After struggling in the transition during last Saturday's loss to No. 1 Northwestern, the Ohio lacrosse team travels to take on No. 4 Johns Hopkins today for their last game before an 11-day break.
We made some improvements
so I think everybody's more confident in handling under pressure especially in transition like looking up and making sure we see everybody - making smart decisions basically
midfielder Katie Smith said. I think it will be a good test for us to see how much we actually improved.
The game with the Bobcats (1-4, 0-1 American Lacrosse Conference) will be Johns Hopkins' (2-0) first ALC game of the season. The Blue Jays beat George Washington, 12-8, on Feb. 26, and Princeton, 8-7, on Saturday. The Blue Jays, 4-0 against the Bobcats since 2002, shut out Ohio, 14-0, last year and finished the season with an 11-6 record and No. 6 ranking.
Midfielder Julie Roguski talked about the difference between last year's game and this game.
Honestly
we have struggled with our attack
not so much defense
Roguski said. Last year
we had a really good unit. We worked together. We were all on the same page for the attack. I know we're still young
and we have a lot to focus on. I think we need to work on working together more - using everybody and not just one person.
Although Ohio coach Allison Valentino said her team has mostly taken the time to focus on themselves, she mentioned what they are preparing for in regards to Johns Hopkins.
They have a really strong attack
Valentino said. They're a fast team. They trap similar to Northwestern. We're preparing that they're going to pressure us all over the field. They're a very scrappy team
and they hustle a lot.
Valentino also said that her team was preparing for the Blue Jays' best player, Mary Key, a two-time candidate for the Tewaaraton Trophy, which recognizes the nation's best male and female lacrosse players.
Key, a junior, finished last year as the nation's leading scorer with 55 goals and set a national single-season assists record with 32. Named ALC Player of the Week on Monday, she already has tallied seven goals and six assists in the Blue Jays' two games this season.
The Bobcats play at 4 p.m. today at Johns Hopkins' Homewood Field in Maryland
