The Ohio State men’s lacrosse team ahead of its 9-6 loss March 17 to No. 7 Denver at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
Unlike a four-leaf clover, the Ohio State men’s lacrosse team’s “luck” has run thin when it comes to facing top-ranked opponents this season.
The Buckeyes fell to the No. 7 Denver Pioneers (6-1, 0-0 Big East) 9-6 Sunday at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium.
Denver marks the fourth top-10 opponent the Buckeyes (5-4, 0-0 Big Ten) have faced in their past games, going 1-3 in that slate.
Head coach Nick Myers said the two teams have a storied history against one another.
“It’s always been a traditional game on our schedule,” Myers said. “Denver is a team we’ve played for years, so it’s always a game we look forward to.”
Ohio State struggled to maintain control of the ball in the beginning of the first, with Buckeye senior midfielder Connor Cmiel and sophomore attacker Matt Caputo committing multiple turnovers in the first five minutes of the game.
Denver was able to capitalize on a Caputo turnover with an up-close goal from junior attacker Noah Manning off an assist from senior midfielder Michael Lampert at the 11:25 mark.
While the Pioneers were able to jump out to an early lead, neither one of the teams was performing at a high level, with both committing multiple turnovers and shot clock violations throughout the first.
Nonetheless, Denver began to assert its dominance in the second quarter with graduate student short-stick defensive midfielder Jake Edinger scoring another up-close and personal goal within the first minute of the quarter.
Buckeye junior midfielder Alex Marinier was able to capitalize on a Pioneer graduate defenseman Jack DiBenedetto penalty, putting in a man-up goal for Ohio State at the 9:33 mark off an assist from junior attacker Ed Shean.
Nonetheless, the Pioneers were able to continue asserting their dominance in the second, putting up three goals in a matter of two minutes. However, the Buckeyes were able to respond late in the second with two goals of their own, making the score 6-4 at halftime.
“We just realized we weren’t playing like how we practiced [in the first half],” graduate defenseman Jacob Snyder said.
Ohio State noticeably came out of halftime playing with more intensity and aggression, forcing multiple Denver turnovers and outshooting the Pioneers 10-6 throughout the remainder of the game.
However, the Buckeyes’ newfound aggressive play did not warrant them any goals in the third. Instead, their intense play awarded them turnovers and missed opportunities on the offensive side, similar to the first quarter.
A forced turnover from sophomore defenseman Jonny Cool at the beginning of the fourth led to a goal from junior attacker Ed Shean, trimming the lead to two with 13:28 remaining.
Caputo then found a way to send a ball past senior goalie Malcolm Kleban, putting the score at 8-6 with eight minutes left in the game.
The Buckeyes continued to play aggressively throughout the remainder of the game, putting up seven shots on goal in the fourth, the most out of any quarter for either team. Nonetheless, the Pioneers’ defense was able to control Ohio State’s rally attempt with senior midfielder Stephen Avery scoring one last goal to close out the game.
“We had plenty of chances with the way the defense was playing but just couldn’t break the seal,” Myers said.
The remainder of the schedule for the Buckeyes features nothing but in-conference opponents. Ohio State is set to take on the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions on Sunday and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
