Balanced Scoring Attack Guides Buckeyes over Penn State, 18-9

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A balanced scoring attack that saw four different players finish with a hat trick power the 11th-ranked Ohio State men’s lacrosse team to a 18-9 win over Penn State on Friday afternoon at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes improved to 7-3 on the season and 1-1 in Big Ten play while Penn State is now 2-8, 0-2.

The Short Story
Colby Smith led an efficient Ohio State offense with five goals and one assist while teammates Jack Myers (4G, 1A), Jackson Reid (3G, 3A) and Scott White (3G) all chipped in with three or more points. Ohio State created all the separation it would need in the second quarter, outscoring Penn State 6-1 to take a 10-4 lead into the locker room.

Skylar Wahlund, who made his third consecutive start, had 11 saves while the Buckeye defense held Penn State scoreless for over 25 minutes of game action in the second and third quarters. Ohio State’s defense caused eight Penn State turnovers, led by Stephen Zupicich, who had three.

Quotable
“We want to thank the men and women who have and continue to serve our country,” said head coach Nick Myers. “It’s always special to have our Military Appreciation Game and I hope they had a chance to enjoy some good lacrosse. Our men put together a strong effort today against a good team. Now we will look to carry that into next week.”

How the Goals Were Scored

• Ohio State and Penn State traded two-goal runs to start the game. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than three minutes into the first quarter thanks to White and Reid tallies.
• After Penn State tied the game at 2-2 with 5:36 remaining in the opening quarter, Mitchell Pehlke and Scott White scored back-to-back to make the score 4-2 in Ohio State’s favor at 1:55 of the first quarter.
• Penn State scored with 13:55 remaining in the second quarter to pull to within one, 5-4, but the Buckeyes would rip off five straight goals to end the half and four more to start the third quarter for a 9-0 run.
• Jackson Reid and Colby Smith scored twice in the second quarter and White added a goal as the Buckeyes built a 10-4 halftime lead.
• In the third quarter, the Ohio State run continued thanks to two Myers goals and a tally by White.
• Ohio State had its largest lead of the day, 14-4, with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter on Myers’ third goal of the day. He would add a fourth at the 14:06 mark of the fourth quarter.
• Jason Knox scored twice in the fourth quarter and was one of five players to finish with multiple goals.

This and That

• Ohio State picked up its first win over Penn State since 2015 and is now 1-0 in the quest for the Creator’s Trophy, which goes to the team with the best overall record in head to head games between Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan.
• The Buckeyes’ nine-goal margin of victory is their second-largest in a Big Ten game, eclipsed only by the 11-goal win over Michigan in 2017.
• Colby Smith’s six-point day is a career high. He has 16 goals and 18 points in the last five games (3.20 goals per game).
• Ohio State scored its 18 goals on 39 total shots (.461).
• The Buckeyes scored on two of three extra man opportunities to increase its percentage to .647 on the year (22-of-34).
• Freshman Ari Allen had a career-high three assists.
• Ohio State is 7-0 this year when it has more ground balls than its opponent.

Statistically Speaking
Shots: Ohio State 39, Penn State 38
Ground Balls: Ohio State 34, Penn State 26
Faceoffs: Penn State 16-of-30, Ohio State 14-of-30
Clears: Ohio State 26-of-28, Penn State 17-of-18
Extra Man: Ohio State 2-of-3, Penn State 0-of-0
Saves: Penn State 12, Ohio State 11
Turnovers: Penn State 19, Ohio State 16
Ohio State Scoring (G-A-P): Colby Smith 5-1-6; Jackson Reid 3-3-6; Jack Myers 4-1-5; Scott White 3-0-3; Ari Allen 0-3-3; Mitchell Pehlke 1-1-2; Jason Knox 2-0-2; Tyler Gallagher 0-1-1

What’s Next
Big Ten play continues next weekend when Ohio State hosts Johns Hopkins at noon inside Ohio Stadium. Single-game tickets are available for purchase by CLICKING HERE or calling 1-800-GO-BUCKS. The game will also be televised by ESPNU.