At the end of the game Saturday, when the Michigan men’s lacrosse team trotted up the Big House tunnel for the final time this season, it did so as winners. The Wolverines (0-6 ECAC, 1-12 overall) took advantage of their final chance to win in Ann Arbor this season, beating St. Joseph‘s 11-8.

Senior day couldn’t have gone much better for midfielder and captain Thomas Paras, who might have played his final home game for Michigan.

Paras has been accepted into Michigan graduate school and has a remaining year of eligibility, so the team hopes to have him back for one more season. But with his future plans still uncertain, he wanted to make sure he did everything possible to make this year’s senior day a success.

“We wanted to go out and finish the season at home with the first win in the Big House,” Paras said. “I think the guys worked as hard as possible to the end.”

Paras was all over the field on Saturday, scoring three goals and dishing out two assists, but it was the timing of his playmaking that really helped propel Michigan over the Hawks (1-4 Colonial Association, 5-9).

In a game that went back and forth for the first three quarters – the score was tied six different times — Michigan’s leader wouldn‘t be denied in the end. Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Paras shot a bullet past St. Joseph’s goalie Dustin Keen from 10 yards away to give Michigan a 9-8 lead, which it would never relinquish.

Forty seconds later, Paras found freshman attacker Kyle Jackson for his second goal of the game. With the late two-goal lead and a potential first victory in sight, the Michigan faithful came to life in the Big House. Moments later, Paras rewarded them with his third and final goal of the game, sealing the win for the Wolverines.

“The fans here are great,” Paras said. “Not only here, but they travel better than anyone in the country. Them and the guys in this locker room can’t be beat, and I’m really happy to be around them.”

Though Paras showed his best game on the field Saturday, it was obvious that the topic of his individual play was vastly overshadowed by the team’s victory. As a senior, Paras has seen Michigan lacrosse convert from the most dominant club team in the country to a varsity team that has to fight and scrap for everything . In 2012, the Wolverines‘ first year in Division I, they won only one game against Mercer. After the victory on Saturday, the fear of taking a step backwards this year can be forgotten, and the relief was obvious in the postgame locker room.

“It was important for us to go into the end of the season knowing what it looked like when you do put everything together,” said Michigan coach John Paul. “To be able to turn it around and be this prepared was really important as well.”

With the losing streak over and the team’s first win under their belts, Paras and his teammates have a reason to step back and think about the journey the 2013 team has taken.

“I’ll just remember this whole feeling,” Paras said. “Getting this first win in the Big House, you know, it means everything.”

Added Jackson: “He’s one of the best teammates, players, friends that you could ever ask for, so leaving him on that note is the best thing we could ask for today.”

For a senior who has seen so many ups and downs with the Wolverines, Saturday’s win at the Big House certainly stands out as one of the greatest successes.