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No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse vs. Ohio State preview

Published

10 months ago

April 12, 2025

No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse vs. Ohio State preview

Just three games stand between No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse (9-4) and the start of postseason play. The Terps have a short period of time to shore up their recent issues, all of which were evident in their last game.

Maryland’s second-quarter struggles loomed large throughout its four-game road trip, and that continued against No. 11 Virginia. The Terps conceded three five-goal second quarter performances, exceeding its total from the first nine contests.

Despite taking the lead early in the second quarter, Maryland surrendered five of the next six goals, handing the Cavaliers an advantage they wouldn’t relinquish. While the Terps’ offense mustered up just nine goals, Lauren LaPointe notched her third hat trick of the season.

Now, Maryland returns to College Park for a Big Ten clash with Ohio State on Sunday. The game starts at 1 p.m. and can be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

Ohio State Buckeyes (8-5, 1-5 Big Ten)

Head coach Amanda Moore inherited an Ohio State program trending in the wrong direction. The Buckeyes — who have made four NCAA Tournament appearances in their 29 years of existence — have gone nearly a decade without a national tournament berth. However, Moore comes with plenty of coaching experience, including two seasons as an assistant at Ohio State prior.

In her first season at the helm, Moore led the Buckeyes to a three-win improvement, finishing with an 8-9 record. Ohio State cruised through nonconference play, its lone loss coming to Denver — a tournament team. But the Buckeyes crumbled in Big Ten play, securing just one victory and finishing tied for last in the conference.

Ohio State matched its win total from last year just eight games into the season, marking the best start in program history. After climbing to No. 19 in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association poll and earning a win in their Big Ten opener, the Buckeyes embarked on a five-game losing streak. Ohio State sits one game out of last place in the conference, ahead of winless Oregon.

Players to know

Brynn Ammerman, senior attacker, No. 10 — Last season’s team leader with 28 assists has taken her game to another level in her final year. Ammerman has solidified her role as the top facilitator, and is one of the best in the country at that. She has totaled the 12th-most assists per game (2.9), while also posting 15 ground balls and 12 goals.

Jocelyn Torres, junior goalkeeper, No. 36 — The Virginia Tech transfer has endured a stellar first season at Ohio State in a conference filled with plenty of talented keepers. Torres has thrived in the spotlight, grasping the starting nod instantly and leaving no doubt about it. Her 50.7% save rate is the eighth-best mark in the nation.

Lilli Sherman, senior defender, No. 41 — After appearing in just five games during her first two seasons, Sherman is now one of the key contributors on the Buckeyes’ defensive unit. The 5-foot-7 Michigan native has registered a team-high 21 caused turnovers — the sixth-highest total in the Big Ten — and corralled 17 ground balls.

Strength

Scoring defense. Ohio State’s shot blocking is much improved from last season when it allowed the most goals in the conference, and Torres is a big reason why. The Buckeyes have conceded the eighth-fewest goals per game in the nation at 8.8.

Weakness

Free-position conversion. While the Buckeyes’ offense has struggled at times this season, they don’t take advantage of their easy looks. Ohio State — who only scores 12.1 goals per game — has turned its 83 free-position shots into 31 goals, one of the lowest percentages in the nation.

Three things to watch

1. Senior day. Sunday’s game will give Maryland fans a chance to honor its six seniors: Sophie Halus, Celia Pell, Hailey Russo, Caroline Smith, Kate Sites and Chrissy Thomas. The Terps’ 2025 senior class has made a lasting impact on the program and will be looking to gain some steam for an extended postseason run.

2. Which goalie makes the biggest contribution? Head coach Cathy Reese has bounced around in net between starter JJ Suriano and freshman Julia Ward. In three of Maryland’s last four contests, Ward has seen extended action as Reese looks for a midgame spark. Suriano has reentered the game twice during this stretch.

2. Big Ten implications. After wrapping up its nonconference slate on Wednesday, the Terps turn their attention back toward Big Ten play. Maryland’s 3-1 record currently sits tied for second in the conference with No. 5 Johns Hopkins, only trailing No. 3 Northwestern — its lone loss during Big Ten competition.

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Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia Has Four Word Phrase As Ohio State Rallying Cry

Published

19 minutes ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia Has Four Word Phrase As Ohio State Rallying Cry

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia isn’t returning to Columbus to mess around. He wants to win and wants to do so immediately to erase the bad taste from the Buckeyes’ Cotton Bowl loss to the Miami Hurricanes last month.

To do so, Patricia needed a mindset shift. It’s one made famous by ex-Ohio State legend Woody Hayes, whose words still resonate with Buckeye faithful to this day.

“You Win With People.”

“When you go into a new building, man, you better leave all that baggage behind,” Patricia said, via The Silver Bulletin.” “You [had] better leave that behind because they don’t deserve it or they’re not there in that same space.”

