Lacrosse Falls to #7 Hopkins 10-9
UPDATE: Lacrosse hung with #7 Hopkins today but couldn't get the result, ultimately falling 10-9. They erased deficits of 0-3 and 7-4 to make it a game. Michigan scored to tie it at 9 with about a minute left but Hopkins got the go-ahead with about 30 seconds left to take the victory.
That's about all she wrote for this season; Michigan is now mathematically elimated from postseason conference play. Not a bad season but a little disappointing, especially after a strong start. They get a chance for one more victory when they take on Penn State next week in the season finale. GO BLUE!
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Lacrosse takes on the #7 Hopkins Blue Jays at the Lacrosse Center on State Street today at noon. If it’s a nice day out in Ann Arbor head down and check it out - the team needs some support to make a big push towards the Big Ten tournament in two weeks. It’s also airing live on BTN Plus so tune in/set your DVRs.
Michigan is in the midst of a familiar (and upsetting) late season slide once again. After a solid showing in OOC games, they’ve dropped three straight in the B1G, to top-10 teams Rutgers and Maryland and last week to a struggling Ohio State squad - a game they desperately needed. If they can win their last two games (no easy task) and get some help (also not easy), they could sneak into the 4th slot in the B1G tourney (which will be on their home turf). Since the second half of the Maryland game, Michigan’s offense has gone ice cold, a stretch that includes a first-half shutout at Rutgers. Noseworthy and Young need to find their shooting touch again and the rest of the offense has to step up if they’re going to have any hope of winning down the stretch. Michigan also needs to stop turning the ball over; TOs have absolutely killed them in conference play so far.
Hopkins (8-3) is better than they’ve been the last few years but I think some of their vulnerabilities are still there. They tend to let up a lot of goals and get into run-n’-gun shootouts. They’re almost always more talented than the teams they play but they rarely control the game. Like Michigan, their late season play has tailed off the last couple of years.
Some good news for Michigan is that Shack Stanwick - Hopkins’ ubiquitous attackman and points leader (39), is questionable for the game after suffering an injury against Penn State last week. Stanwick, a Baltimore prep school rich kid, hails from a family of highly accomplished lacrosse playing white boys (and girls!). If he’s out, or even not at 100%, that is a huge plus for Michigan. But Hopkins still trots out savvy offensive players Joel Tinney and Kyle Marr, who will be a handful for Michigan’s defense.
This is also another mentor/mentee matchup for Coach Conry AND Coach Ford as they both played under Coach Pietramala in the early 2000s. Conry also coached at their archrival Maryland so he should have the Jays well scouted.
This is a huge game for Michigan. They need a W and some help to keep their season alive. Go get ‘em and GO BLUE!!!
April 21st, 2018 at 11:05 AM ^
Scenarios:
So, if I understand correctly, Michigan can still get into the B1G tournament...if a few things go their way. Basically they need to win their last two vs Hopkins and Penn State and hope that they both lose their last two. Or one of them loses both of their last two and Ohio State loses both and finishes with one win in the conference. There's also a scenario in which Rutgers could finish with only one win.
So, Michigan basically needs to get to 2-3 in the conference and own tiebreakers over Hopkins or Penn State, and they need Ohio State or Rutgers to finish 1-4 in conference. It's kind of confusing but there are a few narrow paths to the conference tournament for Michigan (I think this is all correct but I'm not sure).
Of course this all depends on Michigan winning. Season is over today if they don't win.
April 21st, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
April 21st, 2018 at 12:06 PM ^
I really thought they could sneak in and get to play at home for the tourney, but it doesn't look good. We've got some good recruits coming in, right?
April 21st, 2018 at 12:21 PM ^
Hopkins went up 3-0 early but M has come back to tie it in the early going here. LIke that response - that's a good sign.
April 21st, 2018 at 12:33 PM ^
April 21st, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
It is pretty annoying - considering all of those other games are in-season competitive events against other B1G teams that matter. They're not intrasquad scrimmages- they can easily show those spring games on tape delay or something.
I went to tune into the lacrosse game and saw Nebraska spring game live, M lacrosse on Plus and just thought "eff you BTN" not going to drop money on you for that line up choice....ever.
I wish corporations in general had some idea of the effect their money-grubbing tactics have on customers overall. So many time I have been turned off to a product or service that I might otherwise consider purchasing were it not for stuff like this that just make them look kind of greasy.
April 21st, 2018 at 12:50 PM ^
April 21st, 2018 at 12:53 PM ^
5-4 Bluejays at halftime. Remarkable that the score is that given Michigan has only won two faceoffs.
I'm listening on a pretty bogus radio stream, sounds like Michigan is flat offensively and aren't doing a lot with the ball. SOunds like they're turning it over a lot - but so is Hopkins. ALso sounds like Heidt is having a great game - keeping them in it. It's 7-4 Hopkins now.
I can't watch it and its pretty nice out so I'm gonna go for a bike ride. Hopefully they'll pull it off - GO BLUE!
Back within one. 7-6 with a minute left in the 3rd.
Tie game! Kevin Mack ties it early in the 4th!
8-7 Blue Jays halfway through the 4th quarter. Blue Jays have the ball and just called timeout.
Kevin Mack scores again to tie it at 8! That's a hat trick for the freshman.
tied at 9, 1:03 to go!
April 21st, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^
It was depressing to not be able to watch it. It was further depressing to hear they tied it with 1:04 to go in the game only to have the Face Off result in a 30 second penalty for a third face off violation in the half. To hang with Hopkins and lose in that fashion must be incredibly frustrating fo Coach Conry and the team.
They had the goalie this year. Heidt was incredible when he got back on the field. He kept them in the games and gave them the win against Notre Dame. Perhaps they beat Penn if he was playing.
But the B1G is so tough! We need a FOGO that can reliably do better than 50% against other top FOGOs. We now need another Goalie to step up now that Heidt is graduating. We have some awesome young talent at Attack with frosh Buckanavage and Mack. We have another year left with Noseworthy and Curran. Dicaprio is back as well.
Michigan is close to the tipping point. A couple of solid recruiting years and we will start racking up some wins. I hope they put up a solid showing at PSU to end the season well. Not expecting a win, but just hanging with PSU in Happy Valley would be an OK way to end the season. Would love a win but......
April 22nd, 2018 at 12:07 AM ^