Ohio State graduate student attacker Sophie Baez (4) looks for a shot during the Ohio State-Vanderbilt exhibition Feb. 6. Ohio State won 16-11. Credit: Katie Good | For the Lantern
After losing a pair of games in Colorado last weekend, Ohio State looks to get back on track Friday against James Madison University.
This is the first-ever meeting between the Buckeyes (3-2) and the No. 21 Dukes (2-2), but head coach Amy Bokker said it does not change how the team prepares for the upcoming game.
“I know they play with a lot of good energy, so we need to be prepared to play,” Bokker said. “We watch a lot of film, we scout, we’ve been in preparation, but really it comes down to the execution on the field.”
The Buckeyes are led by a pair of double-digit goal scorers as attackers junior Nicole Ferrara currently leads the Buckeyes with 11 goals while sophomore Jamie Lasda is right behind with 10.
Following Ferrara and Lasda are 11 other Buckeyes with at least one goal so far in the season.
Ohio State senior attacker Chloë Johnson now has 121 career draw controls going into Friday’s game, putting her at sixth in program history.
After an 0-2 start, the Dukes have won two consecutive games, taking down then-No. 23 Connecticut 13-7 Feb. 19, as well as High Point Saturday 11-6.
James Madison’s redshirt sophomore attacker Isabella Peterson has established herself as the Dukes’ leading scorer with 13 goals this season. The lefty scored a season-high six goals against the Huskies Feb. 19.
James Madison’s fifth-year goalie and 2019 Colonial Athletic Association Goalkeeper of the Year Molly Dougherty will be in the cage for the Dukes, ranking seventh in program history in saves with 472. Dougherty was also a 2021 USA Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse Media Third Team All-American.
The Buckeyes are coming off a tough stretch after a road trip against No. 12 Denver and Colorado, which saw them lose a pair of games by three or more goals. Ohio State graduate midfielder Ali Beekhuizen said the Buckeyes are looking to learn from that adverse weekend and bounce back onto the winning side of things at home.
“We just need to play our game,” Beekhuizen said. “We see how great we can be in little snippets of it throughout these games, especially this past weekend, so just bringing it from the beginning will really help us be great.”
The Buckeyes host the Dukes Friday at 3 p.m. at Ohio Stadium. The game will be streamed on BTN+.
