Markwordt Leads No. 12 Ohio State Over St. Bonaventure 15-8

Buckeyes improve to 7-1 with help of senior attacker’s 10 points

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Paced by Alayna Markwordt’s 10 points, the No. 12 Ohio State women’s lacrosse team downed St. Bonaventure 15-8 Monday afternoon at McGraw-Jennings Field in St. Bonaventure, N.Y. Eight Buckeyes scored in the win, as the team improved to 7-1 on the season, while handing the Bonnies their first loss of the year at 2-1.
 
Markwordt tied her previous season high of nine points in the victory Sunday at Canisius, but topped it Monday with five goals and five assists, the Tewaaraton Trophy candidate’s highest-scoring outing  since an 11-point performance during her freshman campaign (March 7, 2009 vs. Johns Hopkins). The last Buckeye to produce double-digits in points was Brittney Zerhusen with 10 against Vanderbilt last season (April 10).
 
St. Bonaventure led twice early in the first half and stayed within one for much of the opening period before an eight-goal OSU scoring barrage gave the Buckeyes the momentum. With the game tied 4-all at 13:00, Markwordt made back-to-back assists to Mary Kate Facchina and Kelsea Ayers, respectively, and Ayers added her second goal off a Gabby Capuzzi helper with :01 remaining to send the teams into halftime with a 7-4 score.
 
Sandwiched by a pair of Jennifer Porretto scores, the Buckeyes rattled off five out of the break to build their largest lead of the game at 12-4 with 20:10 to play. Markwordt also had two unassisted goals in the run, while Jackie Cifarelli added one. The Ohio State defense held the Bonnies scoreless for 28:22 of game action as the Buckeyes built their lead, supported by a career-high six caused turnovers from Capuzzi.
 
St. Bonaventure would break its scoring draught with a free-position goal at 14:38 in the second half and trade scores with Ohio State for the remainder of the game. Kirsten Donahue and Katie Chase each added goals down the stretch with Chase’s at 2:55 standing as the freshman’s first career tally.
 
Ohio State out-shot St. Bonaventure 43-18 on the day and had the advantage in draw controls (16-8) and groundballs (18-`7). Freshman goalie Tori DeScenza made six saves in the win.
 
The Buckeyes return to action at 1 p.m. Saturday against No. 6 Florida in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The Gators are 8-2 on the season with a mid-week contest scheduled against No. 17 Dartmouth before traveling to Columbus. Admission to the game against Florida, and to all regular-season home games, is free. The teams last met in the ALC semifinal last season, a 16-13 victory for then-No. 4 Florida.