No. 17 Penn State women’s lacrosse (10-4, 2-2 Big Ten) fell 19-9 to No. 16 Michigan (11-1, 3-2 Big Ten) in a top-20 Big Ten conference game on Saturday in Ann Arbor.

The Nittany Lions realized a quick deficit within the first half and were unable to climb back to overcome the Wolverines. Despite forcing 19 turnovers from Michigan during the game, the Wolverines still found opportunities on offense to finish shots.

Kristin O’Neill and Emma Kelly led the scoring for Penn State with two goals a piece and impacted keeping the game close through the third and fourth quarters. Despite providing an answer to the first-half hardship, the Nittany Lions were not able to inspire a comeback to beat the Wolverines.

How it Happened

The Nittany Lions started the game slowly, losing the opening draw and going a goal down after Jill Smith found the back of the net. Penn State began pressuring the Wolverine offense and forcing several key turnovers to allow the Nittany Lion offense to gain possession. Kristin O’Neill found the equalizer for Penn State after beating two defenders and slotting the ball into the net, setting the game tied at 1-1 with 9:55 remaining in the first quarter.

Then, O’Neill doubled up and found her second goal of the game off an unassisted individual effort, giving the Nittany Lions their first lead of the night. Michigan then found an equalizer after Smith rifled a shot in the bottom corner. Not long after, Smith earned her hat trick after she beat a Penn State defender and converted a shot, giving the Wolverines the lead. The Wolverines continued to dominate the Nittany Lions on offense and found chances to have an open shot. Kaylee Dyer doubled Michigan’s lead after scoring a goal right before the end of the quarter, leaving the score at 4-2.

The second quarter started with Michigan on top. Erin Garvey scored her first goal of the game for the Wolverines from a free-position shot. Penn State continued to force turnovers in the midfield but was unable to successfully transition the ball to the final third. With 10:45 left to play in the half, Caroline Davis scored for the Wolverines setting the score at 6-2. Then, Smith scored following another free position shot that increased the deficit for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State earned a free position shot with 8:59 remaining in the half, which was finished by Penn State freshman Emma Kelly. The Nittany Lions looked to bring pressure to the Wolverines and began to control the tempo of the game. After earning a man-up opportunity, Brooke Barger found the back of the net of the Nittany Lions. Just a minute later, Penn State’s Gretchen Gilmore beat the Wolverine defense and placed a shot in the lower corner of the net to narrow the deficit to 7-5. Michigan’s Lily Montemarano responded with a goal off an assist from Davis. With 1:19 remaining in the half, Kelly scored her second goal of the game from a goal from a full-field transition play, leaving the score 8-6 at the end of the half.

The Nittany Lions continued to gain momentum at the start of the second half. The scoring frenzy from the first half stopped as both teams continued to battle for control of midfield. Penn State and Michigan increased the aggression, resulting in both teams exchanging penalties and having man-up opportunities. The Nittany Lions had several chances to decrease the scoring deficit, however, they were unable to score a shot past Michigan’s Maya Santa-Maria.

Heading into the final five minutes of the third quarter, the score still remained 8-6 as Penn State continued to fight back from a two-goal deficit. The Nittany Lions snapped the scoreless period after Erika Ho scored a free position shot, following a Michigan penalty. Penn State headed into the final quarter, trailing by only one goal after clawing back from the early deficit.

The fourth quarter started with both teams fighting for control of the game as Penn State looked to find an equalizer. Michigan struck first as Davis was able to finish a loose ball into the back of the net. The Nittany Lions continued to control midfield and force Michigan turnovers but were unable to successfully transition the ball forward.

Penn State responded to the earlier goal by pressuring the Michigan defense but was unable to find a goal. The Wolverines found another goal from Josie Gooch who was able to increase the score to 10-7 with 5:48 remaining in the game. Penn State closed the game with a final goal from Alaina Hamood who scored to finish the game with a score of 10-8.

Takeaways

• Despite the loss, Penn State outshot Michigan 27-19 and found plenty of opportunities to attack the opposing team’s net. The Nittany Lions must look to capitalize on these chances leading forward as the team placed 70% of shots on goal versus Michigan’s 95%.
• The Nittany Lions did a great job with disrupting the Michigan offense forcing 19 turnovers; however, the team must continue to improve on the transition to outscore its opponent.
• Penn State struggled to control draws today only winning 8 out of 21. This directly contributed to the team entering a goal deficit early on as Michigan dominated draw controls in the first quarter.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions return home to face Maryland for another Big Ten matchup at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 13 at Panzer Stadium.