The Ohio State men’s lacrosse team picked up a one-goal win against Hofstra after losing by the same margin against Marquette six days earlier.
Though the first three quarters ended in a draw, the final whistle blew on Saturday at Ohio Stadium with the Buckeyes ahead, 9-8.
“I’m just really proud of this team to persevere and to get that one-goal win,” coach Nick Myers said. “It was a back and forth game, but it’s what we expected … It meant a lot to get the ‘W,’ especially over such a quality opponent.”
Senior midfielder David Planning struck first for OSU, scoring about 30 seconds into the game. But despite the quick start, the Buckeyes had to hang tight for a win, which senior midfielder Jesse King credited to the team’s strength.
“Physically, we’re stronger, but this year especially, we’re being challenged mentally on the field,” King said. “Taking us to those points where you either push through or you stop. And maybe in past years we would’ve stopped, but now we’re pushing through that wall.”
King scored four goals, extending his point streak to 43 games, but was hardly the only one raking in points for the Buckeyes, as freshman and junior attackmen Colin Chell and Carter Brown each tallied two.
“Colin Chell played the entire game pretty much at attack in his first real start,” Myers said. “We challenged him all week … All the guys played their butts off.”
OSU, now 5-2, lost to Detroit by one goal to open the season on Feb. 7, in addition to the close loss to Marquette on March 1. But after weeks of practice, the Buckeyes brought a quick offense and what senior defenseman Evan Mulchrone said was a balanced defense to the field against Hofstra.
“We just wanted to get back to playing Buckeye lacrosse and focusing on the fundamentals,” Mulchrone said. “Our mentality on defense was to just help each other out. They have some really talented players so we knew we had our hands full, and it worked out really well for us.”
While even King admits his team played far from perfect, he said determination often outweighs skill.
“As Buckeyes, we pride ourselves on working hard, making the effort plays,” King said. “When we get those goals. they may not be the most skillful plays, but it’s stuff we work hard on during the week.”
King said pride comes from the players on the bench as much as the ones on the field.
“Our energy from the bench is nothing short of the best in the country,” King said. “When you score a goal and you can hear the fans, especially your teammates on the sidelines, just going absolutely insane … it’s something that really hits home for you.”
The Buckeyes aim to continue their 4-0 home streak when they return to the Horseshoe on Saturday to take on Denver at 1 p.m.
