The No. 18/19 Marquette men’s lacrosse team (2-0) returns to action in Pontiac, Michigan for the second straight weekend Friday afternoon for a battle against last year’s national runner-up, No. 4/6 Ohio State (4-0).
Marquette enters the game after a resounding 13-6 win against Detroit Mercy last Saturday. Freshman attackman Anthony Orsini continued his hot start to the season, scoring four goals.
While the Golden Eagles had a successful outing, there were still plenty of things head coach Joe Amplo believes the young roster needs to work on prior to Friday’s game.
“We weren’t great in the middle of the field,” Amplo said. “They outscored us in transition 5-1 and kind of forced us out of our rhythm in that aspect. Offensively, while we scored a bunch, we were really disorganized.”
Despite some minor mistakes from Marquette, there were still plenty of bright spots in the Golden Eagles’ play, including Orsini’s impressive stat line.
“(Orsini) was great with the ball in his stick and capitalized on his opportunities,” Amplo said. “If the game comes to him, he’s going to have some production. I would love for him to have four goals a game.”
Sophomore attack and midfielder Tre Leclaire leads the Buckeyes in scoring and passing, posting 15 points with 11 goals and 4 assists in just four games for the Buckeyes this season.
Freshman midfielder Jackson Reid is just behind Leclaire with seven goals and one assist while graduate midfielder John Kelly has six goals and two assists.
Ohio State has been remarkably efficient on offense; the Buckeyes are sixth in the nation in shot percentage, scoring 49 goals on 125 shots. Marquette is 37th in the same category at 24 goals on 81 shots.
With a stacked returning lineup, Ohio State will pose a tough test for Amplo’s young squad.
“They have a very good lineup,” Amplo said. “The best thing they do is that they know who they are and they really understand how to manage a lacrosse game. They’re very well-coached, so that’s a challenge.”
The Buckeyes’ most recent game was a 12-11 overtime win against Jacksonville after a last-second goal forced overtime. Both Marquette and Ohio State defeated the Dolphins by one goal.
Amplo is eager to watch his team compete Friday afternoon against one of the top collegiate lacrosse programs in the nation.
“(Ohio State) can compete with anyone,” Coach Amplo said. “They’re one of the models for us, and why wouldn’t they be? They’ve sustained a level that we’ve gotten to in peaks and valleys, but they sustained it when it matters most, and we’re building towards that.”
Midwest Lacrosse Classic: Marquette vs. Ohio State will kick off on Friday afternoon at 4:00 P.M. CT.
