According to coach John Paul, the Michigan men’s lacrosse team (3-3) came in with a solid game plan, but was unable to execute it on the road against undefeated No. 5 Brown.
Time of possession was the story of Saturday’s game. Michigan struggled to assert itself and frequently turned the ball over throughout in a 22-8 loss.
With 24 turnovers as opposed to the Bears’ 15, there were inevitably fewer scoring opportunities for the Wolverines. Brown fired 58 shots at redshirt freshman goalkeeper Gerald Logan, proof that it dominated possession. Michigan tallied less than half that with 26. Paul noted that Logan provided the bright spot in an otherwise lopsided affair, contributing 17 saves, which is the second-most in school history.
Michigan simply could not keep up with the top-ranked offense in the nation. The Bears jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first quarter and continued to pull away as the match progressed. The Wolverines were held to only one goal in each of the first three quarters, which left them facing a virtually insurmountable 15-goal deficit going into the fourth, 18-3.
Senior attacker Kylor Bellistri led the charge for Brown with six goals, two fewer than Michigan’s team total of eight. The small offensive spark for the Wolverines came from freshman attacker Brent Noseworthy, who finished with a hat trick.
Last week’s Big Ten Player of the Week, Michigan senior attacker Kyle Jackson, was held to only one goal, five fewer than his stellar six-point performance against Vermont on March 5.
Brown’s top offense was a test for Michigan, as it came into the game averaging slightly more than 17 goals per contest. While the Wolverines felt up for the challenge going in, they were unable to channel their confidence onto the field.
“We played a great team and picked today to play our worst game,” Paul said. “We just have to know that this isn’t indicative of us and that we have a whole season in front of us.”
With three games remaining until Big Ten play, Paul and his team are looking to take the next month to refocus and build on the weaknesses exposed during this weekend’s match.