Boehm’s offensive performance helps drive Michigan’s victory over Ohio State

 

With 52 seconds left in the game, the Michigan men’s lacrosse team’s junior attacker Michael Boehm sprinted around the defenders, zeroing in on an opening in Ohio State’s formation. The crowd erupted in cheers as he netted his eighth goal of the game — shattering both his career record and the program’s single-game goal record — securing the win for the Wolverines. 

“It feels great,” Boehm said. “But, I think that it’s just a tribute to everyone else doing their jobs. A lot of the time, I was just the person at the end of the rainbow who finished the ball. We talked about finishing all week, and I was lucky enough to do that today.”

Indeed, finishing has proved to be a persistent problem for Michigan all season. Especially when playing Penn State last weekend, the Wolverines’ inability to finish in the final quarter cost them the game. There, Michigan’s offense especially struggled, taking seven shots on the goal and netting none. 

Boehm was noticeably disappointed by the loss, stating that working on finishing the game strong was a “huge emphasis this week.”

That drive to do better paid off during Friday’s game, as Boehm was a key force in the offensive push that propelled Michigan to victory against the Buckeyes. 

At the start of the game, Boehm exhibited some of his skills by feeding the ball to his teammates, helping move the offense around the field and wrestling with Ohio State defenders for the ball. It wasn’t until the end of the first quarter that he would net his first goal of the game, a goal that gave him and the Wolverines the necessary momentum. 

In the second quarter, both teams had started to pick up the pace, with the Buckeyes beginning to narrow the gap, 5-4. But, Michigan would soon score as, cutting around the defenders, Boehm dove and released a clean shot that sailed into the back of the net. Not only did this goal end the Wolverines’ ten-minute scoring drought, but it also earned Boehm a hat trick. 

“I don’t think there’s too much thinking, just playing lacrosse and having fun with it,” Boehm said. “I have all the belief and faith in the world in these guys. No matter who we’re lined up against, it’s always about the block M and the guys in that locker room.”

The third quarter of the game was electric for Michigan as they netted ten goals and pulled away from Ohio State, taking a 17-9 lead. Five different players scored the 10 goals, but four of them alone were put up by one player — Michael Boehm. While his agility and skill set played a monumental role in these goals, so did his motivation which stems from his team. 

“We have such a deep care for ourselves and growing our relationships with each other, and I think that’s what binds us,” Boehm said. “And obviously, that starts with the seniors and the leaders; they’ve done a great job all year, and I think going out and doing that for them after all they’ve given our program was huge.”

Using that energy from senior week, Boehm and the rest of the team powered through and played a full 60 minutes, something that wasn’t accomplished often for the Wolverines this season. 

Boehm’s performance on Sunday helped Michigan to create the dominant offense needed to lead it to success. If his performance on Friday and throughout the season are any indication, it seems he is prepared to fill the shoes of the seniors that he and the rest of the team look up to.