No. 19 Ohio State Downs No. 6 Rutgers, 11-7

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sunday night at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium was one for the Buckeye lacrosse history books as No. 19 Ohio State defeated No. 6 Rutgers, 11-7, in front of a packed crowd of fans and alumni. The Buckeyes (5-4, 1-0 B1G) improve to 5-1 on the year at home with the victory over the Scarlet Knights (7-2, 0-1 B1G).

The Short Story
Ohio State was clicking on both ends of the field as nine Buckeyes earned a point in the game and the team held Rutgers to a season-low seven goals in the contest.

The Buckeyes’ defensive front was led by goaltender Skylar Wahlund, who posted a season-best 17 saves on the night. Wahlund and the rest of the defense kept Rutgers to just 24 shots on goal.

Marcus Hudgins forced two turnovers while Bobby Van Buren, Justin Sherrer and Wahlund each recorded one for Ohio State. Hudgins picked up a team-high five ground balls as the Buckeyes won the ground ball battle, 29-23.

The game was tied twice in the first quarter, but it was Ohio State who held the lead for over 50:00 of the game.

Senior Colby Smith led the attack with four goals in the contest. Sherrer tallied his first goal as a Buckeye Sunday against Rutgers.

The top-10 win marked Ohio State’s first over Rutgers since 2018 and fourth in the overall series. The game also marked the first conference win for the Ohio State men’s lacrosse program in Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium.

How The Goals Were Scored

Freshman Dillon Magee was the first to strike for the Buckeyes, giving the team the early 1-0 lead at 13:45 in the first quarter.
Rutgers tied the game at 12:54, but Ohio State senior Mitchell Pehlke rifled one past Rutgers’ goalie to give the Buckeyes a 2-1 lead at 12:03.
The Scarlet Knights tied the game at 2-all at 6:25 off a goal from Dante Kulas, but that would be the final tie of the night.
Senior Colby Smith rattled off two goals, one at 5:08 and the second at 1:02, to give Ohio State a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Ohio State continued its scoring streak into the second quarter, with three unanswered goals, while holding Rutgers scoreless in the frame. Jack Myers found the back of the net at 12:34 followed by Blake Eiland (7:41) and Smith (4:47).
Rutgers was first to score in the second half, but senior Justin Sherrer got on the board at 10:42 to put the score at 8-3 in favor of Ohio State.
The Scarlet Knights recorded their only pair of consecutive goals at 10:21 and 9:04 in the third quarter to bring them within three of the Buckeyes.
Jason Knox and Smith countered Rutgers’ attack, scoring at 6:28 and 1:56, respectively, making the score a 10-5 advantage for the Ohio State.
Rutgers added two goals in the fourth quarter, but it was Kyle Borda who tallied Ohio State’s final goal of the night, giving the Buckeyes an 11-7 win.

Statistically Speaking
Shots: Rutgers 43, Ohio State 37
Ground Balls: Ohio State 29, Rutgers 23
Faceoffs: Rutgers 14-21, Ohio State 7-21
Clears: Rutgers 16-16, Ohio State 24-26
Extra Man: Ohio State 1-5, Rutgers 1-6
Saves: Ohio State (Wahlund) 17, Rutgers (Mullin) 7
Turnovers: Ohio State 14, Rutgers 10
Ohio State Scoring: Smith 4-0-4, Borda 1-2-3, Magee 1-1-2, Pehlke 1-1-2, Shean 0-2-2, Eiland 1-0-1, Knox 1-0-1, Sherrer 1-0-1, Myers 0-1-1

What’s Next
The Buckeyes hit the road to play No. 9 Penn State on Sunday, April 2 at Panzer Stadium in University Park, Pa. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions faceoff at Noon ET and the game will be televised on ESPNU.

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