Balanced team effort drives Michigan’s quarterfinal win over Ohio State

Using his quick footwork to evade the Ohio State defender, sophomore attacker Ryan Cohen darted into an opening to receive a pass from senior attacker Josh Zawada. As soon as the ball was secure in his stick, he pivoted and hurled it into the net, topping off a 6-0 run. 

On Saturday, the No. 14 Michigan men’s lacrosse team (7-6 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) put forth a decisive team effort against the Buckeyes (5-9, 1-4) at home to secure a 14-10 victory in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Championship. Fueled by variety in their offense, the Wolverines powered through the Buckeyes to advance to the Big Ten Semifinals. 

A significant win considering they’ve only advanced beyond the quarterfinals one other time in program history.

“Offensively, we were clicking in the first half, and defense really stepped it up in the second half,” fifth-year midfielder Peter Thompson said. “The face off guys last week were phenomenal and kept it up this week. So, I think in every facet of the game, we tried to take control, and we did; it was a well-rounded win. ”

While Michigan’s offense had an electric first half, the game started differently. 

Initially, the Wolverines struggled to grapple with the Buckeyes’ fast and aggressive offense. Using their speed to catch Michigan off guard, Ohio State quickly scored two goals in the first quarter, taking the lead from Michigan, 3-2. 

In spite of being down, the Wolverines remained level-headed, adjusting their strategy to match the fired-up Buckeyes. 

“It’s a 60-minute game,” Thompson said. “Whatever happens in the first 10-15 minutes isn’t going to dictate what happens at the end of the game. So, that’s helped us be able to swallow whatever is thrown at us.”

Resetting, Michigan worked to move the ball through the wall of Ohio State defenders. 

Building off a 4-0 run at the end of the first quarter in which Cohen became the ninth player in program history to mark 100 points in their career, Michigan started the second period strongly, netting two more goals to make it a 6-0 run. With 8:30 left in the quarter, Ohio State ended the Wolverines’ run. And, while the Buckeyes scored two more goals, Michigan added three more in quick succession, making the score 11-8 heading into halftime. 

“Honestly, and I give Coach Conry and the rest of the staff a lot of credit, they kind of treated the game last week like a loss,” Thompson said. “Coach Conry was honest all week, just drilling it into us that these guys are going to come ready to play, and it’s our biggest rival.”

As shown in the first half, the Wolverines’ preparation paid dividends. The 11 goals Michigan scored came from seven different players, showcasing the depth and variety that lie within the team. 

As they emerged from halftime, both teams were filled with energy; the Wolverines were eager for a win, and Ohio State was prepared to make a comeback. 

The third period was a defensive showdown between the two teams. The tight and aggressive man-to-man defense played by each side overwhelmed their respective offenses.

At the end of the third quarter, Michigan’s goalie, junior Shane Carr, tallied 12 saves while the Buckeyes’ goalie amassed seven. 

Complementing the strong performance from Carr, Michigan netted two more goals in the final period, bringing the score to 14-8. While Ohio State answered each of those goals, the Wolverines’ lead was already cemented. 

Despite its victory, Michigan already had its sights on the semifinals against Penn State. 

“On Monday, we’re going to take a hard look at when we played Penn State three weeks ago and see what made us successful early on in the game and why we let it slip away from us,” Michigan coach Kevin Conry said. “It’s going to be a lot about how we are able to be the best versions of ourselves.” 

An entire season of ups and downs has left the Wolverines fighting for their lives, and if they continue to play as they did on Saturday, they just might survive.