Buckeyes Get Another Crack at Notre Dame
from press release
BIRMINGHAM, Mich. – With points from seven players, 13 saves from junior goalie Brandon Freeman and a solid defensive effort, the Ohio State men’s lacrosse team defeated Air Force, 10-5, Friday at Maple Field at Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Mich., to advance to the Great Western Lacrosse League tournament championship game.
Ohio State, the No. 3 seed, moves to 8-7 on the year and will
take on No. 1 Notre Dame at noon Sunday in Birmingham, Mich., with
the winner receiving the league's automatic bid into the NCAA
tournament. No. 2 seed Air Force, who defeated the Buckeyes 9-6
earlier this year, ends the season 7-7. Notre Dame beat No. 4 seed
Quinnipiac, 7-4, in the other GWLL semifinal.
Air Force took a one-goal lead three times in the first quarter,
but the Buckeyes tied the game each time. Sophomore Mike Pires
scored the only goal of the second quarter to put Ohio State in the
lead for the first time and junior Mario Ventiquattro extended the
lead to two early in the third quarter as the Buckeye defense held
the Falcons scoreless for 23:12. The teams traded goals again with
Air Force drawing within one (6-5) with 1:18 left in the third
quarter. The Buckeyes then held the Falcons off the board and
closed out the game with four unanswered goals for the semifinal
win.
Senior Joel Dalgarno set the program goal-scoring record with his
third-quarter tally, marking the 124th goal of his Buckeye career.
He added three assists for a team-best four points in the game.
Pires had two goals and an assist for three points, with senior
Jeff Ryan and Ventiquattro each scoring twice.
The teams combined for six goals in the first quarter, ending the
period tied at 3. The Falcons led by one three times, but the
Buckeyes knotted the score each time. Vinny Sandtrov opened the
scoring with his first of three goals in the quarter, tallying at
12:13. Senior Brian Lalley scored less than a minute later from
right in front of the cage at 11:20. Sandtorv scored at 8:23 to put
Air Force back on top, a lead it held for more than five minutes
before sophomore Mike Pires scored unassisted at 3:06 but Sandtorv
tallied for the Falcons at 2:05 to make the score 3-2. Joel
Dalgarno set up Jeff Ryan for a goal at 1:08 to again tie the game.
The Buckeyes won 5-of-7 faceoffs in the stanza. The Falcons outshot
the Buckeyes, 8-7, in the quarter.
Pires scored man-up, assisted by James Green, at 12:13 of the
second quarter to put Ohio State in the lead for the first time. It
was the only goal of the quarter, as Freeman made four saves in the
Buckeye cage. Air Force outshot Ohio State, 9-8, in the quarter.
Ohio State won both faceoffs in the quarter. The Buckeyes carried a
4-3 lead into halftime.
Ohio State extended its goal run to three when Pires found
Ventiquattro at 13:09 of the third quarter to give the Buckeyes a
two-goal lead (5-3). Air Force got on the board at 8:53 with a K.J.
Landgraf goal, its first tally in 23:12. Dalgarno scored his
record-setting goal at 7:18 on a fast break following a turnover in
the Buckeye zone that rolled past midfield and was scooped up by
junior Scott Foreman. The Falcons’ Landgraf scored six
minutes later to cut the Ohio State lead to one (6-5). Dalgarno
found Ryan in front of the net for a goal with 17 seconds left in
the third quarter to give the Buckeyes a 7-5 edge heading into the
fourth stanza. Shots were 10-9 in favor of Air Force in the third
quarter, with Freeman making three stops.
The Buckeyes scored the only three goals of the fourth quarter, as
they held Air Force scoreless for the final 16:18. Dalgarno set up
Green at 8:43. Ventiquattro scored unassisted at 4:03 and senior
Doug Ruhnke had an unassisted tally with 2:02 left. The Buckeyes
outshot Air Force, 12-10, in the stanza, as Freeman made four
saves.
The Buckeyes were outshot in the game, 37-36. Freeman had 13 saves,
with Brian Wilson making six stops for the Falcons.
The Buckeyes were 3-for-5 on EMO chances in the game and held the
Falcons scoreless on three opportunities.
Ohio State won 9-of-17 faceoffs in the game, led by Nick Carr who
was 8-6.
Postgame Notes
The GWLL final will be a rematch of the 2008 championship game,
which the Irish won, 9-2.
Dalgarno has a team-best 25 assists and 57 points this season. He
has 124 career goals, breaking the mark of 123 Terry Gilmore set
from 1976-79 and moves into second place in the career assist
ledger with 99 career helpers, passing Cliff Murray who had 97 from
1966-68. (Gilmore holds the record with 127). Dalgarno is second in
career points with 223. He is on a 21-game point streak
(50-37-87).
Ryan is second on the team with a career-best 47 points, including
a personal-high 31 goals and 16 assists. He has an 83-39-122 line
in his career to rank 19th (tied) in program history in career
points.
Dalgarno and Ryan share the team goal-scoring lead with 31 tallies
each.
Ruhnke is on a seven-game scoring streak (7-4-11). Pires has points
in each of his last three games (5-4-7).Ventiquattro has two goals
in each of his last three games. His second goal vs. the Falcons
was the 50th of his career.
Freeman has double-digit saves in each of his last four games.
