Boehm’s remarkable performance propels Michigan to first-ever Big Ten Championship

Searching for a way to score, junior attacker Michael Boehm zeroed in on a narrow but open path to the goal. Quickly seizing the opportunity, Boehm sprinted past No. 7 Maryland’s defenders to send the ball sailing into the back of the net. 

With this goal, Boehm was the first to strike in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship game — giving the No. 15 Michigan men’s lacrosse team an early lead that he only built upon as the matchup progressed. 

“It definitely felt good to kick a Big Ten Championship off with an opening goal,” Boehm said. “It got everybody to take a deep breath, but it could have been anyone. I think with the way that our offense was flowing, it ended up being me, but with the way our offense was flowing, somebody else would’ve also finished that.”

Throughout the tournament, Boehm has been a star player for the Wolverines, and Saturday was no different. The five goals he scored against Maryland brought his total to 10 goals and four assists over the course of the tournament — a performance that landed him the title of Big Ten Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Building off the momentum from that early goal, Boehm really found his groove in the second period, communicating effectively with his teammates to create scoring opportunities.

“Our number one purpose this year is continuing good relationships,” Boehm said. “I think those relationships have grown a ton, and I think that’s what has propelled us forward.” 

Those strong relationships shone through on Saturday, proving beneficial as the Michigan players were able to connect in crucial moments. 

One such instance occurred with 9:54 left in the second quarter. As senior attacker Josh Zawada sprinted around the net, his efforts at a goal were thwarted by the swarm of Terrapins defenders coming his way. 

Aware of the situation, Boehm had already outmaneuvered the defenders around him so that Zawada had a way to move the ball and create an opportunity. And, as soon as Zawada’s pass landed in his stick, Boehm pivoted and fired into the net, putting Michigan up 7-4. 

But Boehm wasn’t done yet. 

Just four seconds later, off a pass from junior face off taker Justin Wietfeldt, Boehm whipped another ball into the back of the net — earning a hat trick and tying the record for fastest consecutive goals in Big Ten Tournament history. 

Building off of this performance, Boehm went on to have an exceptional rest of the period, netting three of the Wolverines’ five total goals during the second quarter.

With the whole team working together seamlessly, Boehm shared some insight into what the mindset behind his and the team’s performance Saturday was: 

“We’ve had a win-or-go-home mentality the past few weeks here,” Boehm said. “But we are still in a win-or-go-home spot, so we will see who we are playing next and keep playing our best.”

And so, as the fourth quarter of the game approached, a confident Boehm made sure that Michigan would not be going home yet. 

In a striking display of agility — dodging opponents and making quick passes — the Wolverines’ defenders and midfielders were able to get the ball to the attack with 10 minutes left in the contest. 

Having already noticed Maryland’s positioning on defense, Boehm was poised and ready by the net, prepared to receive a pass and shoot before the Terrapins could reset by the goal. 

That pass came from graduate student Bryce Clay who, seeing Boehm wide open, caught the Maryland goalkeeper off guard by passing the ball to Boehm across the cage. Once he caught the pass, Boehm hurled it into the back of the net, scoring the final goal of the game and putting Michigan up 14-5. 

Boehm both started and ended the game that led the Wolverines to their first-ever Big Ten Championship win. Propelled by his standout performance, Michigan made history on Saturday — and awaits the opportunity to make history again in the NCAA Tournament.

And, as his newfound title suggests, Boehm has proved all season that he is — and will continue to be — one of Michigan’s most valuable players.