What was a memorable season is over for the Ohio State men’s lacrosse team.
An afterthought to begin the year, the Buckeyes lost their first game to Utah, then went on an absolute tear and ended up winning the Big Ten regular season and conference tournament titles for the first time ever. OSU then received the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament but the first game against two-time defending champion Notre Dame did not go well at all in a blowout 15-6 loss in Columbus on Sunday.
Things started out pretty well for OSU. It got out to a 3-1 lead in the first quarter, but that was the beginning of the end. Notre Dame used its experience and championship pedigree to ratchet up the defensive pressure and find many more scoring chances than the home team, took the lead, and headed into halftime up 7-4.
The second half was even uglier. Ohio State could only muster two goals in the entire second half, all while Notre Dame continued to push the pace of play and make good on its shooting chances. The Buckeyes had no answer and looked completely incapable of putting anything together on offense and that took its toll on the defensive side of the game as well — the strength of this year’s team.
Final from Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium
Notre Dame 15, Ohio State 6 pic.twitter.com/MPhiwZSX6j
The loss knocks OSU out of the NCAA Tournament and sends the team home for the season much earlier than what anyone thought would happen. Hopefully, this year is s stepping stone to continue the momentum the program has going for it right now.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State men’s lacrosse knocked out of NCAA Tournament by Notre Dame
Reporting by Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
