The No. 23 Ohio State field hockey team (3-1) will face two top 25 teams with weekend, No. 3 Maryland (6-0) and No. 17 Wake Forest (3-2). Credit: Sophia Tobias | For The Lantern
The No. 23-ranked Ohio State field hockey team opens up its conference schedule at home as it looks to add to the win column against No. 3 Maryland Friday. The Buckeyes stay at Buckeye Varsity Field to take on No. 17 Wake Forest on Sunday.
This weekend marks the beginning of a stretch of four-straight games against Top-25 opponents for the Buckeyes. Head coach Jarred Martin said he believes the team is ready for the test.
“Maryland and Wake are both really strong,” Martin said. “We’ll be tested. Just try to see where we are with our habits, with our discipline, work on some things in our attack, a couple things on our defense, and just keep building as the season goes on.”
The Buckeyes (3-1) dropped their most recent game against Miami (Ohio) 1-0, giving up the only goal of the game on a penalty stroke towards the end of the first half. The Terrapins (6-0) beat the New Hampshire Wildcats 6-1 on Sunday.
The Terrapins have 123 shots in their six games as a team, scoring 26 goals. They have only allowed 27 shots and six goals from their opponents.
“They can light up the scoreboard if you let them,” Martin said. “We have to make sure our defense is in tune and they’re communicating.”
Sophomore forward Hope Rose leads Maryland in points with 17, tallying six goals and five assists.
Ohio State’s defense is performing strong this season, as junior goaltender Abby Danson has only allowed one goal in four games with 13 saves. Senior midfielder Leanne Bough said she believes the Buckeyes’ connection off the field has been a big part of their on-field defensive success.
“Off the field, we’ve built a really strong connection with each other,” Bough said. “We have a lot of trust in each other. Our communication is very fluent, and we’re able to organize our press really easily and kind of work off of each other.”
The Demon Deacons (3-2) are on a three-game win streak coming into the weekend. They play Richmond at home Friday before heading to Columbus Sunday.
Earlier in the year, the Demon Deacons fell to No. 5 Iowa and No. 7 Michigan, marking their only two losses on the season.
Wake Forest is led by senior midfielder Meike Lanckohr, who has 15 points on six goals and three assists through the team’s five games.
The Demon Deacons split time between two goaltenders, freshman Ellie Todd, and junior Tori Glaister. Both have seven saves and have allowed seven goals between the two of them.
“They’re a great team with another very seasoned coach,” Martin said. “Some of their skilled players are returning, and they have a pretty dynamic midfield as well. I think that will be a good battle.”
The Buckeyes offense has been extremely balanced this season with seven different players scoring a goal, four of them with two goals each.
“Being able to have so many different people to pass to that we can trust to finish the ball is super important,” Bough said. “It’s crucial to have everyone have shots on goal.”
Ohio State matches up against Maryland Friday at 3 p.m. and plays Wake Forest Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will be at Buckeye Varsity Field and will be available to watch on BTN+.
