Fourth quarter breakdown drives Michigan’s loss against Johns Hopkins

Senior attacker Josh Zawada sprinted down the field, locating a gap in the Johns Hopkins defense and hurling the ball into the back of the net. With that move, he gave the Michigan men’s lacrosse team a 7-6 lead with 13:45 left in the third quarter. Less than a minute later, though, Blue Jays attacker Garrett Degnon plowed through the Wolverines’ defenders to answer Zawada’s goal, tying the game at seven. 

This back-and-forth action characterized Michigan’s game against No. 8 Johns Hopkins for three of the four quarters played on Saturday.

However, things changed for the Wolverines in a grueling final quarter in which they were unable to function as a team, ultimately losing the game. 

Optimistic about the chance of a win, Michigan and its fans were buzzing with excitement entering the final quarter of the game. The crowd’s stomping and cheering energized the players for what fans hoped would be a tense match that would end in celebration for the Wolverines.

Instead, they were left with disappointment. 

Two minutes and eight seconds into the fourth quarter, Michigan failed to clear the ball, causing a turnover and allowing the Blue Jays’ offense to take over. While the Wolverines’ defenders formed a solid barrier between the opposing offense and the goal, Johns Hopkins sliced through them and scored. 

“We went 12-19 in the clearing,” Michigan coach Kevin Conry said. “Every second chance opportunity that we gave them, Hopkins scored.” 

Clearing the ball was an evident struggle for Michigan during the matchup, but in the first three quarters, the Wolverines’ powerful defense masked their mistakes. 

“I think we were a little bit pissed off after Notre Dame,” graduate attacker Bryce Clay said about the defensive improvements in the first three quarters. “So, we got after each other a little bit in practice this week.”

Successfully able to mend the holes that Notre Dame created, the Wolverines’ defenders proved a force to be reckoned with early against Johns Hopkins. Their defensive pressure led to the Blue Jays running out of time on the shot clock seven times during the game. 

But, when the defense deteriorated in the final quarter and couldn’t combat the offensive mishaps, Michigan lost its grip on the game. 

Capitalizing on the dysfunction, Johns Hopkins netted five more goals in the fourth quarter alone. With 4:34 left in the game, they were up 15-10. 

Frustration evident, Michigan scrambled to regroup and attempt a comeback, but time continued to pass by as it remained without a goal. Finally, fifth-year midfielder Peter Thompson successfully evaded the Blue Jay defenders and scored Michigan’s final goal of the game. 

But that goal proved futile, and as the clock reached zero, Johns Hopkins erupted in cheers alongside the dejected Wolverines. 

Despite a promising start, Michigan’s hope of winning its first Big Ten game was dashed in the final 15 minutes of the game. As its defense crumbled, it could no longer cover up all the prior mistakes made in the first three quarters, ultimately costing them the victory.