The Boston University men’s lacrosse team (0-2) was unable to keep things close with the No. 13/12 Ohio State University Buckeyes (2-0) Saturday at Nickerson Field, leading to a 11-4 loss.
BU trailed just 2-1 after the first 15 minutes at Nickerson Field. Sophomore midfielder Jett Dziama netted the first Terrier goal of the day off an assist from freshman attack Vince D’Alto.
BU head coach Ryan Polley said he was pleased with how his team was engaged during the game and involved in all of the action.
“I thought our compete level and our intensity were up to a standard they need to be to compete at the highest level,” Polley said. “I’m proud of my team and the way that they competed.”
Junior faceoff specialist Sean Christman dominated the X, winning 15 of 18 faceoffs.
Polley said Christman’s performance on faceoffs gave the Terriers offensive chances they might not have had otherwise.
“Anytime you can be that dominant at the X, you’re going to give yourself extra possessions,” Polley said. “[Christman]’s been working really hard with coach Lattimore.”
Ground balls were also an area where BU outpaced the Buckeyes. The Terriers scooped up 39 ground balls compared to Ohio State’s 25.
The Buckeyes began to find their footing in the second quarter when they went on a 4-0 run to give them a 6-1 lead. One OSU goal during that stretch came from senior attack Tre Leclaire who finished with two goals on the day, and already has eight goals through two games.
The relentless attack from Ohio State continued in the third quarter, outscoring BU 4-1 and stretching the lead all the way up to 10-3 entering the final 15 minutes. Sophomore attack Timmy Ley scored the lone BU goal in the third quarter, his second goal of the year.
Redshirt junior goalie Josh Kirson kept the Terriers off the board for most of the afternoon. He finished with 18 saves including seven in the second quarter.
Polley said Kirson played well, however, that BU needs to be more efficient when shooting.
“He made all the saves he needed to make,” said Polley. “We have to be a little bit better with our shot selection … There were some opportunities that we missed out on.”
Much of the fourth quarter saw Ohio State using up all of the shot clock on every possession to try and milk the clock down. Each team scored one goal including the second of the year for Terrier senior midfielder Jared Nugent.
BU has seen a lack of scoring in the first two games of the season. After last week’s loss to Providence (2-0) 12-5, the Terriers have just nine goals after two contests.
Polley’s squad will now embark on a four game road trip ending March 7 when the Terriers return to Boston. The first of those four matchups will be Saturday in Lowell when BU squares off against the University of Massachusetts Lowell (1-0
