.

In the 19th minute of the first half, Buckeyes junior midfielder Laura Steuer crossed the ball into the box. Michigan junior defender Sarah Stanczyk tried to clear the ball out but hit it wrong. The ball spun off the side of Stanczyk’s foot and beat unsuspecting redshirt freshman goalie Haley Kopmeyer.

“It was just one of those bizarre own goals that occur sometimes,” Michigan coach Greg Ryan said.

From the start, Michigan (5-6 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) was already at a loss of talent with several key contributors lost to season-ending injuries and the suspension of senior Amy Klippert. The quad-captain received her 5th yellow card of the season in the Wolverines’ previous game against Miami (Fla.), so she had to sit out yesterday’s game.

The bad luck continued when Stanczyk was injured in the first 10 minutes of the game. She continued to play and was hurt at the time of the own goal.

After the depressing own goal, and for the rest of the first half, the Wolverines offense was stagnant. Ryan said players weren’t looking to get open, weren’t trying to connect on passes and didn’t work hard enough to keep control of the ball.

“We just didn’t possess the ball well enough to create enough chances,” Ryan said. “And if you don’t keep the ball, you’re going to end up defending the whole day.”

Michigan was forced to play in its own zone all day, and it shut down an Ohio State offense that controlled possession of the ball in the first half.

The Wolverines couldn't capitalize on scoring chances at the beginning and at the end of the second half.

Ohio State outshot Michigan 13 to 1 overall, but the Buckeyes had just one shot on goal all day. The Wolverines had shut out their two previous opponents — Oakland and Miami — and Ryan thought that yesterday’s defense was sound once again.

“It’s a credit to the team that we can shut out teams like Miami and then we can shut out Ohio State,” Ryan said. “And their only goal was a flukey goal. So from a defending standpoint, I think (the game) was great.”

Even as the defense proved to be a strength again for Michigan, its offense continued to struggle. The Wolverines were shut out for the fifth time this season and now average just 1.36 goals per game.

Injuries, suspensions and inexperience have left the Wolverines without consistent offense.

“We’re never going to win a game if we can’t score a goal,” junior forward Amanda Bowery said on Sept. 16.

It may be obvious, but Michigan needs to take it to heart. And mistakes like yesterday’s own goal could end up motivating the Wolverines as they continue to wade through Big Ten conference play.