Patricia wants his players to remember, whether it’s ex-safety Caleb Downs or a practice squad plsyer thst he wants to remain in their life for as long as he can instead of just being transactional.

“I really have a lot of joy in this and love being around the guys and the relationships,” Patricia said. “I’ve got guys that I coached in the 90s, and I’m still really close with, and guys that don’t call, they just be like, ‘Hey, I need your advice on this,’ or after football, career advice and things like that. So I love being that mentor.”

Patricia does tend to use the growth vs. fixed mindset, channeling the growth mindset as his main source of positive coaching.

“I just try to take it one step at a time,” Patricia said. “I always want to have that growth mindset. I always want to be a curious learner.”

Matt Patricia Finds Inner-Motivation to Lead Buckeyes

Nonetheless, though, one thing is non-negotiable.

“I’m gonna give you everything I got,” Patricia said. “I’m really gonna sacrifice everything I can to make sure I come through for you.”

Regardless of the outcome, that’s Patricia’s constant message.

Everything can be reset, which Patricia realized after a failed stint with the Detroit Lions.

“I wasn’t my best version,” Patricia said. “I think learning that is really important. That’s how you get better as a coach, as a person.”

Now, he says feels much better about himself overall. Especially when it comes to mentoring players where he knows they will be successful with the next level like Downs.

“I think just in general with Caleb [Downs], just the amount of experience he has playing football is probably the most important thing,” Patricia said. “And his professionalism, and how he prepares, is probably the best example that I can point to for all the players.”

With Patricia at peace, the Buckeyes defense can move forward as well.

It remains to be seen whether everything pays off. Come August, we will find out.

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3 thoughts on Ohio State hiring Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator

Published

12 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

3 thoughts on Ohio State hiring Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator

Ohio State is set to bring in Arthur Smith as its next offensive coordinator, replacing Brian Hartline, who was recently named the head coach at South Florida.

Here are three thoughts on Smith’s imminent hire:

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day values NFL experience

The hire follows a familiar pattern, as Smith is the latest coordinator to bring an NFL background to Ohio State.

Six of the eight offensive and defensive play-callers hired by Day over his tenure have spent previous years in the NFL.

Smith’s career arc most closely mirrors Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes’ current defensive coordinator. Both were rising stars during the 2010s and landed head-coaching jobs at the peak of their ascents before washing out and returning to roles as coordinators.

After Smith was fired by the Atlanta Falcons at the end of 2023, he spent two seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator, helping them to twice reach the playoffs.

The approach worked well with Patricia, who elevated the Ohio State defense with NFL-style concepts that ranged from multiple fronts to coverage disguises as he replaced Jim Knowles last offseason. The Buckeyes finished 2025 with the best defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing the fewest points per game since Alabama 2011.

It figured to be worth repeating on the other side of the ball, especially after Day had relied on a first-time play-caller last year in Hartline, who had been the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach before the promotion.

The experience of the 43-year-old Smith also allows Day to continue in a CEO-style role after remaining the primary play-caller for the offense in his first five seasons at the helm of the program. Day began delegating play-calling in 2024, though he briefly returned to the role for the College Football Playoff in December.

Arthur Smith adds a complementary strength

Smith’s best year as an offensive coordinator was with the Tennessee Titans in 2020.

The Titans were one of the highest-scoring offenses in league with an average of 30.7 points per game that ranked fourth out of 32 teams. They leaned on star running back Derrick Henry, who became only the eighth running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

The Titans also finished drives during Smith’s two years as coordinator, ranking first in 2019 and second in 2020 for their red-zone touchdown percentage. They reached the end zone on three out of every four trips inside opponents’ 20-yard line.

If the success translates to Ohio State, it would pair well with the vertical passing that has long been the defining strength of Day’s offenses.

There were only five FBS quarterbacks in 2025 who completed more deep balls, as defined by Pro Football Focus as passes traveling at least 20 yards, than redshirt freshman Julian Sayin.

But the Buckeyes experienced a drop-off with both their running game, which went from 5 yards per carry in 2024 to 4.6 yards in 2025, and red-zone efficiency, where their touchdown percentage of 75.81% fell to 66.67%.

Smith should help in both areas, potential improvement that would enhance an offense that remains stacked with talent due to the return of Sayin and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

The absence of Chip Kelly, the former offensive coordinator who elevated the Buckeyes’ running game during their national championship season, was noticeable last fall.

The hope for the Buckeyes is that Smith can help them to rediscover the balance.

Scheme is the priority at Ohio State

Two assistants will replace Hartline.

Day made the first hire earlier in January with Cortez Hankton as receivers coach before finding Smith.

The addition of Smith will leave Ohio State with a staff of 11 primary on-field assistant coaches, one more than in recent seasons.

