Michigan capitalizes off of whistles but can’t generate enough possessions

The Michigan girls’s lacrosse staff entered the NCAA Match with a poor observe report on each side of person-up conditions and free place photographs. In a lot of its late-season losses, opposing groups scored on most — if not all — of their extra-person alternatives and the Wolverines struggled on free place photographs whereas permitting opponents to attain. 

However in a season-ending loss to Northwestern within the second spherical of the match, Michigan turned that round. Regardless of robust play off of whistles, the Wolverines couldn’t achieve sufficient possessions to create alternatives elsewhere and fell, 15-12.

“I believe the offense executed once they wanted to,” Michigan coach Hannah Nielsen mentioned. “… after we had the ball on both finish of the sphere we actually did do a great job of executing however sadly, we simply didn’t have it sufficient.”

In a loss to the Wildcats earlier this season, Northwestern scored all 3 times when a penalty by the Wolverines put them an individual up. Sunday, Michigan held the Wildcats 2-for-3 in extra-person conditions whereas going 3-for-4 themselves off of Northwestern’s yellow playing cards.

On free place photographs, the distinction was much more noticeable. The Wolverines transformed at a 4-for-8 fee out of the free place whereas holding their opponents to only two objectives on 9 makes an attempt. 

The protection held the Wildcats — who’ve scored at the very least 19 objectives in 4 out of their earlier six video games — to solely 15 objectives and did so in lots of tough conditions. Graduate goalkeeper Arielle Weissman saved a number of free place photographs and different tough photographs that despatched her leaping, diving and contorting across the cage. And when the protection needed to play down an individual, they labored as a cohesive unit regardless of being outnumbered.

“We nearly like enjoying man-down,” Weissman mentioned. “It offers us confidence, we work the very best we ever do collectively throughout that as a result of you’ll want to and it labored out right now for us.”

Even after scuffling with these conditions earlier within the season, they performed an important function when Michigan’s again was towards the wall. After a scoreless first interval that led to a five-goal deficit, it bought on the board with a free place purpose within the second interval. About 5 minutes later, an extra-person purpose made the rating 7-3, then with 9 seconds left within the half, one other free place purpose introduced the Wolverines inside three.

Within the second half, Michigan scored three objectives on extra-person alternatives, certainly one of which additionally got here out of the free place.

Six of the Wolverines’ 12 objectives got here whereas up an individual, on a free place shot or each, whereas a seventh got here within the second interval when freshman attacker Jill Smith recovered a deflection on her personal free place shot and slung the ball into the online for her second purpose of the day. 

Michigan couldn’t earn sufficient possessions to win the sport, nevertheless it performed nicely the place it had beforehand struggled. In a bodily recreation with 64 whole fouls and 7 yellow playing cards, the Wolverines made their alternatives rely and restricted Northwestern’s successes. 

“We scored (in) alternative ways on the entire man-up performs that we had,” Nielsen mentioned. “… I believe that fills us with confidence.” 

Regardless of marking the tip of Michigan’s season, its success in overcoming a weak spot displayed the expansion that drove it this deep into the postseason. As a substitute of being the Achilles heel that dragged them down, the Wolverines’ earlier flaws turned their largest strengths.