Defensive penalties in the final quarter cost Michigan in loss to Penn State

Instead of collecting points in the final quarter of the game against No. 5 Penn State, the No. 16 Michigan men’s lacrosse team defenders collected penalties. 

As the Wolverines entered the final period of the game with a three-point lead, Michigan was optimistic about a win. But its hopes were dashed as its defense tripped and fell into the penalty box, ending their chances of holding onto the lead.

“We were in the penalty box too much,” Michigan coach Kevin Conry said. “I thought it was a little ticky-tacky in that type of game and that type of environment, but we went to the box, and we couldn’t stop them.”

Indeed, taken aback by Penn State’s rapid change of pace, the Wolverines became more desperate as the Nittany Lions began to close the gap. Egged on by frustration, Michigan abandoned its brand of lacrosse and looked frenzied as it attempted to match pace. In its struggle, defenders grew sloppy and aggressive, giving way for the Nittany Lions to seize the lead. 

Despite their performance in the final minutes of the game, the Wolverines’ defenders were able to function as an effective unit for the prior three periods.  For many other teams, such a solid performance for the majority of the game would point to a victory. 

Yet for Michigan, it’s been anything but. This season, the Wolverines lost games in the final moments against both No. 11 Rutgers and then-No. 8 Johns Hopkins. 

So, despite leading 9-6, at the close of the third quarter, the game was far from over for Michigan. With 15 minutes left on the clock, it entered the most dangerous period of the game. 

As the Nittany Lions took the field, it was clear that their strategy had shifted. They saw that the Wolverines’ defense was tiring and their offense crumbling. Penn State’s offense capitalized on the gaps they created by hurtling through the exhausted defenders, netting a goal less than a minute into the final quarter. While this closed the gap to two points, Michigan was still in the lead. 

Its downfall truly started with a penalty on freshman defender Jimmy Pisani for unnecessary roughness. Putting the Nittany Lions on the man-up opportunity, they were able to overwhelm the already fatigued defenders — pulling within one.  

Alarmed, the defense deviated from the calculated game of lacrosse they had been playing before. They were careless, receiving three more penalties that quarter to give Penn State more man-up opportunities. 

On the third penalty of the quarter, with senior defender Ryan Schriber called for withholding the ball, the Nittany Lions used their extra man advantage to tie the game. 

And with their lead suddenly erased, the Wolverines grew more frantic than ever. As the offense failed to maintain possession of the ball, the pressure weighed heavily on their drained defenders, who were unable to bounce back. 

So as the buzzer sounded, the Penn State sideline stormed the field to celebrate their 11-9 win over Michigan — a win powered by the Wolverines’ costly penalties.  

With this grueling loss, Michigan was unable to break the pattern, once again losing the match through their inability to execute in the game’s final minutes. And, like before, the Wolverines have vowed that this is not the end for them. 

“We are a caged animal that is about to be set free,” Conry said. “And, we are foaming at the mouth to get back at it.” 

But in spite of this promise of a comeback, time and time again, Michigan’s lopsided reliance on its special teams has failed them in the most crucial moments of the game.