Ohio State then-freshman midfielder Liza Hernandez looks to pass in the offensive zone against Stanford on Feb. 24, 2017 at Ohio Stadium. Credit: James King | Sports Director
The Ohio State women’s lacrosse team could not keep up with No. 8 Northwestern and fell 20-6 to the Wildcats Friday afternoon.
Northwestern (10-3, 3-0 Big Ten) ended the first half with five unanswered goals in the final 13 minutes and held a commanding a 13-3 advantage at halftime. The Buckeyes (5-7, 1-3 Big Ten) fought to get back in the game but the deficit was too large for Ohio State to overcome.
Northwestern struck first just 47 seconds into the game with a goal from sophomore midfielder Sheila Nesselbush. But Ohio State sophomore midfielder Liza Hernandez responded less than 30 seconds later with a goal of her own to tie the game at one.
The Wildcats scored three more goals before Ohio State junior attack Sara Dickinson found the back of the net to cut Northwestern’s lead to two.
Wildcat junior attack Selena Lasota had back-to-back goals during her team’s 4-0 run before Buckeye junior midfield Baley Parrott scored a goal to make the score 8-3.
Ohio State had 21 turnovers, 12 of which came in the first half, which allowed Northwestern the early opportunities.
The teams traded goals early in the second half, but Wildcats took advantage of their early lead and extended their win streak to five.
Lasota led Northwestern with four goals and had one assist. Hernandez led the Buckeyes with two goals and four draw controls.
Ohio State sophomore goalie Jillian Rizzo racked up 14 saves against the Wildcats, while Northwestern’s two goalies combined for six saves. Northwestern held a 44-17 shot advantage.
The Buckeyes will look to bounce back when they face Bucknell on the road at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
