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LGHL No. 2 Ohio State women remain unbeaten with 84-54 win over Northwestern
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No. 2 Ohio State women remain unbeaten with 84-54 win over Northwestern
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State University athletic department
The Buckeyes returned to Columbus for their first of two-straight home games.
Ohio State women’s basketball returned home Thursday for a stretch of three home games in their next four contests. It began with the second meeting of the season with the Northwestern Wildcats.
In the first game, the Buckeyes started somewhat slow but pulled away for an 81-48 victory. Thursday, the Buckeyes repeated their performance, keeping Northwestern winless in conference play with a 84-54 victory.
Northwestern’s known for a vigorous “blizzard” zone defense, and early on it was forcing the Buckeyes to shoot from deep. Fortunately for Ohio State, it was working in their favor. Forward Rebeka Mikulášiková picked up where she left off from Saturday’s win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, hitting her first two attempts from beyond the arc.
Following Mikulášiková was the guard pairing of Rikki Harris and Taylor Mikesell. Harris hit a three-pointer followed by two from Mikesell, plus a layup of her own. Mikesell led Ohio State with eight points in the quarter.
Defensively, the Buckeyes were strong. The Wildcats had difficulties all quarter hitting shots, making only 28.6% of their 14 shots attempted.
While the Scarlet & Gray had trouble attacking inside the arc, 5-for-10 shooting from three-point range gave the home team a 19-9 lead to end the first quarter.
Even though it was a game that saw the top team in the conference go up against the bottom team, Buckeyes head coach Kevin McGuff wanted the Scarlet & Gray performing at their best. Early in the second quarter, as Northwestern forward Caileigh Walsh hit a spin move and a layup, McGuff screamed, “wake up!” to his side.
It wasn’t that Ohio State was playing particularly poor defensively, but the Buckeyes were missing shots on offense and putting the Wildcats on the free throw line. The Buckeyes cleaned up their fouling as the second quarter went on, but neither side could find the momentum to go on a run.
Part of the reason was the carousel of players for Ohio State. Coach McGuff rotated guards Hevynne Bristow, Emma Shumate and forward Eboni Walker frequently in the first half, with Walker earning seven first half minutes compared to five total Saturday against the Cornhuskers.
Also, the three-point shooting diminished in the second quarter. The Buckeyes went 1-for-7 from range, but Northwestern still had trouble breaking through the Scarlet & Gray defense. Ohio State extended their lead to 14 points before halftime, heading into the break up 38-24.
Coming out of the locker room for the second half was a familiar story for the Buckeyes. Ohio State came out on fire, scoring eight of the first 10 points of the period. Leading the way early in the third quarter was Cotie McMahon. The forward scored six points, four coming off steals by guards Thierry and Harris, pushing the home team’s lead up to 20 points.
The Buckeyes would stretch that lead to 26 by the end of the quarter. Both McMahon and Mikulášiková were strong in the paint in the third period, scoring a combined seven points from the free throw line, and 15 of the Buckeyes’s 27 points in the quarter.
Northwestern couldn’t seem to find a way to get back into the game, making an already difficult year for the 2020 regular season conference champions even worse. Ohio State outscored the visitors 13-5 in the second half of the third quarter, needing to hold the lead for only 10 more minutes to reach 19-0.
Coach McGuff kept his starters out for start of the fourth quarter, minus McMahon who didn’t return after being substituted in the third quarter. The Wildcats scored six of the first eight, but their comeback attempt was short-lived.
Ohio State hit the gas and pulled away further from Northwestern, earning the 84-54 win. With the victory, the Buckeyes are one win away from matching their program record winning streak. The 20-game win streak has been achieved twice, in the 1984-85 and 2005-06 seasons.
Thursday was a second-straight standout performance for the Slovakian forward — on International Night of all games. Mikulášiková started the night shooting from deep, but again found her stride throughout the offensive half of the court.
After a 25-point performance against Nebraska, Mikulášiková had 18 points against Northwestern and seven rebounds. Back to consecutive double-digit scoring performances for the first time since the end of November, the forward’s found her form just as Ohio State welcomes a top-10 team in the Hawkeyes, Monday.
