Normally, it takes decades for a team to double its all-time win total. Saturday afternoon, the Michigan lacrosse team did it in less than three hours.

The Wolverines (0-6 ECAC, 1-12 overall) defeated non-conference opponent St. Joseph’s, 11-8, earning their first win of the season and the second in the two-year history of the program.

On senior day at Michigan Stadium, senior midfielder Thomas Paras scored three goals and recorded two assists for the Wolverines. His skip shot from the left side with 10:49 remaining in the game gave Michigan a three-goal advantage and all but cemented its first-ever home win.

Freshman forward Kyle Jackson added two scores and two assists of his own, upping his goal total to 17.

“It obviously felt great to get that monkey off our back,” Jackson said. “We got off to a quick start, and we couldn’t have asked for a better result.”

Added Michigan coach John Paul: “One of the great things about this team is that all year they really haven’t gotten down. ... They’re going to stick their chest out a little bit more now.”

Weather conditions inside the Big House seemed more fitting for a contest on the gridiron in late November than for a lacrosse game in late April. But the mostly empty stands, temperatures that dipped into the high 30s and snow flurries didn’t stop the Wolverines from being energetic from start to finish, refusing to let their last opportunity for a home win slip away.

Freshmen midfielders Mike Hernandez and Brad Lott scored within six seconds of one another midway through the first quarter, giving Michigan an early 2-0 lead. Hernandez’ score came with 6:39 left in the period, and Lott’s first career goal with 6:33 remaining, directly off of the ensuing faceoff.

Despite the hot start, the Wolverines couldn’t keep the momentum on their side for longer than a minute in the first half. The Hawks countered with a goal of their own just 34 seconds after Lott’s tally, and when Paras scored an unassisted goal with less than two minutes in the first quarter, the subsequent St. Joseph’s goal came within 40 seconds once again.

With 6:10 left in the second, sophomore attacker Will Meter took a crisp pass from Jackson, moving left to right, and scored from 10 yards inside the “B” of the Big Ten logo that rests near the northeast 25-yard line of Michigan Stadium.

Even after out-shooting the Hawks 25-15 in the first half, Michigan trailed 6-5 at halftime — the one-goal difference was the smallest halftime deficit the previously-winless Wolverines had faced this season.

Michigan erased the margin early in the third quarter, thanks to another brilliant goal from Meter. With 12:48 remaining in the period, he evaded St. Joseph’s defenseman Steve Dunn, sneaking in towards the right side of the crease for an unassisted backhand goal that tied the game at six.

The Wolverines traded goals with the Hawks throughout the third quarter. Jackson’s score midway through the period came off an assist from Paras and left the game tied at eight going into the fourth.

In the final quarter, though, the home team took over. Paras opened up the scoring just 49 seconds in with a sidearm strike from the right side, giving Michigan a 9-8 lead.

Paras then assisted on Jackson’s goal less than a minute later, which came from eight yards to the right of the goal, nearly even with the crease, and gave the Wolverines a two-goal lead.

The unfamiliar position of being in control late in the game didn’t faze Michigan, though. Paras was unstoppable, completing his hat trick — the last goal of the contest — with more than 10 minutes remaining.

“We’ve been close a lot this year,” Paul said. “It’s good to go into the end of the season with the guys understanding that this is what it looks like when you put a complete game together.”

Freshman goalkeeper Gerald Logan recorded 15 saves and was particularly impressive in the fourth quarter, turning aside eight shots. A stop that came with four minutes remaining encapsulated the Wolverines’ momentum perfectly — a St. Joseph’s laser bounced off of Logan’s chest, an unexpected save, and was eventually controlled by Michigan.