Ohio State
Michigan State
No. 6 Buckeyes Are Back at Home This Weekend
9/18/2024 12:55:00 PM | Field Hockey
Ohio State has only allowed three goals through six games on the season
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The undefeated and sixth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) are back in Columbus this weekend where they'll face Michigan State (4-2) on Friday at 4 p.m. and Brown (1-3) on Sunday at 1 p.m. Information on live stats and streaming for both games can be found on the schedule page of OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
The Basics
No. 6 Ohio State vs. Michigan State // Friday, Sept. 20 // 4 p.m. // Buckeye Varsity Field // Columbus, Ohio
Watch: B1G+ // Ohio State Roster // Michigan State Roster // Ohio State Schedule
No. 6 Ohio State vs. Brown // Sunday, Sept. 22 // 1 p.m. // Buckeye Varsity Field // Columbus, Ohio
Watch: B1G + // Ohio State Roster // Brown Roster // Ohio State Schedule
Promotions This Weekend
- Friday is Ohio State's third home game of the season and will also be the "Buckeyes Give Back: Inspire Children & Youth" game.
- Sunday's match against Brown will serve as the Buckeye equality and inclusion game
- Admission to all Ohio State field hockey games is free. Parking is available in the lots surrounding Buckeye Varsity Field, specifically at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
- Both games this weekend will be streamed live on B1G+. Tyler Danburg and Connor Schuh will handle play by play and color duties on Friday. On Sunday, Gus Soteriades will be on the mic.
Briefly on the Buckeyes…
- Ohio State has been ranked in every match this season, climbing from No. 14 (preseason) to No. 8 (week one) to now No. 6 in the NFHCA poll
- No. 6 is the highest the Buckeyes have been ranked since the 2006 season. Ohio State got off to its best-ever start in program history that year, beginning the season at 8-0 and finishing first in the Big Ten.
- Six other Big Ten teams are ranked: Northwestern (No. 1), Iowa (No. 4), Maryland (No. 7), Michigan (No. 9), Rutgers (No. 13) and Penn State (No. 20)
- Ohio State has only allowed three goals through the first six games this season, which is the best since 1974 where the Buckeyes outscored their opponents 19-1 through six games.
- Forward Makenna Webster leads the Buckeyes in points this season with 18 (6G, 6A) while sophomore Brenna Bough totals nine points on four goals and one assist.
- Ohio State has won four of its six matches this year by three goals or more.
Scouting Michigan State
- Friday's match will be Ohio State's first Big Ten opponent of the 2024 season
- Ohio State leads the all-time series 45-25-3 with the last matchup being a 2-1 overtime win in 2023. The Buckeyes' 45 total wins against the Spartans are the most against any opponent in program history.
- The Spartans sit at 4-2 on the year and are on a two-game win streak. Both losses this season have been overtime matches decided by one goal each: California 2-1 and Ohio 3-2.
- Michigan State's 19 goals on the season place it at third in the Big Ten behind Michigan (33) and Ohio State (24)
- The Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List featured three Spartan midfielders: senior Maddie Lawlor, freshman Carmen Pucheta and senior Ellie Rutherford
Scouting Brown
- Sunday will be the first-ever matchup between the Buckeyes and the Bears
- Brown is 1-3 on the season with their first win being a 2-1 double-overtime match over Yale on Sunday. Senior Julia Hitti earned the Ivy League's DPOTW award in the win.
- The Bears finished last season 6-10 overall and 1-6 in the Ivy League
- 2023-point leaders Imogen Govan and Lexi Pellegrino returned this season for the Bears. The duo totaled 31 points last season (11G 9A)
- Junior midfielder Lucy Adams leads the Ivy League in assists with four in the same number of games.
A Double Feature
- Graduate student Makenna Webster will pull double duty this weekend with the field hockey and ice hockey teams.
- On Friday, she'll play field hockey against Michigan State and then turn around and less than 24 hours later, on Sunday, and play ice hockey as the Buckeyes open their season at 3 p.m. vs. Minnesota Duluth.
- On Sunday, Webster will finish off her three-game weekend when the field hockey Buckeyes take on Brown at 1 p.m.
- In all, Webster will play three games and two sports in the span of less than 48 hours.
More Fun with Numbers
3.50: Ohio State sits at second in the nation for scoring margin at 3.50, only behind rival Michigan (4.17). The Buckeyes are also second nationally in goals per game (4.00), 13th in penalty corners per game (8.17) and third in goals-against average (0.50).
66 percent: Nearly 66 percent of shots this season have been on goal, enough to lead the Big Ten. The scarlet and gray has out-shot their opponents by more than double this season, totaling 101 and allowing 43.
39: Senior goalkeeper Abby Danson sits at 39 career wins for the Buckeyes, enough to place her second in program history. A win this weekend would tie her at first place with Lindsay Quintiliani, who was Ohio State's keeper from 2006-09.
49: The Buckeyes have generated 49 penalty corners on the year, while holding their opponents to only 21. Six goals this season have been scored on penalty corner opportunities.
