Team-led win over Penn State propels Michigan to first-ever Big Ten Tournament Championship appearance

On Thursday, the Michigan men’s lacrosse team entered the Big Ten semifinals against Penn State with a chance to redeem themselves after a crushing fourth-quarter loss to the Nittany Lions during the regular season. The question was whether or not the Wolverines had improved enough after the first-round victory to pull off another win — this time against the top-seeded team.

Fortunately for Michigan, the answer was yes. 

On Thursday, the fifteenth-ranked Wolverines (8-6 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) upset No. 4 Penn State (9-4, 4-2), 17-15, in the semifinals of the Big Ten Championship. With this win, Michigan has advanced to the Big Ten Championship game for the first time in program history. 

“For this program, we’ve been systematically building this thing for 12 years off of the foundation that Coach Paul put out there,” Michigan coach Kevin Conry said. “I’m really proud of the way that these guys have taken ownership of this team. And now, we have an argument here. We’re still alive, and we’re competing for a Big Ten Championship, and we’re in the conversation for that large count.”

Indeed, the Wolverines have lived to play another lacrosse game. But, at the start of the match, their future was uncertain. 

In the first quarter, the evenly-matched teams battled as each goal scored by the Nittany Lions was quickly answered by Michigan. While the Wolverines consistently trailed by a lone point for the majority of the period, a quick goal by sophomore midfielder Emmett Houlihan in the final seconds of the quarter would tie the teams at five.

In spite of being tied, junior goalie Shane Carr’s lackluster performance — with only one save — foreshadowed the trouble that would soon ensue. 

Penn State immediately brought the heat, scoring a goal less than two minutes into the start of the second quarter. While the Michigan offense did manage to net three goals that period amidst the wall of Nittany Lions defenders, its defense struggled to fend off Penn State’s aggressive offense.

Using their speed and clever footwork, the Nittany Lions’ offense poked holes in the Wolverines’ defense that allowed them opportunities to score. As they sprinted towards the goal and unleashed ball after ball, Carr was struggling to block the shots. While he made four saves, he was unable to block the other five, putting Penn State up 10-8 at the half. 

As they emerged from the locker room, Michigan made noticeable changes. While they had a newfound sense of energy, they also had a new goalie — freshman Hunter Taylor. 

“It was extremely difficult,” Conry said. “We pulled Shane out, and just kind of talked to him, and we made a decision together. It showed how mature and selfless he is to say, ‘I could battle back, but I think Hunter would give us the best chance at winning.’” 

So, with Taylor in the goal, the Wolverines once again aimed for victory. 

Looking to score immediately, senior attacker Kevin Pimental sprinted towards the goal as senior attacker Josh Zawada simultaneously lured the defense away, creating an opening. Zawada quickly passed the ball to Pimental, who, as soon as the ball was secure in his stick, pivoted and hurled the ball into the back of the net. 

This goal was big for Michigan not only because it kickstarted the Wolverines’ momentum for the quarter, but also in the sense that — with his assist — Zawada became the first player in program history to total 200 points in their career. 

Building off this, the Wolverines went on a 5-0 run, erasing the Nittany Lions’ lead. While Penn State’s offense fought hard to answer these goals, the Wolverines’ defense had buckled down, successfully fending off the attackers. What shots that the Nittany Lions were able to take were blocked by Taylor, who totaled four saves during the period. 

And, as the final 15 minutes of the game approached, Michigan had the lead, 14-11. 

“I think it was just kind of taking a deep breath at half-time and recommitting to doing all of the things that we talk about and take pride in,” junior attacker Michael Boehm said. “So, I don’t think anything about our game plan changed, but just our mindset.” 

The Wolverines’ dedication to playing their brand of lacrosse paid off as the game neared its end. 

Despite Penn State’s 3-0 run in the final minutes of the game, Michigan remained in the lead as the buzzer sounded. 

But even with this historic win, the Wolverines have made one thing clear; the job is not done. They want the championship, and their performance during this game has finally put it within arms reach.