Ohio State then-sophomore attackman Jackson Reid (29) tries to shake the Rutgers defense during their match at Ohio Stadium on Mar. 31. Ohio State lost 6-14. Credit: Willow Mollenkopf | For The Lantern
Ohio State men’s lacrosse hopes its best talent gets better with age entering the new year.
The No. 12 Buckeyes open their season Tuesday against Detroit Mercy, returning an experienced team that finished 8-4 a season ago, missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. The Buckeyes started off the season 7-0 before losing four out of five in Big Ten play.
“It’s impactful. I think those guys coming back certainly give you a degree of consistency on the offensive end,” Ohio State head coach Nick Myers said.
The Buckeyes face a tough schedule that includes matchups with seven ranked opponents –– five of which are in the top 10 –– but Ohio State returns three of its top four scorers.
Senior attackman Tre Leclaire led the team with 34 goals in 2019 and is 39 goals away from becoming the program’s all-time leader.
A season ago, junior attackman Jackson Reid and sophomore attackman Jack Myers both tied Leclaire for the team lead in points with 37. Myers averaged 3.36 points per game to finish second among Big Ten freshmen and led the team with 20 assists.
Ohio State’s schedule includes No. 1 Penn State –– a team the Buckeyes haven’t beaten in five seasons. The Nittany Lions boast senior attackman Mac O’Keefe, who led the nation with 78 goals a season ago and scored six in this year’s season opener.
In April, the Buckeyes play No. 4 Maryland –– a team with the third-highest shot accuracy in the country from a season ago. In their season opener, the Terrapins took home a 23-12 victory against then-No. 20 High Point.
Against Detroit Mercy, though, the Buckeyes may have an easier entry point to their season. The Titans didn’t place better than No. 47 in scoring offense or defense a season ago, and the Buckeyes return
Two players could become the first four-time All-Americans in Ohio State lacrosse history this season in senior midfielder Ryan Terefenko and Leclaire. Terefenko, Leclaire and junior midfielder Justin Inacio were named players to watch by the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes lost one key player in the midfield in Jack Jasinski, who posted 21 goals and 11 assists in 2019. Terefenko will look to take up the mantle at midfielder alongside redshirt senior Lukas Buckley.
“It’s been a good, productive preseason, and now it’s time to take the things we’ve been working on into game situations,” Terefenko said. “As a senior class, we are hungry to have a memorable year.”
Inacio served as the team’s face-off specialist in 2019, winning 181 of 284 faceoffs for a 63.7 percent success rate. He earned Co-Big Ten Specialist of the Year for his efforts.
Myers said one of the team’s biggest concerns is on the defensive end, where several key players — including All-American Matt Borges — have graduated from the program. Two freshmen are expected to start on defense.
Redshirt junior goalie Josh Kirson went 7-4 this past season while making 120 saves, saving 50.2 percent of his opponents’ shots. Kirson had a 10.56 goals against average to finish third in the Big Ten in his first season starting.
The coaching staff joins the defense in its new look, with Dylan Sheridan hired as an assistant to bring in a new offensive system. Previously, he spent five years building the Cleveland State lacrosse program.
“His ability to build relationships and develop players has been really impressive,” Myers said.
Myers said he expects several first-year players to have significant roles this season.
“This freshman class has really been impressive thus far,” Myers said. “We’re really excited with what they have done.”
The small collection of new faces will be tested throughout the season.
Ohio State is one of five ranked teams in the Big Ten and was picked to finish fourth in the conference in the Preseason Coaches Poll behind No. 1 Penn State, No. 4 Maryland and No. 13 Johns Hopkins.
The Buckeyes play all three in the regular season, in addition to No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 9 Denver, No. 11 Cornell and No. 18 UMass.
The Buckeyes open play against Detroit Mercy at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