Last season, Mikulášiková scored 17 points against Iowa, going 5-for-6 from the three-point line. A performance Ohio State might need again to compete with Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes.
The word’s getting out in the Big Ten that McMahon is going to attack the basket. After Saturday’s game in Lincoln, Nebraska where the forward had to sit due to turning an ankle, plus a hard fall on her arm in the fourth, Northwestern was physical with the freshman.
McMahon took the first eight free throws for the Buckeyes. It took three minutes into the third quarter for another player to get to the free throw line. That’s because McMahon was using the speed and power she’s exhibited in her first year to get to the charity stripe.
The No. 2 Buckeyes are off until Monday, but they return for a huge contest. Ohio State welcomes the No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes to Columbus for their lone regular season meeting of the year.
Last season, the two teams combined for 180 points in a 92-88 Ohio State win. It’s also a rematch of the two teams who shared last season's Big Ten regular season championship — a battle of co-champions.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State University athletic department
The Buckeyes returned to Columbus for their first of two-straight home games.
Ohio State women’s basketball returned home Thursday for a stretch of three home games in their next four contests. It began with the second meeting of the season with the Northwestern Wildcats.
In the first game, the Buckeyes started somewhat slow but pulled away for an 81-48 victory. Thursday, the Buckeyes repeated their performance, keeping Northwestern winless in conference play with a 84-54 victory.
Northwestern’s known for a vigorous “blizzard” zone defense, and early on it was forcing the Buckeyes to shoot from deep. Fortunately for Ohio State, it was working in their favor. Forward Rebeka Mikulášiková picked up where she left off from Saturday’s win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, hitting her first two attempts from beyond the arc.
Following Mikulášiková was the guard pairing of Rikki Harris and Taylor Mikesell. Harris hit a three-pointer followed by two from Mikesell, plus a layup of her own. Mikesell led Ohio State with eight points in the quarter.
Defensively, the Buckeyes were strong. The Wildcats had difficulties all quarter hitting shots, making only 28.6% of their 14 shots attempted.
While the Scarlet & Gray had trouble attacking inside the arc, 5-for-10 shooting from three-point range gave the home team a 19-9 lead to end the first quarter.
Even though it was a game that saw the top team in the conference go up against the bottom team, Buckeyes head coach Kevin McGuff wanted the Scarlet & Gray performing at their best. Early in the second quarter, as Northwestern forward Caileigh Walsh hit a spin move and a layup, McGuff screamed, “wake up!” to his side.
It wasn’t that Ohio State was playing particularly poor defensively, but the Buckeyes were missing shots on offense and putting the Wildcats on the free throw line. The Buckeyes cleaned up their fouling as the second quarter went on, but neither side could find the momentum to go on a run.
Part of the reason was the carousel of players for Ohio State. Coach McGuff rotated guards Hevynne Bristow, Emma Shumate and forward Eboni Walker frequently in the first half, with Walker earning seven first half minutes compared to five total Saturday against the Cornhuskers.
Also, the three-point shooting diminished in the second quarter. The Buckeyes went 1-for-7 from range, but Northwestern still had trouble breaking through the Scarlet & Gray defense. Ohio State extended their lead to 14 points before halftime, heading into the break up 38-24.
Coming out of the locker room for the second half was a familiar story for the Buckeyes. Ohio State came out on fire, scoring eight of the first 10 points of the period. Leading the way early in the third quarter was Cotie McMahon. The forward scored six points, four coming off steals by guards Thierry and Harris, pushing the home team’s lead up to 20 points.
The Buckeyes would stretch that lead to 26 by the end of the quarter. Both McMahon and Mikulášiková were strong in the paint in the third period, scoring a combined seven points from the free throw line, and 15 of the Buckeyes’s 27 points in the quarter.
Northwestern couldn’t seem to find a way to get back into the game, making an already difficult year for the 2020 regular season conference champions even worse. Ohio State outscored the visitors 13-5 in the second half of the third quarter, needing to hold the lead for only 10 more minutes to reach 19-0.
Coach McGuff kept his starters out for start of the fourth quarter, minus McMahon who didn’t return after being substituted in the third quarter. The Wildcats scored six of the first eight, but their comeback attempt was short-lived.
