U-M to Host No. 6 Wildcats Thursday, Duquesne Sunday

Thursday, April 2

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:00 PM

Michigan

Northwestern

3/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse

By: Whitney Dixon

• Notes Pack (PDF)

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• Wolverine Athlete Spotlight: Game for Change Edition

PROMOTIONS
• Northwestern: Maize Out, U-M Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day, Team Night
• Duquesne: Easter Celebration, #Be1ForChange, Michigan Tote Bag Giveaway, Postgame Autographs

» More Promotions

TEAM TWO: GAME ELEVEN AND TWELVE
The University of Michigan women's lacrosse team (5-5, 0-1 Big Ten) will entertain No. 6 Northwestern (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten) in its inaugural Big Ten Conference home matchup on Thursday (April 2) at 7 p.m. before hosting Duquesne (4-6) on Sunday (April 5) at 3 p.m. inside Michigan Stadium. U-M's game against Northwestern can be seen live on the Big Ten Network and will also be streamed live on BTN Plus via BTN2Go, where a subscription is needed to watch.

The Wolverines' matchup with Duquesne (3 p.m.) is the second game of a doubleheader with the men's lacrosse team, which will host Rutgers at noon. The two programs, in collaboration with the One Love Foundation, are joining together to host the first annual Game for Change to promote relationship violence awareness. The Wolverines encourage the U-M student body, faculty, staff and fans to attend the games and speak out if you notice signs of relationship violence around you. Shatter the silence. #Be1ForChange

WOLVERINE BITES

One Year Older
Michigan competed in its inaugural season in 2014 with a roster compiled solely of 27 freshmen.

The 2015 roster includes 23 of those 27 original student-athletes, which are now sophomores, and also includes 12 new freshmen. Four Wolverine sophomores have started all 27 games in their careers -- Anna Schueler (M), Jess Angerman (A), Brooke Pancoast (D) and Allison Silber (G).

Michigan Among the Big Ten and NCAA
Goals: Michigan boasts two of the Big Ten's top 10 players in goals per game -- 8.) Kim Coughlan (2.20/game) and 9.) Jess Angerman (2.10/game).

Ground Balls: Michigan leads the Big Ten and is ninth in the NCAA in ground balls per game at 19.5. Michigan owns four of the top six players in the Big Ten in ground balls per game -- Anna Schueler and Madeline Dion are tied for first at 2.20, Brooke Pancoast is fourth at 1.9, and Allison Silber is tied for fifth at 1.80 per game.

Caused Turnovers: Michigan is second in the Big Ten in caused turnovers at 9.10 per outing, led by Madeline Dion, who ranks tied for first in the conference and tied for 19th in the NCAA at 1.8 per game.

Draw Controls: The Wolverines rank fourth in the Big Ten in draw controls per game (12.3), led by Anna Schueler's 3.4 per game, which are good for third in the conference.

Attacking Threats
Michigan returned all of its offensive production from last season, including four players that accounted for 71 percent (112/158) of its goals and 72 percent (149/207) of its points -- Anna Schueler (32G+11A=43P), Jess Angerman (31G+13A=44P), Tess Korten (28G+10A=38P) and Kim Coughlan (21G+3A=24P).

That quartet continues to lead the Wolverines this season, accounting for 95 of their 154 points (62 percent) and 77 of their 121 goals (64 percent) -- Kim Coughlan (22G+4A=26P), Jess Angerman (21G+5A=26P), Anna Schueler (20G+5A=25P) and Tess Korten (14G+4A=18P).

Sharing the Ball
Thirteen different players have tallied points for Michigan this season, while 10 have scored goals. So far this season the Wolverines have six players with 10 or more goals -- Jess Angerman (21, 5A) and Kim Coughlan (22G, 4A) are leading U-M with 26 points, while Anna Schueler (20G, 5A), Tess Korten (14G, 4A), Lauren Oberlander (14G, 4A) and Madeline Dion (10G, 0A) round out the players with 10 or more goals.

Possessing the Ball
So far in 2015, Michigan is averaging 14.9 turnovers per game, compared to 18 per game in 2014 and 17.3 per game by it 2015 opponents. Michigan is also winning the ground-ball battle, 195-156, overall this season and is ranked first in the Big Ten and ninth in the county in ground balls per game, averaging 19.5. In addition, Michigan has gone 119-for-150 (79 percent) on clears so far this season.

