Three Michigan women’s lacrosse juniors brought life, energy and, most importantly, goals to Oosterbaan Field House.
While the Wolverine defense struggled at times to break the ball out of the defensive zone this weekend against Oregon and Marquette, attacker Jess Angerman and midfielders Anna Schueler and Kim Coughlan managed to compile a total of 14 goals — more than half of the 22 that Michigan scored in the two games it played.
Angerman scored her 100th point as a Wolverine on Friday against Oregon, making her the first player in the program’s short history to score 100 points. She led the team in scoring with four goals during Michigan’s 12-11 loss to the Ducks. And with another year of eligibility left, Angerman still has plenty of time to improve on the record before she leaves the University.
“I mean, I didn’t really think about it,” Angerman said. “The loss kind of sucks. I think we definitely wanted to come out on top today, especially after the way we played against Florida.”
Rather than reveling in her accomplishments, Angerman focused instead on moving past the loss to help the team prepare for Sunday’s game against Marquette.
“We’re going to definitely get our recovery in,” Angerman said. “Hydrate, ice bath, make sure our legs are feeling fresh. Just kind of transition. I think they play a lot of the same style as Oregon just did against us, so hopefully we’re prepared, and hopefully we can change our game plan and turn it around quickly against Marquette and come out with a win.”
With such focus, it is not surprising that Angerman started off the scoring frenzy for the Wolverines on Sunday, capitalizing on a high-energy back-door play. Her goal, assisted by Schueler, brought some much-needed momentum back to the Wolverines. Schueler was a playmaker the entire game, notching another assist and two goals of her own.
Coughlan answered with the Wolverines’ second point of the game just a few seconds after Angerman’s first goal. It soon became clear that Coughlan came to play, as she earned a hat trick in the first half of Sunday’s game and a career-high of six points overall. She now leads Michigan in scoring with 13 points this season and was a major factor in the Wolverines’ 11-8 victory against Marquette.
“I think we’re really buying into our roles this year,” Schueler said. “Kim had an awesome game, so that was really good to see. Everyone steps up at different times, so it was a really good team win.”
Added Michigan coach Jennifer Ulehla: “We stuck to the game plan. Defensively, we played as a unit, offensively we played as a unit, and we were able to get a lot more out of every single individual on the team.
Angerman and Schueler were both recently named captains to the three-year-old Division I team. Without any traditions to follow, or a senior class to look up to, they are working on setting a good example and laying foundations for future Wolverines.
“I think as an entire junior class, we’re really just focused on doing the little things,” Schueler said. “I think from the start, even the start of fall ball, working hard is what’s going to give us wins. So I think buying into that is what is going to help us moving forward.”
While Angerman, Schueler and Coughlan all gave great individual performances this weekend, the Wolverines won’t be able to rely on any single player if they want to be consistently strong this season. But all three will play a major role in ensuring the Wolverines’ play is up to par.