OSU crowd sets lacrosse records

4/20/2008

COLUMBUS - The Ohio State men's lacrosse team shared Ohio Stadium with the football Buckeyes yesterday, and grabbed a couple of NCAA attendance records while defeating Denver 20-13.

The No. 11 lacrosse Buckeyes played No. 17 Denver in front of an announced crowd of 29,601 fans, giving Ohio State the national attendance mark for a regular-season lacrosse game (previous record: 20,180) and for an on-campus game (previous record: 19,850).

Gray skies and a very iffy forecast likely prevented Ohio State from setting the overall lacrosse attendance record, which was established in the NCAA semifinals last May with a crowd of 52,004 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Two records and a win over Denver seemed plenty satisfying to Ohio State lacrosse coach Joe Breschi.

"This was an amazing experience," Breschi said. "To be able to play in the stadium in front of all of these people was great. This is a great boost for our program."

Ohio State senior midfielder Kevin Buchanan said he was pleased with the way the Buckeyes responded to the setting, and the event.

"Amazing - there really is no other word to describe it," Buchanan said. "This was a moment of a lifetime for me and my teammates. Coming into the game, we really couldn't grasp the magnitude of today and how the crowd would affect our play. It was just amazing."

FOOTBALL CROWD: A steady rain at kickoff sent a lot of fans searching for cover at yesterday's Ohio State spring football Scarlet & Gray game, but OSU officials announced the crowd at 76,346. That number surpasses the 75,301 from last year's spring game, but fell well short of the unofficial national record of some 92,000 that attended Alabama's 2007 spring game.

SITTING OUT: A number of Ohio State players, including several starters, were held out of yesterday's spring game as they continue to heal from injuries. Tailback Beanie Wells, offensive linemen Steve Rehring, Ben Person, Josh Kerr, Mike Adams and Mike Brewster, defensive lineman Rob Rose and wide receiver Brian Robiskie were all spectators in the 20-7 Scarlet victory.

WILSON'S RETURN: Ohio State defensive end Lawrence Wilson, who had not seen game action since breaking his leg in the 2007 season-opener against Youngstown State, had three tackles including a sack in yesterday's game.

SANZENBACHER UPDATE: Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher from Toledo's Central Catholic started for the Gray team in yesterday's game, and touched the ball on two of the first three plays, carrying on a reverse and catching an 11-yard pass on a sideline route. Sanzenbacher was also used as a punt returner in the game, making a fair catch the only time he received a punt.

YOUNG GUNS: Ohio State fans got a quick look at some of the top talent in the 2008 recruiting class during the spring game. Linebacker Etienne Sabino from Florida, one of the leading players in the country at his position last year, played for the Gray team and was in on a stop in one of the first series and had five tackles, including one for a loss. Linebacker Andrew Sweat from Pennsylvania had a couple of stops, including one for a loss.

Wide receiver Jake Stoneburner from nearby Dublin, who had 1,267 yards on 74 catches with 15 touchdowns as a senior, caught a 19-yard pass from Scarlet team quarterback Todd Boeckman for a first down in Gray territory as the Scarlet team drove for a field goal that gave it a 10-7 halftime lead.

"I thought both linebackers - Etienne Sabino and Andrew Sweat - showed they can contribute and are going to be good players here," Tressel said. "Jake Stoneburner did a great job coming back from a little bit of an injury and playing today. The learning that they had a chance to do during spring practice - I think is going to serve them well come August."

OUTLAND LIST: Ohio State senior offensive tackles Alex Boone and Steve Rehring have been named to the 2008 Outland Trophy Watch List by the Football Writers Association of America. The 2008 Outland Trophy will be awarded on Dec. 11 in Orlando, Fla., as part of the ESPN College Football Awards Show.

The Outland Trophy, which is presented to the best interior lineman in college football, is named for the late John Outland, who earned All-America honors at two positions while at Penn - tackle and halfback. Tackles, guards and centers are eligible for the award, which last season went to LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey.

NUMBER CHANGE: Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Ray Small played in No. 82 after having his No. 4 from last season apparently yanked as part of a disciplinary move over the offseason.