Overtime Woes
Three of Michigan's 10 games this season have gone to overtime, where the Wolverines have suffered losses in all three by just one goal. U-M dropped a 14-13 double-overtime matchup to Colorado on March 22. The Wolverines also lost overtime games at Winthrop (11-10 OT) on Feb. 22 and against Virginia Tech (13-12 OT) on March 11. Michigan is now 2-3 all-time in overtime games, as it defeated UC Davis and California in double overtime last season.

The Newcomers
Of Michigan's 12 freshmen on its roster, 10 have seen game action so far this season. Midfielder Molly Fishter has seen ample time in all 10 games, including one start, and has tallied three assists. Attacker Mae Tarr has seen time in all 10 games, recording seven goals and one assist, including a breakout performance at St. Mary's. In that game, Tarr tied a program record with five goals and set a program record with seven draw controls en route to being named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Tarr is also second on the team in draw controls with 15. Katie Melvin notched her first career point on an assist versus St. Bonaventure. Goalie Kat Geffken saw six minutes of time against Florida and 15 minutes against St. Bonaventure.

Women's Lax 101
There are currently 107 NCAA Division I women's lacrosse programs across the country that compete in 13 different conferences, including four first-year programs -- Furman, Gardner-Webb, Massachusetts-Lowell and Mercer. After competing in the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) during its inaugural season in 2014, Michigan is now a member of the Big Ten Conference, which is sponsoring women's lacrosse for the first year, along with Maryland, Northwestern, Penn State, Ohio State and Rutgers. Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State and Penn State are each currently ranked in the top 20 nationally. [ IWLCA Division I Poll ]

Inaugural Season of Big Ten Lacrosse
The Big Ten Conference announced that it would sponsor men's and women's lacrosse as varsity sports on June 3, 2013, giving the conference 28 sports. With the addition of Maryland and Rutgers as full-fledged members of the Big Ten, starting in 2014-15, both the men and women have enough to form a conference with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers join Michigan for the inaugural season of Big Ten women's lacrosse.

Big Ten women's lacrosse features teams that have won 24 national championships and 20 of the 33 NCAA Championships, including nine of the last 10. Maryland won its 12th national championship last year. Northwestern has won seven NCAA titles -- most recently in 2012. Penn State has earned five national championships, including NCAA titles in 1987 and 1989.

Ulehla-Amonte Hiller Connection
Michigan head coach Jennifer Ulehla (1990-91) and Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller (1993-96) were both standout players at the University of Maryland, but just missed being teammates. Ulehla was a two-time All-American with the Terrapins (1990-91) and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the NCAA Final Four in 1990, while Amonte earned back-to-back national player of the year awards (1995-96). Ulehla and Amonte also went on to play for the U.S. National Team, but never played together.

High School Connections
Two Michigan players have hometown connections to members of Northwestern's roster. Lauren Pryor and NU freshman Emily Stein were teammates at Darien High School (Darien, Conn.), while freshman Sydney Dalmass and Wildcat senior goalie Bridget Bianco played one season together at Moorestown High School (Moorestown, N.J.).

Michigan sophomore Brooke Pancoast and Duquesne junior Lib Lowry were high school teammates at Radnor (Wayne, Pa.).

Tarr Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week (March 9)
Freshman Mae Tarr received the program's first Big Ten Conference weekly honor on March 9, being named the conference's Freshman of the Week. At St. Mary's (March 6), Tarr helped lead the Maize and Blue to its third straight win by a lopsided score of 22-8. The Parkville, Md. native finished with five goals on seven shots, one assist, three ground balls, one caused turnover, and also set a program record with seven draw controls. Four of her five goals were tallied in the second half, while one goal in each half came on a free-position attempt.

Facing Ranked Opponents
In total, the Maize and Blue will face six preseason nationally ranked opponents this season -- No. 1 Maryland (April 18), No. 4 Northwestern (April 2), No. 15 Penn State (April 9), and No. 17 Notre Dame (April 12) remain, as Michigan already faced No. 4 Florida (Feb. 14; L, 21-0) and No. 18 Ohio State (March 27; L, 13-5), giving U-M a 0-2 record against ranked opponents this season.

