Michigan bests Central Michigan, prevails to next round of NCAA Tournament

Central Michigan scored the first goal. And then Michigan scored the next 12. 

The No. 15 Wolverines faced the Chippewas for the second time this season on Friday — and unlike last time, the Michigan women’s lacrosse team came to conquer, starting in its high-scoring first quarter. The Wolverines (12-7 overall) shut down Central Michigan (10-9), 13-6. 

“The girls really took ownership of the offense,” Michigan coach Hannah Nielsen said. “We were shooting well and last time we played Central, we didn’t.” 

The Wolverines controlled the first quarter completely, with seven goals from five different scorers in the first 15 minutes. In the second half of the quarter, goals were scored on an average of every two minutes for Michigan. Sophomore attacker Jill Smith netted her own hat trick before the second quarter even started. The Wolverines showed up ready from the opening whistle, and the first quarter was just the start of their dominance. 

Michigan’s offensive streak started with draw controls and more specifically, the success from junior attacker Lily Montemarano. Draw controls were a detrimental factor in the Wolverines’ loss to Northwestern in the Big Ten semifinals, but that can’t be said for their performance against the Chippewas. 

Montemarano won five of the draw controls, pushing the team to 14 wins in the circle. With this reign on draw controls — plus the addition of picking up six ground balls in the first quarter — the Wolverines couldn’t be stopped. 

“I think the draw takers have been doing a great job in putting in the work and making it a point of emphasis for them,” Nielsen said. “It really helped us in that first half performance to have the ball and be able to keep getting it back.”

With the offense leading the first half, the defense had a smaller workload. But when Central Michigan made its way down the field toward Michigan’s net, the line of defense was quick to bring its momentum to a halt. Junior goalkeeper Maya Santa-Maria had five saves in the first half and with the lockdown defense, the Chippewas didn’t see possession much.

And halftime didn’t slow down the Wolverines, but only propelled them further.

Coming into the third quarter with a nine-goal lead, Smith and graduate midfielder Erin Garvey decided to run with their momentum for another two goals in two minutes.  

That momentum was terminated, however, when the Wolverines fell apart towards the end of the game. In the end of the third quarter, Central Michigan found its second goal of the game and established a rhythm shortly thereafter. 

Michigan found itself in penalty and yellow card trouble — struggles that the Wolverines are all too familiar with. With the amount of miscues, Michigan hit the unreleasable yellow cards that allowed the Chippewas to score four goals in the final quarter. That first quarter dominance is what kept the Wolverines safe from facing a fourth quarter disaster.

“I think we’re happy anytime you get a win at this point in the season,” Nielsen said. “I think there were some things we did excellently and some things that we lost our focus on in the second half.”

Leaving this game, Michigan faces Northwestern in the second round — which will be the second matchup in the last two weeks between these teams.

The Wolverines are playing their peak lacrosse in the postseason, and it will be up to them whether or not they continue their run in the NCAA Tournament.