Youngstown State University
Ohio State
Penguins Host Ohio State in Home Opener on Friday
2/14/2024 4:00:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
The Youngstown State lacrosse program will host Ohio State in its home opener on Friday inside the Watson and Tressel Training Site (WATTS). First draw against the Buckeyes is set for 3 p.m.
Fans can watch the game live on the YSUsports YouTube Channel and those who attend will receive a 2024 lacrosse schedule magnet.
Gameday Info
YSU vs. Ohio State
About Ohio State
Friday's game will mark the first ever meeting between the Penguins and Ohio State. The Buckeyes are currently 2-0 this season, beating MAC members Robert Morris and Kent State in their two-game homestand to open 2024. OSU defeated the Colonials 19-3 and the Golden Flashes 17-6.
Leading the Buckeyes' scoring effort so far in 2024 are Jamie Lasda who has scored nine goals across both games and Brynn Ammerman who scored four goals while delivering four assists for eight points on the season. Ohio State is under the direction of first year head coach Amanda Moore, who spent the past seven seasons as head coach of East Carolina.
Goalie Regan Alexander delivered two impressive games in the cage to open the season. In her 100 minutes of play, she made eight saves while only giving up six goals for a .571 save percentage.
Last Time Out
The Penguins opened the 2024 season on the road against Oregon, losing to the Ducks 19-8 to begin the season 0-1.
Of the Penguins' eight goals scored, seven were by newcomers to the team. Freshmen Lena Cox and Katie Grottenthaler both delivered a hat trick of goals in their first collegiate games while freshman Brooke Peck and junior Molly Sheridan found the back of the net once.
Freshman Ava Kreutzer delivered the lone Penguin assist of the game for her first career point.
Freshman Genna Cooke led the Penguins with four draw controls while also causing a turnover and grabbing a ground ball.
In the cage, freshman Paige Borkowski recorded the bulk of the minutes, making nine saves while giving up 13 goals for a .409 save percentage in three quarters played.
Roster Outlook
YSU boasts a 27-player roster with 19 returnees from its 2023 campaign. 12 of the 19 returnees played in at least half of the team's games during the 2023 season. Some notable returnees include sophomore attacker Ally Garrett who played in all 18 games for the Penguins and ranked fifth on the team in goals scored with 22. YSU also returns Molly Sheridan, a junior midfielder who played in 16 games and started in 13 games for the Penguins last season. Sheridan was a major contributor to the Penguins defensively while also making important contributions offensively. She caused 18 turnovers and grabbed 19 ground balls while scoring two goals and delivering three assists. Senior attacker Callie Vaudry who has been with the program since its inauguration in 2021 will return to the field in 2024 after battling injuries in the prior two seasons.
Youngstown State also returns many key defensive components including Kayla Stecker, Jocelyn Fike, Mia Kuzdzal, and Grace Manser. The Penguins return important components of their midfield core with Sheridan, Mia Stahl, Dany Emler, and Jade Shearer returning in 2024.
The Penguins have also added seven talented freshmen that will make major contributions to the team in 2024. Freshman attackers Lena Cox, Ava Kreutzer, and Brooke Peck each scored well over 100 goals in their high school careers. In addition, Peck recorded over 200 draw controls to display her multi-faceted talent set. Kreutzer was named to the prestigious 2023 US Lacrosse All-American list. Katie Grottenthaler, Grace Rund, and Genna Cooke join the Penguins at midfield while goalie Paige Borkowski, who made 300 saves in two seasons at Twin Valley High School, makes her collegiate debut in 2024.
Schedule Outlook
The Penguins' 2024 schedule features 16 regular-season games with six at home, played either inside the Watson and Tressel Training Site or outside on Farmers National Bank Field. YSU will face 10 non-conference opponents and square up with each of the six members of the Mid-American Conference once during the season.
Youngstown State will spend most of February on the road having travelled to face Oregon to open the season and facing Duquesne and Cincinnati away to close out the month. Friday's matchup with OSU marks the sole Penguin home game of February. The Penguins will see a busy March with eight games, split half-and-half at home and on the road. This busy March includes a three-game homestand taking place within a near-week timespan that concludes with the start of conference play on March 17. In March, the Penguins will host conference foes Kent State and Central Michigan and will travel to face Detroit Mercy. YSU will host non-conference opponents Longwood and George Washington while travelling to face Stetson, Lindenwood, and St. Bonaventure. In April, the Penguins will host Detroit Mercy in their sole home meet of the month and face Binghamton, Robert Morris, and Akron on the road.
Harris at the Helm
Head coach Rob Harris took the reins of the Penguins in July of 2023 after nine impressive seasons as head coach of the Division II Davenport Panthers. In 2021, Harris delivered a historic season at Davenport, leading the team to its first NCAA top-25 ranking as well as a GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference) tournament finals appearance. During his tenure with the Panthers, he led the team to an impressive 70 percent win percentage (102-45), winning both an NWLL National and NAIA Invitational Championship in his career.
In August of 2023, Harris brought on experienced coach Taylor Woolard to his staff, who spent three seasons as the head women's lacrosse coach at Division II Converse University. Woolard serves as associate head coach of the Penguins. Further detailing the experience of the Penguins' coaching staff is Halle Bielke who served as interim head coach of the Penguins during the 2023 season and remains with the Penguins as assistant coach in 2024.
Penguins Tied for Fifth
In the 2024 MAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Penguins were slated to finish tied for fifth with Akron with 13 points.
Kent State was slated to win the conference while Central Michigan was just behind in second. The Golden Flashes and Chippewas each garnered three first-place nods and tournament champion votes apiece. Robert Morris was slated to finish third in the 2024 poll and garnered a first-place vote and tournament champion nod. In fourth was Eastern Michigan just head of Youngstown State and Akron in fifth. Detroit Mercy was slated to finish seventh.
Up Next
The Penguins will return to the road for two non-conference games over the course of the next two weeks, facing Duquesne on Thursday, Feb. 22 and Cincinnati on Thursday, Feb. 29.
For news and updates throughout the 2024 women's lacrosse season, follow @YSUwlax on Twitter.
