Buckeyes Fall to No. 3 Northwestern in Regular Season Finale
4/19/2025 4:50:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
Seniors score eight goals on Senior Day for the Buckeyes
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women's lacrosse lost to No. 3 Northwestern in its final game of the regular season, 20-12, Saturday at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium in Columbus. Ohio State is 8-7 on the year (1-7 B1G) and the Wildcats are 14-2 and won the Big Ten regular season title with a 7-0 record.
Â
Northwestern led 6-3 after the first quarter and each team tallied four times in the second for a 10-7 game at the half. The Wildcats stretched the lead to 16-11 through three quarters and outscored the Buckeyes 4-2 in the final stanza for the 20-12 final.
Â
Leah Sax had a hat trick and Annie Hargraves and Kate Tyack each scored twice for the Buckeyes. Senior defender Lilli Sherman tallied her first collegiate goal and had six ground balls, along with a caused turnover. Katie Kaucheck had a team-best three caused turnovers. The 14 members of the Buckeye senior class were recognized pregame.
Â
How it Happened
Â
Northwestern led 6-3 after the first quarter and each team tallied four times in the second for a 10-7 game at the half. The Wildcats stretched the lead to 16-11 through three quarters and outscored the Buckeyes 4-2 in the final stanza for the 20-12 final.
Â
Leah Sax had a hat trick and Annie Hargraves and Kate Tyack each scored twice for the Buckeyes. Senior defender Lilli Sherman tallied her first collegiate goal and had six ground balls, along with a caused turnover. Katie Kaucheck had a team-best three caused turnovers. The 14 members of the Buckeye senior class were recognized pregame.
Â
How it Happened
- The Buckeyes opened the scoring on a player-up goal from Leah Sax 1:25 into the game. Northwestern scored six of the next eight goals to close the first quarter with a 6-2 lead.
- After back-to-back Wildcat goals, Kate Tyack tied the game at 4:23.
- Northwestern notched the next four and a Tyack goal with 16 seconds left in the quarter ended the run.
- The Wildcats led 10-7 at the half.
- A free position goal from Emily Magalotti at 12:59 opened the scoring in the second quarter. Northwestern's Niki Miles tallied the next two and the Buckeyes answered with two of their own. Maeve Simonds drove the cage and scored at 5:42 before Brynn Ammerman's shot off a loose ball at 3:52.
- The Wildcats notched two goals in less than a minute – at 1:54 and 1:04 – for a 9-6 lead.
- Buckeye senior defender Lilli Sherman closed the scoring in the quarter with her first career goal, converting her first career shot on a fast break with eight seconds remaining.
- Northwestern stretched the lead to 16-10 through 45 minutes.
- The teams traded goals early in the second half, with Ammerman setting up Sax in front at 12:39.
- Northwestern scored four in a row – including three from Madison Taylor – from 6:46 to 3:36 for a 15-8 lead.
- Ohio State responded, on unassisted goals from Kampbell Stone and Annie Hargraves, at 2:52 and 1:36 respectively. Northwestern closed the quarter with a goal with seven seconds left.
- Taylor tallied for the Wildcats at 14:19 of the fourth quarter.
- Sax finished her hat trick at 5:54 on a free position goal, followed by a player-up score from Hargraves at 5:12.
- Northwestern found the back of the cage three times in the final 2:43 for the 20-12 final.
- Shots were 39-28 in favor of Northwestern. Buckeye goalie Jocelyn Torres had 11 saves and the Wildcat goalie made nine stops.
- Ohio State had the edge in ground balls, 17-13. Sherman had a team-best six in the game and Ella Wright picked up three.
- Katie Kaucheck led the Buckeyes with three caused turnovers.
- Abby Boyle had five draw controls to lead the Buckeyes. Northwestern had the advantage, 22-13.
- The Buckeyes were 24-for-25 on clears and Northwestern was 24-for-26.
- Sax has at least one point in 14 of 15 games this season and has a 20-14-34 line, ranking second in assists and third in points. It was her sixth game with three or more goals as a Buckeye.
- Ammerman leads the Buckeyes with 52 points and has a team-high 38 assists. She is on an 18-game point streak (17g, 42a, 58p).
- Tyack is first for the Buckeyes with 34 goals, with a tally in 13 of 15 outings. She is second on the squad with 39 points. It was her 17th career multiple-goal outing.
- Sherman is first on the squad with 24 caused turnovers and ranks second with 25 ground balls, behind Torres with 29. Sherman's six ground balls were a career high, passing the five she recorded at Akron last year.
- Torres notched her eighth double-digit save game of the year.
- Hargraves has 18 goals and 19 points on the year and is on a five-game goal-scoring streak. She has 13 career games with two or more goals.
- Simonds notched her first goal this season and Magalotti now has seven goals and nine points.
- Boyle leads the Buckeyes with 50 draw controls.
Team Stats
NU
OSU
Shots
39
28
Turnovers
17
15
Caused Turnovers
10
6
Draw Controls
22
13
Free-Position Shots
8
4
Ground Balls
13
17
Game Leaders
Players
Players Mentioned
No videos available.