Ohio State hit the gas and pulled away further from Northwestern, earning the 84-54 win. With the victory, the Buckeyes are one win away from matching their program record winning streak. The 20-game win streak has been achieved twice, in the 1984-85 and 2005-06 seasons.
Mikulášiková Heating Up at the Right Time
Thursday was a second-straight standout performance for the Slovakian forward — on International Night of all games. Mikulášiková started the night shooting from deep, but again found her stride throughout the offensive half of the court.
After a 25-point performance against Nebraska, Mikulášiková had 18 points against Northwestern and seven rebounds. Back to consecutive double-digit scoring performances for the first time since the end of November, the forward’s found her form just as Ohio State welcomes a top-10 team in the Hawkeyes, Monday.
Last season, Mikulášiková scored 17 points against Iowa, going 5-for-6 from the three-point line. A performance Ohio State might need again to compete with Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes.
Physical Game for McMahon
The word’s getting out in the Big Ten that McMahon is going to attack the basket. After Saturday’s game in Lincoln, Nebraska where the forward had to sit due to turning an ankle, plus a hard fall on her arm in the fourth, Northwestern was physical with the freshman.
McMahon took the first eight free throws for the Buckeyes. It took three minutes into the third quarter for another player to get to the free throw line. That’s because McMahon was using the speed and power she’s exhibited in her first year to get to the charity stripe.
What’s Next
The No. 2 Buckeyes are off until Monday, but they return for a huge contest. Ohio State welcomes the No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes to Columbus for their lone regular season meeting of the year.
Last season, the two teams combined for 180 points in a 92-88 Ohio State win. It’s also a rematch of the two teams who shared last season's Big Ten regular season championship — a battle of co-champions.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State women’s basketball’s Taylor Thierry, from freshman to foundational
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Ohio State women’s basketball’s Taylor Thierry, from freshman to foundational
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
After playing a bench role in 2021-22, the sophomore has cemented her place as a pivotal piece of the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes.
Before the start of the 22/23 season, the Ohio State women’s basketball team featured a roster full of returning veterans, and a lot of questions. So it goes in college basketball, players from multiple positions either finished their NCAA eligibility or transferred to other programs. That left a void to fill, and sophomore Taylor Thierry has filled it and then some.
Last season, the Buckeyes started all upperclassmen in their Big Ten regular season co-championship year. When forwards Braxtin Miller and sixth player Tanaya Beacham each ended their college careers, a starting spot opened, and head coach Kevin McGuff had a decision to make.
In October, Land-Grant Holy Land incorrectly predicted the names of the starting five, thinking that it’d look like last season’s three guards, two forwards set. Thierry was part of that starting five, reluctantly.
After all, the Shaker Heights, Ohio native was the seventh/eighth player on the roster and didn’t make a noticeable impact until the calendar flipped to 2022. Defensively, the freshman was great. Thierry grabbed steals, made game-altering blocks, and provided a needed boost of energy at moments of the game when play fell flat.
This season, Thierry’s still doing that but in a starting role. It’s not only boosts of energy or the occasional block anymore. Thierry’s playing consistently on both ends of the floor.
Thierry’s offense wasn’t part of her freshman season. The Division II First Team recruit from Northeast Ohio possesses the ability to get to the basket, and leaping ability to reach heights players taller than her still can’t reach but seemed to keep them under wraps last year.
The forward’s quiet demeanor off the court crept onto it as Thierry made the transition to a faster-paced, more physical, NCAA game. That’s gone now.
This season, Thierry averages 12.6 points per game, shooting up from last year’s 2.9 points per game average. Also, the efficiency with which Thierry scores those baskets is unmatched on the Buckeyes’ roster, and almost anywhere else in the entire country.
Across all of Division I NCAA basketball, Thierry is third in the country, scoring baskets at a 68.12% clip. That’s just below fellow Big Ten senior forward/center Mackenzie Holmes who, if not for the Iowa Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark, would be a frontrunner for conference player of the year.
“One of the things, and it’s kind of simple, is that she rarely takes a bad shot,” said McGuff. “She doesn’t force anything. She takes what comes to her and what the defensive gives her. Sometimes people get a little anxious out there, but she doesn’t do that.”
