Hot dang!! After an excruciating win over Hofstra Saturday, Ohio State followed up a poor effort with an outstanding battle against Notre Dame. The Buckeyes managed to keep it interesting throughout, but an absolutely HUGE day on special teams carried OSU to victory. My issues with the Buckeye Man Up unit have been expressed loudly and often, but today the entire unit single-handedly won the game.
The Man Up squad went 5 for 5, completely blowing away my expectations and predictions. It was glorious.
Offensively, Ohio State didn't set the world on fire in the first half, scoring 4 goals on 17 shots. The attackmen were a collective 1 for 9, showing just how much Ohio State relies on the trio of Leclaire, Myers, and Reid to make the team go. The second half was much better, even though Ohio State really didn't set the world on fire in terms of shooting. The Buckeyes scored two consecutive Man Up goals to take the lead, then traded goals with Notre Dame to knot things up at 8.
From there it was a sprint to the finish, with Ohio State managing to score 5 goals in the final quarter, despite falling behind 9-8 early. It was the best Ohio State has looked against a ranked opponent this year, and to do this against a squad like Notre Dame is outstanding work! Tre Leclaire ended up with 5 goals and an assist. Jackson Reid scored 3 in the second half. It was a fantastic effort from them, and really pushed OSU over the top.
Defensively, Ohio State did what they had to do. They contained Notre Dame's biggest guns for most of the game, keeping Kavanagh, Costabile, and Jackoboice to 5 goals on 19 shots collectively.
That's a mark the Buckeyes will take every time against a team like Notre Dame. The depth of the Irish is incredible, and to get another win against them is just fantastic work by the staff. The Buckeyes kept Notre Dame to just under 29% shooting, which Ohio State can justifiably feel good about. Goalie Josh Kirson had a great first half, but finished with a save percentage of .476.
I have had a lot of criticism for Kirson, and it has been sparked by his disappearing once the real teams come to play. He had been really good early, so I will cut him a break and say this is just a blip. But it's something to keep an eye on.
At the faceoff X, Ohio State got a 55.5% advantage from Justin Inacio, which is below what Inacio is capable of. The Notre Dame squad is not that talented, and he honestly should have done better.
Inacio has been phenomenal this year, though, and has more than earned a break every now and then. He will be back, and better than ever. Inacio will have his hands full against the best FOGO in the class of 2019 on Saturday.
Finally, we reach special teams. There's not much to say. Going 5 for 5 with a man advantage is not something I would have thought possible for this team. I wouldn't have wagered someone else's money on that happening for the next 5 years. It's just absurd!
And yet, that's exactly what happened. It still doesn't feel real. But there was no better time for the Man Up unit to break out. They accounted for 40% of OSU's goals today, and quite possibly saved Ohio State's hopes of making the postseason. The Buckeyes HAD to win one game out of the Notre Dame/Denver stretch to have a chance, and now OSU can play like there's nothing to lose.
Win 3 out of 5 of the B1G games, and OSU is a shoe-in for the B1G tourney, and the national one. Especially if they can beat either Maryland or Penn State. It's going to be an exciting end to the season!
This assumes, of course, that the season actually gets to play out. Several D3 schools have cancelled all spring sports, including both defending lacrosse champions (Amherst and Middlebury). The governor of Ohio mandated all indoor sporting events include only parents and essential personnel. Who knows if OSU gets to play out this year.
It would be extremely sad for the players, fans, and especially Tre Leclaire, who is so close to being the most prolific goalscorer in Buckeye history. Here's hoping the season doesn't get cancelled altogether.
Great win today! Go Bucks!
