Ohio State Soccer Player Inadvertently Shot During Car Chase Hours After NCAA Tournament Win

The Ohio State men’s soccer team went from celebrating the punching of its ticket into the NCAA Tournament semifinals to shock and worry after a Buckeyes’ defender was accidentally shot in an off-campus shooting over the weekend.

Nathan Demian, a redshirt junior from Canada, was wounded in a shooting that took place around 2 AM on Sunday. According to Columbus, OH police, two vehicles were chasing each other and firing guns when a bullet struck Demian. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, and fortunately is expected to survive, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

The school released a statement about Demian explaining that he was in the wrong place and the wrong time as an “innocent bystander.” No suspects were immediately identified, nor is Demian a suspect in any way.

“The soccer program is thankful for the incredible university support and medical care available to Nathan and his family during this difficult time,” the school said in a statement. “Nathan’s family is with him and the team is extremely close. The family has asked that everyone keep Nathan in their prayers. The department will do all it can to support Nathan, his family and the men’s soccer program in every way possible.”

Ohio State defender Nathan Demian (3) takes the field before the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal match against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. (Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The shooting took place mere hours after Ohio State earned a spot in the national semifinals by defeating Wake Forest in the Elite Eight.

Demian will be sidelined for the NCAA College Cup semifinals when the Buckeyes take on Marshall.

“We’re going to miss him on the field. But he’s such a huge personality,” Ohio State head coach Brian Maisonneuve told reporters Monday. “He really gets everybody going in practice and in games. He has got a great voice. He’s a character in the best way possible. And, like I said, his play speaks for itself.

After missing his entire junior season due to injury, Demian has appeared in 14 games for Ohio State this season and logged one assist.