Take Saturday’s game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers for example. Thierry went 6-for-6 from the floor, mostly exploiting single coverage to attack the paint. It’s the third time Thierry’s been perfect from the field this season too. Something the freshman Thierry would’ve dished to a teammate.
That improvement’s intentional. Thierry is a coach’s dream. Someone who takes practice as seriously as the games themselves. When asked what she’d like to improve upon for the remainder of the season, it went further than practice.
“Continuing to put in the work outside of practice, shooting a lot,” said Thierry. “Just working on good skills in practice so when it comes game time, I’m ready.”
Thierry’s been ready, and she’s doing it alongside someone playing a similar role to herself: Freshman Cotie McMahon.
Looking at the Scarlet and Gray’s starting five against then No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers to tip off the season, seeing both Thierry and McMahon was a surprise. Ohio State of course won that game and every subsequent contest, and the two have started every game together.
Away from the court, they couldn’t be more different in terms of personalities. Thierry is quieter and McMahon shares what she’s thinking and has an endless supply of confidence. Even so, the two are propelling each other, and building trust.
“It’s always me and TT, no matter what, we’re always behind each other,” said McMahon. “That’s helped motivate each other a lot because we’re both very honest with each other and we both know what we’re capable of doing.”
The two forwards average a combined 24.9 points per game and 10.7 rebounds. Each of the Ohioans has also led a game in scoring for the Buckeyes, a stat that only three Ohio State players could claim in last season’s guard-heavy Taylor Mikesell and Jacy Sheldon scoring offense.
While Thierry isn’t competing with the Mikesells and McMahons of the world to be a leading scorer, Thierry’s role is laying a foundation for the rest of the team.
Thierry leads Ohio State in rebounds, and it isn’t close. Her 119 total rebounds are 23 more than the next player on the team and nobody is touching Thierry’s 52 offensive rebounds. What’s also nice about her rebounding ability is that the forward grabs them whether the Scarlet and Gray are up or down.
Against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, as Ohio State was cutting away at a deficit, Thierry grabbed eight second-half rebounds to keep the ball with the Buckeyes. That sentence works for most of the Buckeyes’ comebacks too, just switch out the team and number of rebounds.
Also, with Sheldon out, recovering from a foot injury, Theirry’s picked up the load to force more turnovers, leading the team with 39 steals. She does it through scrumming with opponents for the ball or using that same jumping on layups to pick passes out of the air like a cornerback in football.
Her game is consistent too.
It’s natural for players to have on and off nights, but no matter what, Thierry is performing in one or multiple areas game in and game out. Which has a lasting impact not only on the game but her teammates.
“It takes a lot of pressure because we know we can always count on her,” said McMahon. “There’s not a game where she’s not scoring then definitely, she’s killing on the boards or if she’s not killing on the boards, she’s doing amazing defensively and offensively. So, we can always count on her so there’s never a doubt with her.”
The scary thing to consider for Ohio State’s opponents is that Thierry is improving by the game and she’s working on becoming another deep shooter for McGuff’s 5-out motion offense. Teams are leaving Thierry open from three-point range, and if those shots start falling, the No. 2 team in the country gets better.
Deep game or not, the Scarlet & Gray isn’t a one-dimensional shooting team anymore and there’s a strong chance that the world hasn’t seen Thierry’s ceiling yet.
“She works incredibly hard in practice and I’m just really happy for her and proud of her for how much progress she’s made,” said McGuff. “She’s a terrific player and really an important part of our team.”
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
After playing a bench role in 2021-22, the sophomore has cemented her place as a pivotal piece of the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes.
Before the start of the 22/23 season, the Ohio State women’s basketball team featured a roster full of returning veterans, and a lot of questions. So it goes in college basketball, players from multiple positions either finished their NCAA eligibility or transferred to other programs. That left a void to fill, and sophomore Taylor Thierry has filled it and then some.
Last season, the Buckeyes started all upperclassmen in their Big Ten regular season co-championship year. When forwards Braxtin Miller and sixth player Tanaya Beacham each ended their college careers, a starting spot opened, and head coach Kevin McGuff had a decision to make.
In October, Land-Grant Holy Land incorrectly predicted the names of the starting five, thinking that it’d look like last season’s three guards, two forwards set. Thierry was part of that starting five, reluctantly.
