UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 10 Penn State women's lacrosse team travels to Columbus, Ohio this weekend to battle Ohio State. The Nittany Lions battle the Buckeyes on Friday at noon on Big Ten Network with Dean Linke (play-by-play) and Rachael DeCecco (color analyst) on the call. Sunday's contest will also begin at noon on Big Ten Network+.
The Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Missy Doherty, are 3-3 this season after splitting their series against No. 13 Michigan last weekend. Penn State fell 12-9 on Friday, but bounced back for a 13-12 overtime victory on Sunday. Maria Auth tallied eight points, including five goals and the game-winning goal, in the win.
Penn State is ranked 10th in both the IWLCA and Inside Lacrosse Polls this week.
Ohio State, coached by Amy Bokker, is 1-7 on the season after dropping a pair of contests against No. 8 Maryland. Ohio State is receiving votes in the Inside Lacrosse Poll.
Follow along with the team by watching on Big Ten Network, Big Ten Network+ or following our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensLacrosse) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewlax).
SERIES HISTORY
Penn State leads 21-6 in the all-time series against Ohio State. The Nittany Lions have won the last three meetings, including a 21-5 win over the Buckeyes in 2019. Maria Auth led PSU with a career-high nine points with six goals and three assists. Sophia Triandafils added three goals and two assists. Taylor Suplee made eight saves in 48 minutes of action.
MEET THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State, led by Amy Bokker, is 1-7 this season. The Buckeyes look to bounce back after dropping two games against No. 8 Maryland last weekend (14-9 on Thursday, 11-5 on Saturday). Ohio State owns a 15-12 win over Michigan in 2021.
On Thursday against Maryland, Liza Hernandez recorded three goals. Nicole Ferrara added two goals. Jillian Rizzo made nine saves. On Saturday, Chloe Johnson tallied two goals and Hernandez recorded one. Rizzo notched 15 saves.
Ohio State ranks seventh in the Big Ten in scoring offense (9.25 goals per game) and fifth in scoring defense, allowing 13 goals per game.
Hernandez leads the Buckeyes with 24 goals, ranking 21st in the nation. She sits 45th in the country in goals per game (3.0) and 26th in free-position goals per game (1.0).
Rizzo paces the Big Ten and ranks fourth in total saves (78). She also holds 26th in the country in saves per game (9.75).
CHASING 200 WINS
Head Coach Missy Doherty is closing in on her 200th career win. She currently owns a 198-116 record in her 17th year of coaching. She has a 119-70 record in her 11th season as the head coach of the Nittany Lions.
AUTH REACHES 200TH POINT
On her third goal of the first half on Sunday against Michigan, Maria Auth tallied her 200th career point, becoming the 16th Nittany Lion to reach the 200-point mark.
In 68 career games, Auth owns 204 points, ranking 11th all-time at Penn State and just three points behind Colleen O'Hara (2000-03) for 10th.
Auth has 144 career goals, ranking 11th in program history, four behind Diane Whipple (1987-90) for 10th. She also has 60 career assists, holding 15th all-time.
NATIONAL TV NITS
Penn State will have three games televised on national broadcasts this season.
Penn State's contest against Ohio State on Friday, March 26 will be broadcast on Big Ten Network at noon.
The Nittany Lions' contest against Michigan last Sunday was broadcast on ESPNU. The blue and white will again appear on "the U" for its Wednesday, April 7 game at Johns Hopkins, beginning at 4 p.m.
All six games of the Big Ten Tournament, hosted by Penn State, will be shown on Big Ten Network.
O'NEILL EARNS BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARD
Kristin O'Neill was selected as Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Tuesday. She has collected the honor three times this season and three of the five times the award has been given out in 2021.
In the two-game series against Michigan, O'Neill collected six goals, an assist, four ground balls and two caused turnovers.
O'Neill tied a career high with four goals on Friday. She scored twice on free-position attempts. O'Neill also recorded two ground balls and a caused turnover. On Sunday, O'Neill notched two goals, an assist, two ground balls and a caused turnover. She had a goal and an assist to give Penn State its first lead of the second half.
On the season, the Maryland native has 16 goals, five assists, seven ground balls, three draw controls and six caused turnovers. O'Neill has at least two goals in all six games this season.
O'Neill is tied for second among Division I freshmen averaging 3.5 points per game. She's also tied for second among DI freshmen in goals per game, averaging 2.67.
NITS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
A few Nittany Lions are among the national stat leaders.
As a team, Penn State ranks 24th in the nation in draw controls per game (14.7) and 14th in shots on goal per game (24.8). The Nittany Lions are second in the Big Ten in scoring offense (13.8 goals per game).
Kara Nealon sits 23rd in the country in total assists (13) and 22nd in assists per game (2.17). Olivia Dirks holds sixth in the nation averaging eight draw controls per game and 35th in caused turnovers per game (1.83).
Maria Auth is 50th in the country in points per game (4.0) and 45th in goals per game (3.0), while Kristin O'Neill is 24th in free-position percentage (.714).
Taylor Suplee ranks eighth in the nation in saves per game (10.8) and 16th in total saves (65). She's also fourth in the country in ground balls per game (4.0).
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN
Three true freshmen (Kayla Abernathy, Sammy Dupcak, Kristin O'Neill) and three second-year freshmen (Olivia Dirks, Kara Nealon, Rachel Spilker) started for the Nittany Lions against Rutgers. True freshmen Cam Evitts and Gretchen Gilmore also made their first career starts against Northwestern. Alaina Hamood has also seen playing time as a true freshman.
So far, freshmen have combined for 48 goals, 58 percent of Penn State's team total (83). They have also combined for 26 of Penn State's 36 assists (72%) and 74 of 119 points (62%).
NEXT TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions return to action on Wednesday, April 7 to visit Johns Hopkins. First draw is scheduled for 4 p.m. with a broadcast on ESPNU.