LAST TIME OUT
Friday, March 27: Michigan 5, Ohio State 13

Michigan dropped a 13-5 decision to No. 18 Ohio State on Friday (March 27) in the inaugural Big Ten Conference matchup for both teams. The Buckeyes outscored U-M, 8-2, in the first half, while the second half was more evenly matched with OSU holding a 5-3 advantage.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Attack
Jess Angerman led Michigan with 44 points on 31 goals and 13 assists last season. Angerman tallied at least one point in each of the last nine games of the season, tallying 27 points during that stretch.

Angerman is tied for the team lead in point with 26 on 21 goals and five assists and also has 10 ground balls, five draw controls and three caused turnovers. She has scored at least one point in each of the last nine games, including a season-high four goals against St. Bonaventure.

Tess Korten was third on the team in points in 2014 with 38, on 28 goals and 10 assists. She finished the season on a 10-game/30-point streak, tallying at least one point in each of the last 10 games of the season. Korten notched a program-record seven points (4G, 3A) in U-M's first-ever win over UC Davis.

Korten is tied for fourth on the team in points this season with 14 goals and four assists. She also has seven ground balls, five draw controls and five caused turnovers. Korten has had at least one goal in all except one game she has played in this year, including a season-high four goals at St. Mary's.

Midfield
Anna Schueler led Michigan in goals with 32 last season and was second in points (43) and assists (11). She was also U-M's primary player taking the draw, winning a team-high 54 draws in 2014, and will take the majority of the Wolverines' draws this season. Schueler also had a team-high 16 caused turnovers last season. She was a two-time ALC Rookie of the Week selection and an All-ALC second team member as a freshman.

In 2015, Schueler is third on the team in points with 25, on 20 goals and five assists. She also has a team-high 34 draw controls, which rank third in the Big Ten (3.4/game), and is also tied for the Big Ten lead with 2.2 ground balls per game this season (22 total).

Kim Coughlan came on strong in the second half of last season, scoring 15 of her 21 goals in the final seven games of the season. She finished the 2014 season fourth on the team in goals with 21 and added three assists.

This season, Coughlan and Jess Angerman are tied for first on the team in points with 26, on 22 goals and four assists. She also has 13 draw controls, nine ground balls and two caused turnovers. Against Niagara, Coughlan matched a program record with five goals on seven shots.

Madeline Dion finished the 2014 season fifth on the team in points with 11 goals and one assist, and also added 13 ground balls, six draw controls and 11 caused turnovers.

So far in 2015, Dion has recorded 10 goals, including her first career hat trick against Colorado. She leads the team in caused turnovers with 18 (1.8/game), which is tied for first in the Big Ten and tied for 19th in the NCAA. Against Virginia Tech, Dion set a program record with five caused turnovers. Dion is also tied for first on the team in ground balls with 22, which co-lead the Big Ten, and has 11 draw controls.

Defense
Brooke Pancoast started all 17 games last season, recording 23 ground balls, 22 draw controls and eight caused turnovers.

Pancoast has started all 10 games in 2015 and has tallied 19 ground balls, six caused turnovers and three draw controls. She ranks fourth in the Big Ten in ground balls per game, averaging 1.9.

Kelly Kubach started all 16 games she played in last season, finishing the season second on the team in caused turnovers with 15, and also contributed 17 ground balls and six draw controls.

Kubach has started all 10 games in 2015, recording 16 ground balls, eight caused turnovers and nine draw controls.

Goalie
Allison Silber started all 17 games in goal for Michigan last season, making 143 saves and recording a save percentage of .360.

Silber has played all except 21 minutes in the cage for Michigan this season, making 68 total saves, and recording a save percentage of .384. She made a season-high 10 saves at California, helping U-M to a 16-14 win. Silber also ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten in ground balls per game at 1.8.

MEET THE COACHING STAFF
Jennifer Ulehla is in her second year as the head coach of the Michigan women's lacrosse program. She was announced as Michigan's first head coach in program history in September 2011 and has been working to build a championship culture within her program from day one. Under Ulehla's guidance, Michigan compiled a 4-13 record in its first season as a Division I program in 2014. In addition, three Wolverines garnered ALC Rookie of the Week accolades, and freshman Anna Schueler was selected to the All-ALC second team in that first season.

