Ohio State excellence is not exclusive to the football field or the basketball court. Around the Oval is our way of keeping you informed of the amazing things happening with the other 34 varsity sports on campus.
Men's Lacrosse Beats Jacksonville with Late Heroics
With less than two minutes remaining, the fourth-ranked men's lacrosse team found itself down two goals at Jacksonville on Sunday. The Buckeyes, demonstrating panache and nerves of steel, scored with 1:34 on the clock and again with only 1.8 seconds left in play. After the buzzer-beating score, the team maintained their laser focus and quickly secured the overtime win with a fast-break score. Despite being down 11-9 with only 94 seconds to go, the team won the game 12-11.
This game-tying goal from Tre LeClaire for @OhioState_MLAX is BONKERS pic.twitter.com/C85jkwvdFS
— Dan Aburn (@Dan_Aburn) February 26, 2018
Sophomore Tre Leclaire was the man of the moment, scoring both late goals and the game-winner in overtime. Leclaire's game-tying goal, assisted by a nearly full-field run and pass, is the stuff of impossible-seeming highlight reels. The sophomore from Surrey, British Columbia was the Big Ten Freshman of the week three times last year. If this weekend's game is any indicator, the attack/midfielder will be an even more critical part of the Buckeye attack this year.
In addition to Leclaire's hat trick, the Buckeyes were aided by two goals each from Colin Chell, Ryan Terefenko, Gale Thorpe and Jackson Reid.
Reid, a freshman, added to the theatricality of the win with a seldom-seen "around the world" scoring maneuver. Rebounding a deflected shot attempt by a teammate, Reid started to run across the goal, appearing ready to shoot at the goalies left side. The Canadian midfielder then swung his stick behind his head and scored on the goalie's right flank. The acrobatic goal, which cut into Jacksonville's lead and made the score 5-4, turned out to be essential as the game went on.
ICYMI: Watch how Jackson Reid went around the world in yesterday's win over Jacksonville. #GoBucks | #BOOM pic.twitter.com/cpy3GCqY7L
— Ohio State Men's LAX (@OhioState_MLAX) February 26, 2018
With the win, the team improves to 4-0 this season. The squad will face Marquette at the Midwest Lacrosse Classic in Detroit on Friday.
Women's Tennis Wins Close 4-3 Match Versus Arizona State
The 14th-ranked women's tennis team headed off a tough challenge from the 20th-ranked Sun Devils at Varsity Tennis Center in Columbus on Sunday. With the win, the team improves to 5-1 on the season.
Freshman Shiori Fukuda and Anna Sanford contributed wins in both singles and doubles, paving the way for the team victory. It was senior Olivia Sneed, however, who delivered the decisive win. Battling back from down a set, Sneed posted a final score of 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 and broke the 3-3 deadlock.
Buckeyes Win!!!!!!
— Ohio State W Tennis (@OhioState_WTEN) February 25, 2018
Final - No. 14 Ohio State 4 No. 22 Arizona State 3
Buckeyes pick up doubles point. Fukuda, Sanford, and Sneed post singles wins for team victory! pic.twitter.com/D64fajUgvU
The women's tennis team will travel to the Lone Star State this weekend for matches with Baylor and 16th-ranked Texas.
Men's Volleyball Loses First Midwestern Match in Years
The weekend got off to a difficult start for the fourth-ranked men's volleyball team with a 25-18, 25-22, 25-23 loss to ninth-ranked Lewis University on Thursday. Prior to this weekend, the team had not lost a match in Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play in over two years.
While the defeat undoubtedly comes as an unwelcome change, it is worth taking time to pause and recognize the Buckeye's 747 day streak without a conference loss. While any defeat is bitter, this one marks the end of a very sweet stretch of Ohio State men's volleyball history.
Unfortunately, the loss snowballed, and the team fell again to Loyola on Saturday. With the second loss, Ohio State moves to 11-4, 4-2 MIVA on the season.
The men's volleyball team will compete in a double header versus McKendree in Lebanon, Illinois this weekend. How they fare could determine whether the team's recent struggles will be short-lived or part of a larger pattern.
Fencing Wins Fifth Consecutive Championship
The third-ranked men's and fourth-ranked women's fencing teams combined to score 1,590 points, the winning total at the 2018 Midwest Fencing Conference Championships.
The men's team won the day outright, scoring 75 points more than second ranked Michigan. While the women's team was 15 points off the leading mark, they did enough to position the team for combined victory.
The Buckeyes are 2018 MFC Champions! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/2TeBZIemut
— Ohio State Fencing (@OhioState_FEN) February 25, 2018
Sarah Merza, Camilla Rivano and Emma von Dadelszen all won individual women's titles. Stas Sudilovsky and Marc-Antoine Blais Belanger won titles on the men's side.
The Buckeyes will compete in NCAA Regional Qualifiers in Cleveland on March 10.
Other Scores and News
- Men's baseball fell to second-ranked Oregon State by a score of 6-1. The team is 5-3 this season.
- Women's softball went undefeated at the Texas Invitational. They will attempt to win their seventh-straight game versus San Diego State on Friday.
- Third-ranked men's tennis conquered 17th-ranked Notre Dame.
- Women's gymnastics extended its win streak with a fifth-straight victorious meet.
- Noah Lense set the school record with a silver medal finish in the 200 butterfly. Men's swimming finished third at the 2018 Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championship.
- Women's lacrosse lost a 17-16 overtime thriller at Jacksonville. The game was strikingly similar, albeit with a different result, to the men's contest.
