Ohio State men’s lacrosse tops Penn State in Big Ten debut

Molly Tavoletti
Mon, 30 Mar 2015 03:12:30 +0000
Lacrosse, Sports, Big Ten lacrosse, Buckeyes, David Planning, Jesse King, Ohio State lacrosse, Penn State lacrosse, Tom Carey

Senior attackman Jesse King (right) drives toward the goal against Hofstra on March 7 at Ohio Stadium. OSU won, 9-8.
Credit: Molly Tavoletti / Lantern reporter

The Ohio State men’s lacrosse team got back on track in its first-ever Big Ten game, fresh off a 9-0 loss to Notre Dame.

The Buckeyes defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions (3-6, 0-1), 10-8, on Sunday in State College, Pa., after being blown out by the Fighting Irish last weekend. The win came during the first weekend of men’s and women’s lacrosse action in the Big Ten.

Penn State scored the first goal of the game just 101 seconds after the opening faceoff, but that proved to be the Nittany Lions’ only lead of the game.

OSU senior midfielder Jesse King answered Penn State’s goal only 16 seconds later, sparking the first of the Buckeyes’ five unanswered goals in the first quarter.

King led the offense with three goals, including his 100th career goal at the 9:20 mark in quarter one. The Victoria, British Columbia, native said his scoring figures are a testament to the players around him.

“I’ve been really fortunate to play around some spectacular players in four years … so it’s been a contribution of our whole team,” King said after the game. “It’s not something I’ve been trying to get towards, but it’s a real honor.”

OSU capitalized on the depth of its offense with 10 goals from six players. Senior midfielder Turner Evans and junior attackman Carter Brown each nabbed two goals, while senior midfielder David Planning, sophomore attackman J.T. Blublaugh and sophomore midfielder John Kelly each scored one for the Buckeyes.

Along with the offense, redshirt-sophomore goalie Tom Carey held it down for the defense, playing all 60 minutes and tallying six saves.

Penn State picked itself up with four unanswered goals in the fourth quarter, but the effort fell short, ultimately allowing OSU to come away with the win. The Buckeyes are now 1-0 in the Big Ten and 8-3 overall.

OSU is set to return home for its second conference game of the season against Johns Hopkins on Sunday at Ohio Stadium.