B1G Road Trip to No. 11 Penn State Next For No. 16 Ohio State

ADDITIONAL INFO: Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium | Men’s Lacrosse Tickets | Stadium Policies | Schedule | Roster

No. 16 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Penn State
Date: Sunday, April 2
Time: Noon ET
Venue: Panzer Stadium
Watch: ESPNU
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Rosters: Ohio State | Penn State
Stats: Ohio State | Penn State
Game Notes: Ohio State | Penn State
 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The quest for the 2023 Creator’s Trophy starts this weekend as the No. 16 Ohio State men’s lacrosse team meets No. 11 Penn State in University Park, Pa. on Sunday. The Buckeyes (5-4, 1-0 B1G) and Nittany Lions (5-3, 0-1 B1G) faceoff at noon from Panzer Stadium.

The Creator’s Trophy

• The Creator’s Trophy was established in 2012 by Ohio State head coach Nick Myers, then-Michigan head coach John Paul and Penn State’s head coach Jeff Tambron.
• The award is contested annually between the three schools, the three Big Ten programs that sponsored lacrosse at the time.
• A team that earns a 2-0 record against the other programs will take ownership of the trophy. If two teams earn a 1-1 record, the trophy will go to the head-to-head winner. If all teams finish 1-1, then no team or year will be recorded on the trophy and it will reside with the most recent team to win it outright.
• Lacrosse is considered North America’s first sport and its generation is credited to Native Americans. Today, Native Americans still refer to the sport as “The Creator’s Game.” The trophy is intended to pay homage to the sport’s heritage, promote the budding rivalry of the Big Ten schools and encourage sportsmanship on and off the field of play.
• Ohio State won the trophy in 2022, bringing it back to Columbus for the first time since 2015. The Buckeyes have won the trophy three times with Penn State earning it seven times. Michigan has never won it.

Briefly on the Buckeyes

• Goaltender Skylar Wahlund was named the Big Ten Specialist of the Week following the Buckeyes’ win over Rutgers last weekend. Wahlund made a season-high 17 saves and picked up three ground balls and a caused turnover in the team’s first win over the Scarlet Knights since 2018. The award is his second of the season.
• Sunday’s game against the No. 11 ranked Nittany Lions marks Ohio State’s seventh game in eight outings against a ranked opponent. The team is 2-4 against ranked opponents this season.
• The Buckeyes own a 20-21 Big Ten record in the eight-year history of the league’s sponsorship of men’s lacrosse.
• This year is the second in three seasons that the Buckeyes have opened the conference schedule with a win.
• Jack Myers continues to lead the Buckeyes with 28 points on the year. He has recorded a team-high 17 assists and scored 11 goals for Ohio State.
• Ed Shean has tallied a team-high 19 goals this year. He’s second on the team in points, adding seven assists for 26 points this season.
• Skylar Wahlund has started all nine games in goal for the Buckeyes. He has a save percentage of .508 on the year with 96 saves this year.
• Wahlund leads non-faceoff players with 30 ground balls on the year, followed by Cullen Brown with 18.
• Colby Smith has scored four goals in Ohio State’s last two games with nine tallies in the last three games.
• Four of Jason Knox’s five goals this season have been scored on the extra-man opportunity. The Buckeyes are converting 46.2% in man-up situations.
• Marcus Hudgins leads the team with 10 caused turnovers on the year.

Last Time Out

• Ohio State opened the 2023 conference slate with an 11-7 win over then-ranked No. 6 Rutgers.
• The game was a historic one for the Buckeyes as it was the first conference game and conference win in Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium for the men’s program.
• The game also marked the first televised contest in the stadium.
• The Buckeye defense had its best game of the year in the win as Ohio State held Rutgers to its lowest scoring performance of the season and caused five turnovers.
• Senior Colby Smith paced the Buckeyes’ attack with four goals on the night. Justin Sherrer scored his first goal as a Buckeye in the win.

History vs. Penn State

• Rutgers enters the game with a 7-1 record this season.
• The last time the teams met, the Scarlet Knights took a narrow 12-10 victory over the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
• Ohio State’s last victory over Rutgers came in Columbus in 2018. The team defeated the Scarlet Knights, 10-7.

Up Next

Ohio State closes its 2023 home slate next week, hosting No. 2 Maryland on Friday, April 7 at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium. The Buckeyes and Terrapins face off at 8 p.m. ET in Columbus.

Ohio State Men’s Lacrosse Tickets
To purchase tickets and/or for more information on Ohio State men’s lacrosse tickets, click HERE. For information on group tickets and experiences, contact the Ohio State Athletic Ticket Sales Team at 1-800-GOBUCKS or email Athletic.tix@osu.edu to speak with an account executive.

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