In 2017, a school-record six Buckeyes were selected in the Major League Lacrosse draft on May 28. For comparison, seven Buckeyes were selected in the 2017 NFL draft. Can the lacrosse team reload like OSU football has?
While Major League Lacrosse might not be as lucrative as the NFL, having six Buckeyes drafted in a single year is quite the feat.
Kicking off the event for the Buckeyes was faceoff specialist Jake Withers who was selected No. 9 overall by the Atlanta Blaze. Withers made a name for himself by placing in the top five in the NCAA in faceoff win percentage and in the top 10 in groundballs per game. He was also named a USILA Second Team All-American.
There wasn't a long wait for the next Buckeye selected, though, as attackman Eric Fannell was selected 13th overall by the Rochester Rattlers. The third team USILA All-American was an offensive powerhouse for the Bucks, scoring just over three points per game and a total of 51 in his two years at Ohio State.
After Fannell, there was a large gap before Johnny Pearson was selected in the sixth round, 53rd overall by the Ohio Machine. Lots of Ohio State fans will be able to take just a short trip to Obetz, Ohio to see Pearson in his home games for the Machine.
Pearson wasn't the only Buckeye selected by the Ohio Machine, though. As a matter of fact, the Machine seemed to have quite the affinity for Ohio State players and they selected a former Buckeye in the sixth, seventh and eighth rounds of the draft.
In the seventh, the Machine took midfielder Tyler Pfister and in the eighth they tripled down on Buckeye midfielders by selecting JT Blubaugh. Pfister and Blubaugh combined for 25 goals for the Scarlet and Gray in 2017.
Between the selections of Pfister and Blubaugh for the machine, third team USILA All-American goalie Tom Carey was selected 65th overall by the Denver Outlaws. Carey made almost 10 saves per game for the Scarlet and Gray, and I'm sure he'll be looking to make an even bigger impact with the Outlaws.
As for the squad in 2018, three USILA All-Americans are returning to try to lead the Buckeyes back to the NCAA tournament and make another deep run: first-teamer defenseman Ben Randall, third-teamer attacker Tre Leclaire and honorable mention midfielder Ryan Terefenko.
Randall was the program's first-ever first team selection and was a star for the Buckeyes and served as an anchor for the Scarlet and Gray defense that held opponents to just over eight goals per game. He also picked up 47 groundballs and caused 13 turnovers on the season.
Leclaire was the Big Ten freshman of the year after a season in which he scored 45 goals (first on the team) and 59 points (second behind Fannell), both Ohio State freshman records. Leclaire even put up three goals in seven games this season, and his scoring might increase as he'll have to carry more of the load for the Scarlet and Gray in 2018.
Terefenko, another freshman, showed off his utility on both sides of the ball with 11 points, 28 groundballs and three forced turnovers. Leclaire was the first Buckeye to be recognized on one of the three USILA All-America teams while he and Terefenko were just the second and third Ohio State true freshmen to ever be recognized by the USILA.
Replacing goalie Tom Carey might be difficult for the Buckeyes, but an in-house replacement is already waiting in the wings: rising senior Matthew Smidt. In limited time, usually spelling Carey, Smidt showed promise, In four games (two starts) Smidt put together 26 saves on a 55.3 save percentage. While it was in much less time, Smidt's save percentage was three points higher than Carey's in 2017.
Having a player returning on offense, midfield and defense as well as having a replacement at goalie ready will certainly help the transition from the senior-heavy lineup in 2017 to a new one in 2018, but production from the dominant freshman will likely have to step up if the Buckeyes want to become mainstays in the NCAA tournament.
