Third-year attacker Ed Sheen (10) cradles the ball through contact from an Utah defender. The Ohio State men’s lacrosse team defeated the Utes 11-8 at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium Feb. 3. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
Ohio State will face its toughest Big Ten opponent yet this season on Sunday.
The Buckeyes (6.6, 1-2 Big Ten) are set to take on the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (8-3, 3-0 Big Ten) at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium at 7 p.m. Sunday.
The Buckeyes have a .500 record, going 1-2 in conference play with tight losses to No. 6 Maryland and No. 9 Penn State in recent weeks.
However, their upcoming match may pose a tougher threat as the No. 3 Blue Jays are undefeated in Big Ten play thus far.
Senior defenseman Marcus Hudgins said the team is not looking to change anything substantial, but instead lock down its game plan in anticipation of the matchup.
“We’re really not reinventing the wheel here,” Hudgins said. “We’re just kind of focusing on our own individual keys on offense and defense just to be successful against them.”
Ohio State has struggled to score in the first half of games this season but was able to keep up with Maryland in the first quarter. The second quarter saw the Buckeyes struggle both offensively and defensively, allowing the Terrapins to score three unanswered goals in the third quarter while failing to convert their own.
Hudgins acknowledged the struggles Ohio State has been facing, particularly with getting out to a fast start. Head coach Nick Myers has emphasized the scoring offense in practice this week, he said. It will be much needed against a Johns Hopkins team that is ranked top-30 in scoring offense in the NCAA. The Blue Jays were able to put up eight goals in the first half against their most recent opponent in Michigan.
The Blue Jays average 12.45 goals per game, whereas the Buckeyes average 10.58 goals per game, according to the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse statistics.
In spite of Johns Hopkins’ notable offensive prowess, the Buckeyes hold the No. 7 scoring defense in the NCAA and have held opponents to an average of 9.42 goals scored per game. Ohio State has been noticeably better in Big Ten play, holding conference opponents to an average of 10 goals per game.
Even so, the Buckeyes have struggled against Big Ten opponents so far this season. The conference features six current top-25 teams, including Penn State, Maryland and the No. 23 Rutgers Scarlet Knights, all of whom Ohio State has faced.
Sophomore defenseman Cullen Brown said the struggles the Buckeyes have faced in the Big Ten are apparent, but assured the team is ready to compete against opponents in the competitive conference.
“We know we can battle with these teams,” Brown said. “We know we have just as much skill as these teams.”
When facing Big Ten opponents on the season, the Buckeyes have kept the margins of defeat low in the losses they’ve suffered, averaging a loss of 2 points. In their win against Rutgers, they defeated the Scarlet Knights by six in a 14-8 victory on March 30.
On the season, Ohio State has averaged a margin of defeat in its losses of 3.16 goals while averaging a margin of victory of 5.67.
Additionally, in Big Ten play, the Buckeyes have a positive point differential over Big Ten opponents despite losing two out of three games they’ve played thanks to their high point differential in the win against the Scarlet Knights.
However, the point differential for Ohio State when playing top-20 opponents tells a different story. It has a minus-20 point differential against those highly ranked teams and is 1-5 against top-20 teams.
With only a few games left in the season, Hudgins said the Buckeyes will now have to possess the “backs-against-the-wall mentality” when it comes to playing ranked opponents.
“We have our backs up against the wall,” Hudgins said. “There’s only so many games left in the season, so we just want to come out swinging.”
