The Ohio State men’s lacrosse team runs along the sideline before the Ohio State-Maryland game on March 20. Ohio State lost 16-8. Credit: Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor
Ohio State looks to use the lessons learned in the first half of the season going forward into the second half of the season.
In a season full of uncertainty and compromise, No. 17 Ohio State (2-3) has reached the midpoint of their season, composed entirely of Big Ten teams.
Despite the less-than-impressive record, graduate midfielder Ryan Terefenko said the first half of the season was about more than game results.
“At the end of the day, the games you play in February and March are really about getting and growing and not so much about winning,” Terefenko said.
The season opened at Homewood Field in Baltimore, a mecca in lacrosse. In a matchup against No. 18 Johns Hopkins, the Buckeyes opened their season with a dominating 14-8 win over the Blue Jays.
The next two weeks, however, would present very difficult obstacles for Ohio State. In their first home game of the season, the Buckeyes lost 22-12 to the No. 5 Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Just a week later Ohio State would drop another game to the unranked Penn State Nittany Lions, 15-13.
The Buckeyes would return to the win column a week later, earning the program’s 500th win, defeating their rival Michigan Wolverines by a score of 13-10.
“Our relationships have become a lot stronger, compared to the beginning of the season, and you can see that on the field,” senior midfielder Justin Inacio said. “When we trust the process, we find success – that’s something we need to keep rolling into the second half.”
With the chance to go above .500, the Buckeyes welcomed the No. 3 Maryland Terrapins to Columbus. The Terrapins took control in the second quarter and went on to win the game 16-8, giving the Buckeyes their third loss of the season.
Though sitting at 2-3, the first half of Ohio State’s season was an impressive one as they took on all five Big ten teams in only five weeks.
Despite three losses, Terefenko said the Buckeyes’ focus on improving will position them well for the postseason.
“A team that’s willing to come in everyday and just focus on themselves and getting better and really working at the process is gonna find themselves in a good spot come May,” Terefenko said.
With a record of 2-3 through five games played, Ohio State has seen quite a few remarkable performances and record-breaking days happen in a short amount of time.
Graduate attackman Tre Leclaire entered the season 12 goals behind fellow British Columbia native and Buckeye great Logan Schuss in all-time career goals. Leclaire quickly cut that number down, however.
Tying the record against Michigan, Leclaire would score his 149th goal a week later against Maryland and become Ohio State’s all-time career goals record holder.
In the same game Leclaire scored his 148th career goal and tied Schuss’ record, Ohio State won its 500th game in program history — a feat only accomplished by 26 other college lacrosse programs nationwide.
Joining schools such as Maryland, Princeton, and Syracuse, Ohio State managed to accomplish an incredible feat in a season where playing was not guaranteed.
Although the Buckeyes sit below .500, Ohio State will look to use the lessons learned in their early matchups to guide them through the final games of the season.
“We have not reached our best yet, but we will soon.” Inacio said.