Prior to coming to Ann Arbor, Ulehla gained experience in the development of a new program as an assistant coach at Florida from January 2008-June 2010. Taking a hiatus from collegiate lacrosse, Ulehla worked as an assistant coach with the U.S. National Elite Team from 2006-2009. Previous collegiate head coaching stops for Ulehla also include Temple (2004-06) and James Madison (1994-2002). She was inducted into the James Madison University Athletics Hall of Fame on Nov. 15, 2013, for her contributions to the program.

As a player, Ulehla was a two-time All-American at Maryland (1990-91) and also competed on the U.S. National Lacrosse Team from 1990-95.

Assistant coach Becca Block joined Ulehla's staff on July 16, 2014, and is working primarily with the Wolverine defense. Block joined U-M's staff after one season as an assistant coach at the University of Vermont. As a player, she was the 2013 IWLCA Defender of the Year at Syracuse University (2010-13) and is a current U.S. National Team member (2012-present). Throughout her collegiate playing career, she helped the Orange qualify for the NCAA Tournament on three occasions (2010, '12, '13). The team advanced to the Final Four in 2010 and the national championship game in 2012.

Assistant coach Alyssa Murray was the latest addition to U-M's staff (January 2015) and is the Wolverines' offensive specialist. She recently completed a standout career at Syracuse University, where she was a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist. Following her career at Syracuse, Murray was selected to the U.S. Women's National Team and also signed a one-year contract with Team STX. Prior to coming to Ann Arbor, Murray served as a volunteer assistant coach at Stony Brook University during the Fall of 2014.

The Block-Murray Connection
Assistant coaches Becca Block and Alyssa Murray were teammates at Syracuse University for three seasons, where they both had outstanding careers and are now members of the U.S. Women's National Team together. Block was the National Defender of the Year in 2013 at Syracuse and now coaches the Wolverine defense, while Murray was a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist (2013-14) as an attacker and works primarily with U-M's offense.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

Scouting No. 6 Northwestern
Northwestern owns a 6-3 record, including a 0-1 mark in Big Ten play, with all three losses coming against top-10 opponents -- No. 8 Duke (15-9), No. 2 North Carolina (12-11) and No. 1 Maryland (16-5). The Wildcats are 2-3 against ranked opponents this season, having defeated No. 7 Virginia (6-5) and No. 10 Louisville (12-10).

Led by 13th-year head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, Northwestern is coming off a 14-7 season, when it advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual national champion Maryland, 9-6.

Three different players have tallied double-digit goals for Northwestern this season, led by freshman Selena Lasota's 34 goals, which lead the Big Ten and rank fifth in the NCAA. Redshirt senior attacker Kara Mupo has 16 goals, while junior midfielder Kaleigh Craig has 13 goals and three assists. Senior goalie Bridget Bianco, who has played all but 38 minutes in cage for the Wildcats this season, has made 68 total saves and has a save percentage of .436.

Series vs. Northwestern: Northwestern leads the all-time series 1-0 against Michigan. The Wildcats defeated the Wolverines 20-6 in the inaugural meeting between the two teams on March 11, 2014. Kaleigh Craig led NU with four goals and one assist in that matchup, while Anna Schueler had two goals and three draw controls for Michigan.

Scouting Duquesne

Duquesne is led by 10th-year head coach Michael Scerbo and is currently 4-6 overall, including a 1-1 mark in Atlantic 10 play. Most recently, the Dukes defeated St. Bonaventure, 19-11, in conference action. Michigan defeated the Bonnies 18-6 earlier this season. Duquesne is led by sophomore midfielder Kaelin Shaw, who has a team-best 24 points on 17 goals and seven assists. DU is second in the A-10 in ground balls per game (19.44) and caused turnovers per game (11.33). Casey Briglia has a team-high 23 ground balls, while Amanda Kidder has caused a team-best 18 turnovers. Goalie Jenna Bishop has played the majority of minutes in cage for the Dukes, making 75 saves and recording a save percentage of .466.

Series vs. Duquesne: Michigan and Duquesne will face off for the first time in the history of the two programs.

TICKETS
Tickets for the 2015 season are still available at the U-M Athletic Ticket Office or online at MGoBlue.com/tickets. For more information on Michigan women's lacrosse single-game tickets or season ticket packages, call the U-M Athletic Ticket Office at (734) 764-0247 or (866) 296-MTIX.

UP NEXT
Thursday, April 9 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 7 p.m. [ BTN ]
Sunday, April 12 -- at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.), 1 p.m.