With 18 minutes left in the first half, Jess Angerman stood in front of the crease, backing her defender down. The senior attacker took a pass from the top of the fan, turned over her left shoulder and drove the ball past the goalie to give the Michigan women’s lacrosse team a 9-1 lead.
Although the Wolverines (2-7) were already well on their way to victory over Detroit Mercy (2-5), the tally was not just any goal. The score gave Angerman 100 goals for her career, a milestone that had been reached by only one other player in the program’s four-year history.
After the ball hit the back of the net, Angerman dropped her stick and ran straight into the mob of teammates tearing towards her. Their screams of delight coming from the bench echoed throughout Oosterbaan Field House and continued well into the next play.
Her night did not end there, though. She proceeded to drive home another goal in the second half, finishing the game with three goals and four assists. Her seven-point night, a career high, gave her a team-high 14 goals and five assists on the season.
Angerman, who was nothing but smiles after the game, couldn’t help but reminisce on her four years with the program.
“It’s kind of crazy to think about,” Angerman said. “I remember scoring my first goals in the first year and it’s kind of nice to see all of our senior class gearing up towards these accomplishments. I mean me, (senior midfielder Anna Shueler and senior attacker Kim Coughlan), none of us had any idea we were even near 100 goals so it’s funny when you think how far along we have come in the past four years since we have been here, but it is really exciting and it’s exciting seeing how pumped up your teammates get.”
Four years ago, Michigan coach Jennifer Ulehla jumpstarted the program with a team comprised solely of 27 freshmen, Angerman being one of them.
While the team has yet to achieve success in the win column, that has not stopped Angerman from achieving personal success. She was the first player to reach 100 points, has started all 52 games in the program’s history, and was named the first captain in program history last year.
“Jess has grown so much over her four years, not only as a lacrosse player, but as a leader,” Ulehla said. “She’s really stepped up into that leadership role, which when you come in with such a large amount of freshmen that are your peers and then you become a captain, it’s not the easiest thing to do, and she’s really handled that with grace. She’s found how to be a great leader on and off the field.”
Angerman was barely phased by reaching the milestone and appeared ready to move on to Ohio State and Big Ten play. Ulehla, on the other hand, seemed to linger on the accomplishment a little more.
“I think it means so much. I mean 100 goals…” Ulehla said. “It shows a lot of success within a program that hasn’t had a tremendous amount of success if you weigh it by win. For (younger players) to look at the individuals that have received success, the hard work they have put in and to recognize what it takes in order to accomplish something like that — it’s a legacy that (Angerman) will leave behind.”