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The Hokies host No. 12 Ohio State, as the two teams meet for the first time since 2008. Tech is looking to bounce back after suffering its first loss of the season to James Madison on Thursday, while the Buckeyes fight to remain unbeaten. Ohio State is 3-0 on the year, averaging 19.0 goals per game, and is coming off of a 20-12 win at Winthrop Friday night. The series fairs well for the Hokies at home, as six of their eight wins have come in Blacksburg.

The Series

The Hokies hold the series edge with Ohio State, 8-5. The two schools first met in 1996 and played every year until the 2008 season. This is the first time the schools have met since. The Buckeyes took the last two contests, most recently a 12-9 win in Blacksburg in 2008. Tech’s last win against the Buckeyes came in 2006 as it claimed a 17-4 victory at home. Ohio State has been ranked in four of the meetings, with its current ranking being the highest in series history.

Last Time Out

The Hokies’ second half push wasn’t enough for a comeback against James Madison, as they fell 13-8 at home on Thursday evening. Tech allowed the Dukes to go up 4-0 in the first 15 minutes of play, and 8-1 by the halftime break.

Tristan McGinley started things off for Tech right away in the second half, but the Hokies were unable to cut into the lead as the two teams trade goals until the midway point in the half. Meghan Macera went coast-to-coast for her only goal of the day to spark a three-goal run, but the different was too much for the Hokies to overcome.
Will again led the way, this time with three goals and an assist, while Gracee Hendrix added a pair of scores.

Against The Best

Being in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Hokies play a number of the nation’s best teams and players on a weekly basis. Tech will face eight teams this season currently ranked in the top 20. JMU is receiving votes this week and today’s opponent, Ohio State, entered the week as the No. 12 team in the country.

Record Watch

Meg Bartley set a new single-season draws record for the Hokies last season, winning 90 during her junior campaign. She is also working her way to the top of the all-time list (245), currently sitting in second with 215 draws to date.

Megan Will is also climbing the all-time charts at Tech, chasing her cousin, Dawn Will, who sits atop the career goals and points lists. Megan currently ranks fourth with 127 career goals and 166 career points.

Scoring at Will

Senior Megan Will scored in 15 of 17 games for the Hokies a season ago. The Bel Air, Maryland, notched her second mark on the all-time single-season scoring list with 48 goals. She scored the 100th goal of her career at Old Dominion last season.

Will got her final campaign out to a great start with four goals and two assists in the opener at Liberty and a hat trick against JMU.

Bartley, an Unexpected Surprise

Senior Meg Bartley walked on to the Tech lacrosse team in the fall of 2011 and as the 2012 season began she made a quick and efficient impact. The Lewes, Delaware, native earned a starting job on attack by the fifth game, after scoring four goals and assisting another against UC Davis at home and has been a staple in the lineup ever since.

Bartley has been a huge threat for the Hokies on the draw. After setting a new Tech single-season record last year, she led the way for Tech in the opener, winning eight draws and five more against JMU.

Fresh Faces

The Hokies added a pair of new assistant coaches and ten freshmen during the offseason. Mallory Poole joins the Hokies after serving as the head coach at Bloomsburg University for the past two years, while Kim Kolarik returns to the ACC after spending a year at Lehigh following her playing days at Virginia.

Tech’s freshman class includes ten players from six different state, including one Virginia native. Mary Claire Byrne, Amanda Uliano, Brittney VanVeldhuisen, Tristan McGinley, Emma Harden, Paige Graham, Kristen Kohles, Xani Shultis, Kelly Glatthorn and Carly Primo make up the class of 2018.

Family Ties

The season opener against Liberty added a little extra competition for freshman Tristan McGinely. McGinley began her collegiate career playing against her sister, Annie McGinley, who is in her second season as an assistant for the Flames following a playing career at Rutgers.

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