After all, the Shaker Heights, Ohio native was the seventh/eighth player on the roster and didn’t make a noticeable impact until the calendar flipped to 2022. Defensively, the freshman was great. Thierry grabbed steals, made game-altering blocks, and provided a needed boost of energy at moments of the game when play fell flat.
This season, Thierry’s still doing that but in a starting role. It’s not only boosts of energy or the occasional block anymore. Thierry’s playing consistently on both ends of the floor.
Thierry’s offense wasn’t part of her freshman season. The Division II First Team recruit from Northeast Ohio possesses the ability to get to the basket, and leaping ability to reach heights players taller than her still can’t reach but seemed to keep them under wraps last year.
The forward’s quiet demeanor off the court crept onto it as Thierry made the transition to a faster-paced, more physical, NCAA game. That’s gone now.
This season, Thierry averages 12.6 points per game, shooting up from last year’s 2.9 points per game average. Also, the efficiency with which Thierry scores those baskets is unmatched on the Buckeyes’ roster, and almost anywhere else in the entire country.
Across all of Division I NCAA basketball, Thierry is third in the country, scoring baskets at a 68.12% clip. That’s just below fellow Big Ten senior forward/center Mackenzie Holmes who, if not for the Iowa Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark, would be a frontrunner for conference player of the year.
“One of the things, and it’s kind of simple, is that she rarely takes a bad shot,” said McGuff. “She doesn’t force anything. She takes what comes to her and what the defensive gives her. Sometimes people get a little anxious out there, but she doesn’t do that.”
Take Saturday’s game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers for example. Thierry went 6-for-6 from the floor, mostly exploiting single coverage to attack the paint. It’s the third time Thierry’s been perfect from the field this season too. Something the freshman Thierry would’ve dished to a teammate.
That improvement’s intentional. Thierry is a coach’s dream. Someone who takes practice as seriously as the games themselves. When asked what she’d like to improve upon for the remainder of the season, it went further than practice.
“Continuing to put in the work outside of practice, shooting a lot,” said Thierry. “Just working on good skills in practice so when it comes game time, I’m ready.”
Thierry’s been ready, and she’s doing it alongside someone playing a similar role to herself: Freshman Cotie McMahon.
Looking at the Scarlet and Gray’s starting five against then No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers to tip off the season, seeing both Thierry and McMahon was a surprise. Ohio State of course won that game and every subsequent contest, and the two have started every game together.
Away from the court, they couldn’t be more different in terms of personalities. Thierry is quieter and McMahon shares what she’s thinking and has an endless supply of confidence. Even so, the two are propelling each other, and building trust.
“It’s always me and TT, no matter what, we’re always behind each other,” said McMahon. “That’s helped motivate each other a lot because we’re both very honest with each other and we both know what we’re capable of doing.”
The two forwards average a combined 24.9 points per game and 10.7 rebounds. Each of the Ohioans has also led a game in scoring for the Buckeyes, a stat that only three Ohio State players could claim in last season’s guard-heavy Taylor Mikesell and Jacy Sheldon scoring offense.
While Thierry isn’t competing with the Mikesells and McMahons of the world to be a leading scorer, Thierry’s role is laying a foundation for the rest of the team.
Thierry leads Ohio State in rebounds, and it isn’t close. Her 119 total rebounds are 23 more than the next player on the team and nobody is touching Thierry’s 52 offensive rebounds. What’s also nice about her rebounding ability is that the forward grabs them whether the Scarlet and Gray are up or down.
Against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, as Ohio State was cutting away at a deficit, Thierry grabbed eight second-half rebounds to keep the ball with the Buckeyes. That sentence works for most of the Buckeyes’ comebacks too, just switch out the team and number of rebounds.
Also, with Sheldon out, recovering from a foot injury, Theirry’s picked up the load to force more turnovers, leading the team with 39 steals. She does it through scrumming with opponents for the ball or using that same jumping on layups to pick passes out of the air like a cornerback in football.
Her game is consistent too.
It’s natural for players to have on and off nights, but no matter what, Thierry is performing in one or multiple areas game in and game out. Which has a lasting impact not only on the game but her teammates.