The expansion is the result of the NCAA’s removal of limit on staff sizes, a rule change introduced in 2024 allowing schools to hire an unlimited number of assistants to coach during practices and games.

The only restriction that remains in effect involves recruiting. FBS teams can send only 10 assistants off campus to recruit in addition to their head coach.

The current setup suggests Smith would not be out recruiting. It would be a rare arrangement for a coordinator, but not unprecedented, as Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has other assistants on the road in place of offensive coordinator Chad Morris and defensive coordinator Tom Allen.

As Ohio State moves in a similar direction, it would leave Smith largely focused on game planning and play-calling for their offense without having to travel for recruiting.

Smith would also be Day’s first offensive coordinator without being assigned to a position group.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.

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Columbus City Council urges state to block AEP Ohio rate hikes

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2026

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Columbus City Council urges state to block AEP Ohio rate hikes

The Columbus City Council passed a resolution urging state regulators to block a proposed AEP Ohio rate increase.
AEP Ohio claims its proposal will save customers money, but the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel estimates it will increase bills by about $30 per month.
Councilmembers suggest large electricity users like data centers, not residents, should bear the cost of infrastructure investments.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is expected to make a final decision on the rate case later this winter or spring.

The Columbus City Council is encouraging state regulators to protect Columbus residents from rising electricity bills.

The council passed a ceremonial resolution 9-0 on Jan. 26 asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to block American Electric Power Ohio’s request to raise its distribution rates in 2026 for its 1.5 million Ohio customers.

Columbus City Councilmember Christopher Wyche, chair of the council’s Public Utilities & Sustainability committee, told The Dispatch ahead of the meeting that he was bringing the resolution forward because affordability is quickly becoming the number one issue for residents. He said council is concerned because PUCO has recently approved multiple AEP Ohio rate increases.

“It is clear that we are facing not only a rising cost of living crisis, but also an urgent energy affordability crisis that will have serious impacts on Ohio residents,” Wyche said at the meeting.

This symbolic vote comes ahead of state regulators meeting this week to hear evidence in AEP Ohio’s case. The electricity distributor proposed a settlement in the case on Jan. 7 that it says will save customers money. But the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, a state agency that advocates for consumers, says the proposal is riddled with “accounting gimmicks” to disguise a rate hike.

Customers’ electric bills will actually increase by about $30 more per month after tax credits and additional charges, or riders, are factored in, according to the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.

AEP Ohio disputes the OCC’s assertions, saying its proposal will save customers $1.22 per month. But the electricity provider’s proposed rate decrease is only possible due to a credit it owes customers anyways, according to information the company sent to The Dispatch. Due to Accumulated Deferred Income Taxes, AEP Ohio owes customers $82 million. The credit is temporary and will run out in 18 months.

Wyche said the invited AEP Ohio representatives to speak at the City Council meeting but the utility declined. Speaking of its proposal, an AEP Ohio spokesperson previously told The Dispatch in an email:

“This is a good thing for AEP Ohio customers – it means all parties took concerns about affordability seriously. This settlement also allows AEP Ohio to invest in delivering reliable electricity safely, as well as make local infrastructure investments in local communities that drive economic development.”

Wyche told The Dispatch that increased strain on local electricity infrastructure is being driven by large users like data centers, adding that he’d like to see the burden placed on those businesses rather than residential customers. He said the state should require data centers to be built more sustainably so residents don’t foot the bill.

In the resolution, City Council urges PUCO to conduct a study on the impact of data centers on residential customers’ rates.

“A growing region needs to invest in its infrastructure, but longtime residents and working families shouldn’t shoulder that cost,” said Columbus City Council President Shannon G. Hardin in a statement released after the vote. “Runaway utility bills are pushing families to the brink, just to keep the lights on.”

The council’s action follows advocacy from the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund and Columbus Stand Up. Columbus Stand Up has collected more than 2,500 signatures on its petition opposing rate hikes.

“AEP operates as an exploitive monopoly and without firm intervention, it will continue to extract resources from households, schools and public institutions across the state,” Columbus Stand Up co-founder Kwesi Low said at the meeting.

Because of the severe winter weather, the scheduled start of the PUCO evidentiary hearing was continued to Jan. 28, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in Hearing Room 11-A at the offices of the commission, 180 E. Broad St., 11th Floor, Columbus. PUCO expects to make a decision in AEP Ohio’s case later this winter or spring, according to a spokesperson for PUCO.

Columbus Stand Up also moved its “Lights Out on AEP Rally” from Jan. 27 to Jan. 28 at noon at PUCO headquarters.

The city council meeting on Jan. 26 was held virtually due to winter storm Fern’s lingering impact. The budget hearing scheduled for Jan. 27 will also be held virtually due to the weather.

Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.

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