Ohio State freshman midfielder Jackson Reid looks for an open shooting lane against Michigan on April 13, 2018. Ohio State won 8-5. Credit: Edward Sutelan | Assistant Sports Editor
In an exhilarating show of strength and discipline, the Ohio State men’s lacrosse team stunned No. 1 Maryland with an upset win on the road Sunday to stay alive in the Big Ten.
With only four teams reaching the Big Ten tournament, Ohio State will head into its final conference game of the season with a chance to play in the tournament, if it is able to beat No. 10 Rutgers on Saturday.
The Buckeyes’ 12-10 victory on the Terrapins’ home turf came on the backs of senior attack Colin Chell, junior attack Jack Jasinski and freshman midfielder Jackson Reid, who were responsible for nine of the team’s 12 goals. Ohio State and Maryland were tied at six at halftime, but a unified offensive effort in the final two quarters saw the Buckeyes edging out the Terrapins by two goals.
Ohio State (7-6, 2-2 Big Ten) dominated with faceoffs, winning 17 of 26, which gave the Buckeyes pivotal advantages against the Terrapins (10-2, 3-1 Big Ten) with the extra possessions. After outscoring Maryland in the third quarter and entering the fourth with a one-goal lead, the Buckeyes were able to repeat the effort with a one-goal advantage in the final quarter, culminating in an Ohio State victory.
Senior midfielder Connor Kelly paced Maryland’s offense, peppering Ohio State’s cage with 11 shots, four of which found the back of the net. Five of his teammates recorded goals, but the effort was ultimately not enough to break even with the Buckeyes.
In a season plagued by excruciating losses, Ohio State has now recorded back-to-back wins against ranked opponents, with this most recent win coming against the top team in the country. The late season push showed the Buckeyes still have what it takes to be a viable contender once the conference and NCAA tournaments begin.
The Buckeyes welcome No. 10 Rutgers to Ohio Stadium at 4 p.m. Saturday for their final game of the regular season.