“It takes a lot of pressure because we know we can always count on her,” said McMahon. “There’s not a game where she’s not scoring then definitely, she’s killing on the boards or if she’s not killing on the boards, she’s doing amazing defensively and offensively. So, we can always count on her so there’s never a doubt with her.”
The scary thing to consider for Ohio State’s opponents is that Thierry is improving by the game and she’s working on becoming another deep shooter for McGuff’s 5-out motion offense. Teams are leaving Thierry open from three-point range, and if those shots start falling, the No. 2 team in the country gets better.
Deep game or not, the Scarlet & Gray isn’t a one-dimensional shooting team anymore and there’s a strong chance that the world hasn’t seen Thierry’s ceiling yet.
“She works incredibly hard in practice and I’m just really happy for her and proud of her for how much progress she’s made,” said McGuff. “She’s a terrific player and really an important part of our team.”
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LGHL Ohio State opens up their new lacrosse stadium this weekend
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Ohio State opens up their new lacrosse stadium this weekend
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
The men’s lacrosse team will be the first to play at the state-of-the-art facility.
On Saturday Ohio State will open up their new lacrosse stadium when the Buckeyes host Lafayette in a scrimmage. The new stadium will be located between the Covelli Center and the Ty Tucker Tennis Center. The Board of Trustees approved stadium construction in August 2021, with groundbreaking of the $24.9 million dollar facility coming in early November 2021.
The new lacrosse stadium will be able to seat 1,894 people, which includes standing-room only seats. 772 of those seats are grandstand seats, with 112 of those seats having seatbacks. Every seat has a clear line of sight, whether it be from the grandstand seatbacks, under the grandstand, or from the rooftop viewing section.
A huge addition to the new stadium is going to be heated artificial turf. The turf will have 24 heat sensors, and over 21 miles of piping which will be used to heat the surface. The heated surface will make some cold weather matches in February and March a lot easier to handle for players.
Student-athletes will also benefit from a number of other additions that will help them hone their skills. The lacrosse-specific training areas include a practice room, training room, and outdoor wall ball. The new stadium will not only feature two locker rooms, as there will also be a locker room for officials.
What stood out most to me in renderings of the new stadium was the rooftop viewing areas and concession areas that have clear line of sight to the field. Even though it had to be quite an experience to play lacrosse at Ohio Stadium from the student-athletes, the size of the legendary stadium had a very cavernous feel. This new stadium feels like it fits a lot better, and should give the Buckeyes more of a home-field advantage.
The first team to take the field was the men’s lacrosse team, who held their first practice at the new stadium on Jan. 9. The Buckeyes will have two scrimmages at the facility before kicking off their season. This Saturday, Ohio State will host Lafayette, followed by another scrimmage next Saturday against Robert Morris.
The first regular season game for the Buckeye men’s team will come on Feb. 4 against Air Force. Overall, Ohio State will have seven regular season games at their new stadium, with the first of two Big Ten contests in Columbus coming on March 26 against Rutgers. The most interesting home game on the schedule will certainly be the regular season home finale on Sunday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m. against defending national champion Maryland.
Ohio State will be looking to make a deeper run in this year’s NCAA Tournament than they did last year, when they fell 15-8 at Cornell in the first round. With plenty of talent returning from last year’s team, expectations are high for the Buckeyes this year. Returning for another season is Jack Myers, who scored 38 goals and was credited with 45 assists last year.
Not only does Ohio State return eight of their top-ten scores from last year’s team, they also brought in a number of transfers who should add to an already talented team. The Buckeyes certainly have the pieces to make a deep run in this year’s tournament.
While the men’s team will get most of the headlines this year, don’t sleep on what the Ohio State’s women’s lacrosse team could do. The Buckeyes are coming off a 9-7 season in 2022, and will be looking to reach double digits in wins for the first time since the 2016 season.
The women’s team plays their first game at the new stadium on Feb. 10 when they host Robert Morris. Overall, the women’s team has nine games at the new stadium, with their final regular season home contest coming on April 15 against Northwestern.
Much like the men’s team, the women’s team has plenty of offense returning this year. Jamie Lasada scored 35 goals last year for Ohio State as a sophomore. Just behind Lasada was Nicole Ferrara, who is returning for her senior season after scoring 31 goals and recording 21 assists last year. Chloë Johnson and Jamie Level also cracked the 20-goal mark last season.
