The going doesn’t get any easier for the No. 10 Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team this week as the Minutemen travel to No. 12 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon for their second consecutive clash against a ranked opponent.
UMass (2-0) is coming off of a well-rounded performance last time out against Bucknell that featured seven goal scorers. Junior Will Manny continued his torrid start to the 2012 season with a three-goal, four-assist performance to give him 16 points through the team’s first two games. Tim McCormack also collected six saves, turning away 15 shots-on-goal.
The Buckeyes (3-0) are riding high heading into the contest after upsetting then-No. 5 Denver, 10-9, on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. Junior attackman Logan Schuss led the charge for Ohio State, racking up a game-high five goals.
Trailing 8-6 with two minutes, 30 second remaining in the third quarter, the Buckeyes ripped off four consecutive goals – a run that carried into the fourth quarter – to take a 10-8 lead with just over 12 minutes left to play in the game. A Pioneers goal in the final two minutes wasn’t enough as OSU handed Denver its first Eastern College Athletic Conference loss since 2009.
UMass coach Greg Cannella knows that Ohio Stadium will be tough venue to win in and also noted all the momentum OSU will have coming off of their latest victory. That, coupled with the tremendous athletes on both ends of the field, can pose some problems for the Minutemen that they will have to be ready to counter.
“It’s just preparing yourself to be ready for what’s coming and know that Ohio State will kick your butt if you’re not,” said Cannella.
Schuss is the Buckeyes’ go-to attacker, leading the team with 10 goals and tied for the team-lead in assists with Tyler Frederick. They each have five. Schuss isn’t afraid to rip shots towards the net, leading the team by a large margin with 29 attempts compared to the next most total of 14. Senior defenseman Brock Sorensen can also be a scoring threat, having tallied seven goals this season.
Balance was paramount for UMass against the Bison last week. Kyle Smith continued his own hot start to the season with a hat trick to give him seven goals in two games. Mike Fetterly, Art Kell, Steve D’Amario, Colin Fleming and Grant Whiteway also pitched in goals of their own to round out the attack.
Last year’s matchup told a similar story for the Minutemen. Four players finished with a pair of goals – Kell, Fleming, Connor Mooney and Anthony Biscardi – as UMass topped Ohio State, 11-9, on Feb. 26 at Garber Field. Schuss scored twice in the loss on just four shots.
The defense answered the call in last year’s meeting for the Minutemen, limiting the Buckeyes to just 21 shots, while this year’s OSU squad is averaging 39.7 attempts-per-game. Tom Celentani, Jake Smith and the rest of UMass’ defense will need to play even better than a year ago if they hope to grab its second straight win over the Buckeyes.
OSU serves as yet another test for the Minutemen, marking the second consecutive ranked opponent they have played, not counting an Army squad that has received consideration for Inside Lacrosse’s Top 20.
Cannella feels the early grind-it-out games will have a positive effect for his team, especially when it the calendar turns to April when Colonial Athletic Association play is in full swing.
“If you don’t come ready and be willing to grind out a game … you’re [going to] lose,” said Cannella. “It’s a willingness more than anything, I think, and also a desire to get out there and play.”
Stephen Sellner can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @MDC_Sellner.
