Maryland women’s lacrosse vs. Ohio State preview: Terps host Buckeyes on Senior Day

Saturday is Senior Day for Maryland women’s lacrosse, as the Terps play their final regular season home game against Ohio State. Zoe Stukenberg, Caroline Wannen and Nadine Hadnagy will play their final game in a Maryland uniform. The Buckeyes enter the game having lost eight of their last nine, getting outscored 121-81 in that span.

First draw on Saturday will take place at Noon and the game will be broadcasted on BTN Plus.

Ohio State Buckeyes (6-9)

Head coach Alexis Venechanos. In her seventh season as Buckeyes head coach, Venechanos has lead the team to 72 total wins. Prior to Ohio State, she spent three years as head coach at Massachusetts, and three years as an assistant at Northwestern. Venechanos played lacrosse at Maryland from 2000-2003, a member of two national champions, including the starting goalkeeper when the Terps won it all in 2001.

Players to Watch

Molly Wood, 5’10, attack, No. 33. Wood is the Buckeyes’ most important offensive player, leading the team with 47 points, 41 goals and 63 draw controls. Last season, Wood tied Ohio State’s single season record with 79 draw controls and has scored 102 goals in her Ohio State career.

Baley Parrott, 5’4, midfield, No. 2. In her sophomore season with Ohio State, Parrott is currently second on the team in points with 35 and goals with 27. Additionally, she’s scored four hat tricks this season, including a four-goal performance against No. 6 Penn State.

Strength

Limiting offensive turnovers. Ohio State has struggled at times this year, but it’s been able to limit turnovers. The Buckeyes is only averaging 16.13 turnovers per game, ranked 34 in the nation. It isn’t great, but it shows they can take care of the ball.

Weaknesses

Free position percentage. The buckeyes haven’t had their issues during free position this season with a .308 percentage on 78 attempts. That percentage is tied for 100th in the country. Ohio State is vulnerable after fouls, giving the Terps a lot of leeway in their defensive zone.

Scoring offense and scoring defense. Especially of late, Ohio State has been weak on both ends of the field. They are averaging 10.93 goals per game vs. 12.13 goals-against per game, both signs of a struggling team. Maryland shouldn’t have much issues controlling this game.

Three Things to Watch

1. Does Liza Hernandez Play? The Buckeyes freshman was having a great season before she suffered an injury in March. Hernandez had 21 goals and 13 assists at the time of the injury, and since her loss the Buckeyes are 1-5. Ohio State is a much different team when Hernandez plays.
2. Can Molly Wood break through Maryland’s defense? The Terps have done a tremendous job this year containing top offensive players, most recently holding Princeton’s Olivia Hompe to one goal. Maryland’s next challenge is Wood, who has scored at least two goals in 14 of 15 games this year.
3. Can Kali Hartshorn stay hot? The freshman has been in a groove the past two games, combining for eleven total goals. If she can keep this up for the rest of the regular season, she can go into the postseason with a ton of confidence and continue to take some offensive pressure off Megan Whittle and Zoe Stukenberg.