Posted March 24, 2024 | Article by Hayden Lewis | Photo by Emmy Vitali
On Sunday, Penn State will square off against the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road in Columbus.
Last year’s game was dominated from start to finish by the Nittany Lions. Matt and Jack Traynor recorded three goals in the contest en route to a 17-9 victory. This year, Penn State will not have the elder of the two brothers but is in a prime position to record another victory against its conference foe.
Things to know about Ohio State
The Buckeyes have found themselves in the roughest patch of their schedule, dropping four of their last five games. However, the team is still 5-4 on the season, fighting to stay relevant in the conversation around the top-20 teams in the nation.
The Buckeyes are a transfer-heavy squad this season. Three of the team’s top five scorers are new to Columbus this year. Not to mention the Ohio State roster has some young players in key positions as well.
Last year, Ohio State was 5-9, losing its final five games of the season, including every Big Ten contest they played except for Rutgers.
This team is built around its leaders on the backend, Marcus Hudgins and Bobby Van Buren. However, Van Buren has missed extended time in multiple parts of the year because of injury. The defense is the shining spot of the team this year, but down its top man, it has struggled.
Ohio State boasts the No. 14 defense based on efficiency, creating a positive margin in time of possession, leaving the Buckeyes ranked No. 8 in time of possession in the nation.
Scouting Marquette
Ohio State has the aforementioned dynamic one-two punch on defense in Hudgins and Van Buren. When the two have both been on the field together they have been able to stifle opposing offenses. Without both, the Buckeyes will struggle to contain the Penn State attack.
On Sunday, Caleb “Big Tasty” Fyock will be the starter between the pipes for Ohio State. On the season Fyock is 53.6% as a shot-stopper. Fyock is one of the most known lacrosse players in the nation because of his play and nickname, his older brother Aleric graduated from Penn State in 2023.
Vermont graduate transfer, Tommy Burke is the starting faceoff athlete for the Buckeyes. Burke is 57.4% on the year but only managed to go 3-10 against Alec Stathikis from Denver.
What Penn State will bring
Penn State boasts a top-five attackman in the nation in TJ Malone. Last year Malone recorded four points against Ohio State, however, this year Malone is averaging 6.33 points a game and has been owning every team he’s played.
Malone’s right-hand man Matt Traynor has been excellent this year as well. With 28 points in seven games, Traynor draws attention away from Malone, making his life easier, and the offense more dynamic.
Stopping 57.8% of the shots he faces, Jack Fracyon has been excellent in the cage. The junior out of Bullis has backstopped the Nittany Lions to an excellent 6-1 record and is an excellent leader on the defensive side of the field.
Faceoff athlete Chase Mullins bounced back after a couple of week-long rough patches. The redshirt sophomore went 11-18 against Marquette and looks to have gained confidence back ahead of Ohio State.
Where to watch
Fans can watch the Nittany Lions on Big Ten Network at 2:30 p.m., or they can watch the game in person in Columbus, Ohio, at the Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium.
Hayden Lewis is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email lewis1818hayden@gmail.com.
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