For the No. 14 Michigan men’s lacrosse team, the stakes are higher than they’ve been all season.
The Wolverines are preparing for their biggest game of the season against No. 2 Johns Hopkins in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. The winner will play either No. 7 Maryland or No. 8 Penn State for the Big Ten championship and a chance to secure a spot in May’s NCAA Tournament. The loser is going home.
The fact that Michigan has already played the Blue Jays this season and lost convincingly puts more pressure on the Wolverines.That loss was characterized by Michigan’s difficulties with ball security — and if the Wolverines are to secure the victory on Thursday, these problems must be resolved.
“Last game, (we had) too many turnovers and gave them way too many opportunities,” Tiernan told The Michigan Daily Wednesday. “So if we limit those turnovers to get some more possessions and get good quality shots, we’re gonna put ourselves in a good spot.”
Michigan racked up 17 turnovers to the Blue Jays’ 13 in the last match between the two. And these turnovers spilled over, affecting Wolverines’ play as a whole. Michigan’s inability to keep the ball safe meant that it was unable to play its favored brand of lacrosse which relies on short passing and team movement. As a result, the Wolverines struggled to create shots throughout the game, with 34 to Johns Hopkins’ 43, and this ultimately led to them losing by four goals.
And the Blue Jays have maintained their propensity to capitalize on Michigan’s errors. With their .906 clearing percentage — the sixth-best in the country — they have the ability to pounce on the Wolverines’ turnovers and send the ball back into their own territory, killing off Michigan’s attempts to immediately regain the ball.
“Their 6v6 settled defense and offense are very well organized,” graduate attacker Justin Tiernan said “Specifically, defensively. They’re very buttoned up, they slide quick, and they’re very good with their recoveries.”
Johns Hopkins’ defensive organization is reflected by its ability to clear the ball. And the Blue Jays’ offensive organization is reflected by senior attacker Jacob Angelus’s 2.54 assists per game, which is second-best in the Big Ten. Angelus’s ability to create goals displays Johns Hopkins’ knack for playing the ball off of each other and collaborating in the build up to the goal — something that the Wolverines may be unable to do if their turnover difficulties persist.
Michigan displayed signs that it could beat the Blue Jays the last time around. The Wolverines dominated Johns Hopkins at the faceoff marker — with 18 to the Blue Jays’ 11 — and only had one less shot on goal. Michigan does have the ability to put on a good showing, but only if they can hold onto the ball.
“One thing definitely is stick protection and just using your feet,” Tiernan said. “…Their defense does a great job of stick checking and getting the ball loose so protecting our sticks and using our athleticism is definitely something that we’re gonna rely on heavily headed into this one.”
To protect their sticks and hold onto the ball, the Wolverines will look to rely on something they happen to have in droves — physicality. In particular, senior defenseman Jack Whitney and senior attacker Isaac Aronson bring a rough edge to Michigan’s game. Whitney leads a defensive unit that excels at forcing turnovers, and Aronson specializes in securing picks and going after the ball. Additionally, the speed and agility of graduate midfielder Beau Pederson will prove vital for the Wolverines in beating their matchups and avoiding pressure from the Blue Jays.
Alongside its athleticism, Michigan will also utilize its own style of play to avoid turning the ball over. If the Wolverines can rely on short passing and the involvement of their wingers to box out Johns Hopkins and give themselves time and space to operate, it will make the Blue Jays’ much less likely to be able to win the ball.
Michigan’s loss to Johns Hopkins earlier in the season was largely determined by one key facet of the game — the lack of ball security. However, the Wolverines have the tools, both physically and strategically, to overcome that deficiency this time out and potentially secure a significant upset victory.