Within the confines of the Michigan men’s lacrosse team’s locker room, a clock has been ticking, counting down to the moment that the Wolverines hope will be remembered in the record books.
Sunday, when the time expires, Michigan (1-1 Big Ten, 5-5 overall) will host No. 12 Ohio State (2-0, 9-3) at Michigan Stadium in hopes of earning its first win against its archrival in the season’s most highly anticipated matchup.
In the previous three battles, the Buckeyes have dominated the Wolverines, going undefeated and winning each game decisively. But this team has taken tremendous strides maturing since the two teams last met, and Michigan should feel more confident heading into Sunday’s game than in previous meetings.
After earning the program’s first Big Ten win against Rutgers, Michigan is hoping it can carry over the momentum, especially on the offensive end. After struggling for much of the season, the Wolverines solved some of the scoring issues they have had in a 10-goal performance against the Scarlet Knights.
“We were very good in transition against Rutgers, and that was a big part of our success,” said Michigan coach John Paul. “We’ve figured out that if our offense is struggling a little bit, the transition’s been an important piece for us.”
That tactic may not prove to be as effective, though, against a physical Ohio State defense. The Buckeyes rank ninth in the country in goals allowed, surrendering 7.83 per game, and have given up 10 or more goals just three times this season.
Michigan has had no problem creating scoring opportunities in recent weeks, but it hasn’t been efficient in capitalizing on them. The return of sophomore attacker Ian King was a big boost for a struggling Wolverine offense against Rutgers, but Michigan’s attack will need to finish whatever chances it gets to overcome the stingy Buckeye defense.
“There were opportunities on the table that we either didn’t see or didn’t execute, and we’ve got to be better at executing,” Paul said. “Having (King) back helps, but we’re not going to win games because he’s back. We need everybody to continue to learn and improve from when we couldn’t capitalize the last few games.”
On the opposite sideline, another King will also be lurking, looking to poach goals. Ohio State senior attacker Jesse King (no relation) currently leads the conference with 39 points and is coming off a five-goal performance against Johns Hopkins.
“(Ohio State) works very hard to get the ball to their best players, Jesse King certainly, in advantageous positions,” Paul said. “They do a lot of things you have to prepare for, and that’s what we’ve been doing this week — preparing to slow down the areas of the game they’re so good at.”
The Buckeyes score a majority of their goals early during offensive possessions, which has proved to be a risky strategy that yields inconsistent results. Though Ohio State scored 15 goals against Johns Hopkins last Sunday, the Buckeyes were shut out against Notre Dame, a feat accomplished just six times in Division I since 2007.
Scoring struggles have been especially prevalent on the road for Ohio State, where it has endured all three of its losses. With the Buckeyes matching up with a much-improved Wolverine defense, goals could be at a premium if Ohio State can’t find King in the right spots.
Facing a ranked opponent will be a challenge for Michigan. The Wolverines are 0-19 all-time against top-20 teams, a streak that has ominously hung over the program since its inception.
“Playing elite competition has helped us in the long-run,” Paul said. “These are games we’re used to playing, and the next stage for us is winning them. We’ve been competitive in a few, but not enough of them, and when we start consistently competing in them, we’ll start winning them.”
Michigan’s seniors view Sunday’s matchup as an opportunity to break recent trends and leave a permanent mark on the young, up-and-coming program. The veteran group has stayed committed to the program through all the losses and believes the time has come to validate the hard work they have put into building from the ground up.
While the seniors have been leading and sharing anecdotes with the rest of team all week, Paul knows when game time comes, it won’t take much to get his team motivated for an already emotional rivalry game.
“It’s funny, because as much as you have guys stepping up and talking about how much this game means, the reality is when you’re at Michigan vs. Ohio State, you don’t need that,” Paul said. “You know this is a big game, and all of the other pomp and circumstance and fluff you don’t need. It’s part of who we are here a Michigan. When we play Ohio State, we got to be ready to go.”