April 10, 1984.
That was the only other time Notre Dame’s lacrosse program had shut out the opposing team. Mount Union was outmatched 15-0 that day.
March 21, 2015.
Ohio State loses 9-0 at Arlotta Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
So here’s the deal. I’m going to make this portion of my column short and sweet, because being shutout is pretty self explanatory and I’m not one to beat a dead horse, but I do have some thoughts nonetheless.
You can’t blame the defense…
I mean other than not putting up a goal, here’s what I mean. They held the Irish to a 3-0 lead at halftime. This was borderline unrealistic to ask of the defense to keep Notre Dame only at a three goal margin, but they did their job and then some by keeping their team in the game.
You really can’t blame the defense…
Tewaarton Award finalist Matt Kavanagh only scored once and had a pretty assist on an EMO. Enough said there. A far cry from his seven goals and an assist in Columbus a year ago.
OSU finally cracked on the man-down…
Notre Dame went 1-3 with a man up, breaking the man-down defense’s 100% streak. Bummer. However, the Buckeyes are still 12-13 (92.3%) when killing penalties. They’re still a remarkable unit.
OSU won the faceoff battle…
Christopher May went 8-12 and Jake Withers went 1-1. Not a consolation prize. But good to see from these two.
It really is hard to believe…
24 shots, 13 on the cage, and not one ball went in the net. An offense with Carter Brown, Ryan Hunter, Jesse King and David Planning, among others, were not able to bury one, even with five EMO’s.
Ok, maybe I am beating the aforementioned deceased horse.
So the Scarlet and Gray have to take a look in the mirror…
The season is far from over. This was a wake up call. OSU has a defense that has exceeded my expectations for this year and they are still a top five group in the nation (7.4 goals against per game). They have one of the best faceoff specialists in Christopher May, and an offense led by Jesse King that should be providing more than it has. Their inaugural Big Ten schedule starts on Sunday. If they can’t get up for that, then they can’t get up for anything because that is a very exciting moment in this program’s history.
So having that said…
#15 Ohio State (7-3) @ Penn State (3-5) at The Penn State Lacrosse Field. Sunday, March 29. 3 p.m.
There’s enough in that headline to make a few notes…
For starters, the latest Inside Lacrosse poll still has OSU at No. 15 despite the shutout. I know Nick Myers and co. probably don’t care but it makes for a good resume booster if they’re able to get on another roll and increase their ranking by the time the Big Ten conference tournament rolls around.
The Buckeyes have to take care of business. This is a Penn State team that has struggled this season.
Having that said, I wouldn’t take them lightly by any means. Not only are they 2-0 at home this season, but they also played Denver to a 10-8 loss. Six of their eight contests have been decided by three goals or less.
OSU has to get back to their game…
With maybe a few alterations. The Buckeyes play as good of a two-man game as there is in the country. They set picks and work off of them. Their sets from those picks at goal line extended are fluid and have allowed them to get grade A scoring chances all season. But I think Notre Dame realized this, and shut it down accordingly. We will see on Sunday what adjustments that the coaching staff has made.
Senior David Planning and freshman Colin Chell have impressed me in a few areas this season…
For Planning, his ability to catch and shoot in the blink of an eye serves him well. He has eight goals this season, and I’ve been saying during my broadcasts that I would love to put a radar gun on his shot, because each rocket he sends toward the net seems harder than the last.
With Chell, not only has the Bel Air, Md., native made a huge impact already, but his work from the x position opens things up in front of the net. He has nine goals this year, and he’s a threat to score from behind the net as he has an excellent wrap around ability with one arm.
Keep an eye on these two in the weeks to come.
Another fantastic week of lacrosse lies ahead. Catch you next Wednesday!
