Michigan
Winthrop
Wolverines Drop OT Heartbreaker at Winthrop
2/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Site: Rock Hill, S.C. (Eagle Field)
Score: Winthrop 11, Michigan 10 (OT)
Records: U-M (0-2), Winthrop (3-1)
Attendance: 109
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 28 -- vs. St. Bonaventure (Oosterbaan Field House), 4 p.m.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- The University of Michigan women's lacrosse team overcame a four-goal deficit to force overtime against Winthrop but was outscored 1-0 in extra time, falling, 11-10, on Sunday (Feb. 22) at Eagle Field. Sophomores Jess Angerman, Kim Coughlan, Lauren Oberlander and Kelly Schlansker each had two goals for the Maize and Blue.
Winthrop opened the game on a 3-0 run, forcing Michigan to call timeout early at the 25:48 mark. The Wolverines responded as Coughlan sent a hard feed from the top of the 12-meter into Schlansker, who was cutting around the crease. Schlansker netted Michigan's first goal of the season to make the score 3-1, Winthrop, at 24:58. Less than three minutes later, Michigan tacked on another goal as Oberlander received a feed from behind from Angerman and finished.
Winthrop answered with another 3-0 run over the next 6:47, pushing its lead to four, 6-2, by the 13:10 mark. The Maize and Blue regrouped and constructed a 3-0 run of their own before halftime that brought them within one goal, 6-5. Oberlander scored her second goal of the game and sophomore Anna Schueler tallied a goal and an assist during the run.
Michigan netted the first goal of the second half to tie the game, 6-6, as Coughlan drove straight down the middle of the eight-meter and scored at 25:19.
Winthrop's offense took advantage of two Michigan fouls inside the eight-meter arc, converting two straight free-position attempts, to take an 8-6 lead with 18:39 to play. The Wolverines battled back with a free-position goal from Coughlan and a fast-break goal from Schlansker to tie the game for the second time with 5:16 remaining in regulation. Freshman Molly Fishter assisted on Schlansker's goal to record her first career point.
After an illegal Michigan stick gave Winthrop the ball back, Winthrop's Jenna Kasmarik tallied her third goal of the game to put the Eagles back on top, 9-8, at the 3:42 mark.
Michigan took its first lead of the game, 10-9, with 1:01 on the clock as Angerman netted two goals just 1:32 apart. Winthrop won the ensuing draw and converted on a free-position attempt with 14 seconds remaining to tie the game, 10-10. The Eagles won the final draw of regulation and got off a shot, but Michigan goalie Allison Silber made the point-blank save to send the game to overtime.
Nearly five minutes of overtime went by before either team broke the tie. Kasmarik tallied her game-high fourth goal for Winthrop on a free-position shot, giving the Eagles an 11-10 advantage with 1:09 to play in overtime. Winthrop possessed the next draw and both teams committed a turnover in the final minute, making for an exciting finish, but the Eagles regained possession and ran out the clock to seal the win.
Silber finished the game with six saves, while Winthrop keeper Alaina Girani made 13 saves in the win.
Next up, Michigan will host St. Bonaventure in its 2015 home opener on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. inside Oosterbaan Field House.
NOTES
• Michigan held an advantage in ground balls (27-20) and turnovers (U-M 16, WU 18) and was a perfect 9-for-9 on clears.
• Kelly Schlansker scored a career-high two goals and matched a career best with two ground balls.
• Molly Fishter earned her first career start in today's game.
• Michigan is 2-1 all-time in overtime games under head coach Jennifer Ulehla.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Jennifer Ulehla
On rebounding from the Florida game ... "We came in with the right mindset from the very beginning. Even though we went down 3-0, we were able to stick with the game plan and continue to fight, and that says a lot. Because when we went down against Florida, it took a lot for us to make a comeback. So from a standpoint of us playing as a team, I was really proud of how we came out and how we finished the game."
On her message after going down 3-0 early ... "Initially we had to make some adjustments from a defensive standpoint. We discussed the offense that Winthrop was in and how we needed to make a few adjustments to make sure they weren't getting the shots off that they were early. I told them to take a deep breath and get back out there. This week, we've been talking about 'the next five', the next five minutes. We were able to take the game in five-minute increments instead of thinking about the big picture."
On the offensive improvement today ... "We've been working on it all week. Winthrop played a very different type of zone in the first half and our team needed to adjust initially, but once we got it, we were able to create the opportunities that we were looking for. That's not an easy thing to do against a zone that you're not used to, and we did a great job, and Winthrop ended up having to get out of it and go back into man-to-man.
On the team keeping its composure during a back-and-fourth game ... "They did a great job! Because it was so back-and-fourth, there were a lot of emotions going on. But I think through some of the timeouts that we called, and with their growth, they were able to have a short memory and move forward when things didn't go well. We stayed incredibly composed and continued to compete. We had a lot less turnovers than we've had and that's a big step in the right direction."
On the big saves Allison Silber made in goal ... "Allison got a lot of experience being our goalie for the entire year last year and I think that really showed today. Push came to shove and there was a lot of pressure and it's their best player who had the ball in her stick and she was coming up with big saves. Those big saves are a big momentum builder and they keep us in the game. She's learning to remain more relaxed and focus on what her job is in the cage, which is to save the ball, and she was really able to do that today."
On having a more balanced attack ... "I think that Alyssa Murray, our offensive assistant coach, has done a great job of implementing offensives that get several individuals in our program offensive touches. Several players are able to make a difference, whether it be assisting or scoring goals. Down the stretch, that will be very important for us."
On the solid team defense ... "Our defense just played so well, so composed. They had a short memory today and they came up with some big turnovers in key, key times. That's a big step in the right direction for us."
On her message to the team after the game ... "We went into the game saying 'let's have each other's back -- let's get through this game and compete and fight through the entire 60 minutes' -- which ended up being more than 60 minutes. And we did that. I told them that our staff was incredibly proud of them and obviously the result wasn't what we were looking for, but it's going to be a huge learning experience as we move forward to our game against St. Bonaventure. This team needs to believe in themselves because they are a talented group. This was a good team that we just played and we went down early and were able to get back in it. We created some great opportunities and I think it was important for us to start to believe in what we can accomplish."