One area the Buckeyes shouldn’t have to worry about is in the net. Last year Regan Alexander started 15 of the 16 games for the Buckeyes, posting an 8-7 record with a 11.12 goals against average. With a year of starting experience already under her belt, the junior should be even better this year. If Alexander can find her groove early in the season in goal, it will go a long way in helping the Buckeyes possibly earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
The men’s lacrosse team will be the first to play at the state-of-the-art facility.
On Saturday Ohio State will open up their new lacrosse stadium when the Buckeyes host Lafayette in a scrimmage. The new stadium will be located between the Covelli Center and the Ty Tucker Tennis Center. The Board of Trustees approved stadium construction in August 2021, with groundbreaking of the $24.9 million dollar facility coming in early November 2021.
The new lacrosse stadium will be able to seat 1,894 people, which includes standing-room only seats. 772 of those seats are grandstand seats, with 112 of those seats having seatbacks. Every seat has a clear line of sight, whether it be from the grandstand seatbacks, under the grandstand, or from the rooftop viewing section.
A huge addition to the new stadium is going to be heated artificial turf. The turf will have 24 heat sensors, and over 21 miles of piping which will be used to heat the surface. The heated surface will make some cold weather matches in February and March a lot easier to handle for players.
Student-athletes will also benefit from a number of other additions that will help them hone their skills. The lacrosse-specific training areas include a practice room, training room, and outdoor wall ball. The new stadium will not only feature two locker rooms, as there will also be a locker room for officials.
What stood out most to me in renderings of the new stadium was the rooftop viewing areas and concession areas that have clear line of sight to the field. Even though it had to be quite an experience to play lacrosse at Ohio Stadium from the student-athletes, the size of the legendary stadium had a very cavernous feel. This new stadium feels like it fits a lot better, and should give the Buckeyes more of a home-field advantage.
Men’s lacrosse outlook
The first team to take the field was the men’s lacrosse team, who held their first practice at the new stadium on Jan. 9. The Buckeyes will have two scrimmages at the facility before kicking off their season. This Saturday, Ohio State will host Lafayette, followed by another scrimmage next Saturday against Robert Morris.
The first regular season game for the Buckeye men’s team will come on Feb. 4 against Air Force. Overall, Ohio State will have seven regular season games at their new stadium, with the first of two Big Ten contests in Columbus coming on March 26 against Rutgers. The most interesting home game on the schedule will certainly be the regular season home finale on Sunday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m. against defending national champion Maryland.
Ohio State will be looking to make a deeper run in this year’s NCAA Tournament than they did last year, when they fell 15-8 at Cornell in the first round. With plenty of talent returning from last year’s team, expectations are high for the Buckeyes this year. Returning for another season is Jack Myers, who scored 38 goals and was credited with 45 assists last year.
Not only does Ohio State return eight of their top-ten scores from last year’s team, they also brought in a number of transfers who should add to an already talented team. The Buckeyes certainly have the pieces to make a deep run in this year’s tournament.
Women’s lacrosse outlook
While the men’s team will get most of the headlines this year, don’t sleep on what the Ohio State’s women’s lacrosse team could do. The Buckeyes are coming off a 9-7 season in 2022, and will be looking to reach double digits in wins for the first time since the 2016 season.
The women’s team plays their first game at the new stadium on Feb. 10 when they host Robert Morris. Overall, the women’s team has nine games at the new stadium, with their final regular season home contest coming on April 15 against Northwestern.
Much like the men’s team, the women’s team has plenty of offense returning this year. Jamie Lasada scored 35 goals last year for Ohio State as a sophomore. Just behind Lasada was Nicole Ferrara, who is returning for her senior season after scoring 31 goals and recording 21 assists last year. Chloë Johnson and Jamie Level also cracked the 20-goal mark last season.
One area the Buckeyes shouldn’t have to worry about is in the net. Last year Regan Alexander started 15 of the 16 games for the Buckeyes, posting an 8-7 record with a 11.12 goals against average. With a year of starting experience already under her belt, the junior should be even better this year. If Alexander can find her groove early in the season in goal, it will go a long way in helping the Buckeyes possibly earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
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