Oregon women’s lacrosse (5-3, 0-1 Big Ten) suffered its first home loss of the season in its Big Ten conference debut, falling to the No. 20 Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0, 1-0 Big Ten). The Buckeyes overwhelmed the Ducks, outscoring them by a three-to-one margin to dominate 20-6.
Oregon entered the matchup ranked in the NCAA’s top-10 for both draw control percentage and draw controls per game, but the matchup unfolded with a different story.
“They were just a little bit cleaner than us. They had less mistakes and I think that’s a team that’s gonna capitalize on any kind of mistakes,” head coach Jessica Drummond said. “Losing that ball and turnovers on our end of being able to give them second chance opportunities on offense to put that ball away, is what we want to make sure we limit in the future.”
The Buckeyes’ NCAA top three scoring defense was suffocating for Oregon, only allowing 14 shots on goal compared to the Buckeyes’ 30.
The Ducks struggled with discipline, committing twice as many fouls and a season-high 20 turnovers. Given Ohio State’s top-10 NCAA ranking in caused turnovers per game, it was no surprise that Oregon could not maintain ball possession, further contributing to the loss.
Despite Oregon's lowlights, there were highlights for athletes as attacker Gabby Santucci earned her third consecutive hat trick of the season.
“You see how tough she is. She's strong, she's gritty, she’s gonna make it happen and just really proud of just how much she shows up and competes every game,” Drummond said of Santucci’s performance.
One area where Oregon found success was in the draw circle. Junior captain Rachel Pallo, who ranks in the NCAA’s top-20 for draw controls per game, led both teams with seven. However, her efforts weren’t enough to shift the momentum in Oregon’s favor.
With the brunt of conference play ahead, the loss raises questions about Oregon’s ability to compete at a high level in Big Ten conference play.
“I want us to continue to fight and be a little bit cleaner on our stick work, making sure we’re taking care of those opportunities that we have,” Drummond said. “ I thought we did a great fight in the draw control and then making sure we just possess it on offense and finish it by scoring a goal.”
The Ducks will look to defend Papé field on Sunday, taking on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights with the first draw set for 12:00 p.m.