Michigan
Northwestern
U-M Draws Northwestern in First Round of Inaugural B1G Tourney
4/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
THIS WEEK
Thursday, April 30 -- vs. No. 9 Northwestern - Big Ten Tournament (Piscataway, N.J.), 3 p.m.
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• Notes Pack (PDF)
• Big Ten Tournament: Tournament Central | Bracket (PDF) | Tickets
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
• Wolverine Athlete Spotlight: Lauren Oberlander
TEAM TWO: GAME SEVENTEEN
As the sixth seed in the inaugural Big Ten Women's Lacrosse Tournament, the University of Michigan women's lacrosse team (5-11) will face third-seeded and No. 9-ranked Northwestern in the first round on Thursday (April 30) at 3 p.m. The tournament will be hosted by Rutgers University at High Point Solutions Stadium (April 30-May 1, May 3).
The Michigan versus Northwestern matchup will be streamed live on BTN Plus via BTN2Go, where a subscription is needed to watch.
All six Big Ten Conference teams qualified for the tournament, where the top two teams received a first-round bye as Maryland (5-0 Big Ten) and Penn State (4-1 Big Ten) locked up those two spots. Northwestern (3-2 Big Ten) earned the No. 3 seed and will take on Michigan in the first game on Thursday (April 30), while No. 4 Ohio State (2-3 Big Ten) and No. 5 Rutgers (1-4 Big Ten) will face off in the second game on the opening day. The winner of the Michigan-Northwestern matchup will play second-seeded Penn State on Friday (May 1) at 5:30 p.m., while the championship game will take place on Sunday, May 3, at noon. [ Bracket 
]
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. Three Wolverine sophomores have started all 33 games in their careers -- Anna Schueler (M), Jess Angerman (A) and Allison Silber (G). After missing the first three games of her career due to a right ankle injury, defender Brooke Pancoast returned to play against Rutgers in the regular-season finale but did not start.
Michigan Among the Big Ten and NCAA
Goals: Jess Angerman ranks ninth in the Big Ten, averaging 2.0 goals per game.
Ground Balls: Michigan leads the Big Ten and is 21st in the NCAA in ground balls per game at 18.25. U-M also owns two of the top three players in the Big Ten in ground balls per game -- Madeline Dion (2.12/game) and Anna Schueler (2.0/game) rank second and third, respectively.
Caused Turnovers: Michigan leads the Big Ten and is tied for 23rd in the NCAA in caused turnovers, averaging 9.0 per outing. Madeline Dion ranks second in the conference and tied for 24th in the NCAA at 1.63 caused turnovers per game.
One-Goal Games
Michigan has lost five games by just one goal each this season. Most recently, the Wolverines fell to Rutgers, 7-6, in a meeting of two teams vying for their first Big Ten Conference win (April 26). U-M also lost to Duquesne, 11-10, (April 5), while the other three losses by one goal have come in overtime. U-M dropped a 14-13 double-overtime matchup to Colorado (March 22) and also lost overtime games at Winthrop (11-10) on February 22 and against Virginia Tech (13-12) 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.
Six Wolverines Receive Awards at Team Banquet
On Saturday, April 25, Michigan held its annual awards banquet. Among the six Wolverines that earned awards were Team MVP Anna Schueler and Rookie of the Year Molly Fishter.
Angerman Sets Program Assist Records
Jess Angerman tallied a career-high five assists at No. 13 Notre Dame (April 12), setting a new program record for assists in a game. She has 14 assists this season, a program record for most assists in a season, surpassing her team-best 13 assists from Michigan's inaugural season in 2014. Angerman ranks tied for 10th in the Big Ten in assists per game at 0.88.
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).
This season, Jess Angerman (32G+14A=46P), Anna Schueler (31G+7A=38P) and Kim Coughlan (30G+4A=34P) have separated themselves from the pack, while more players have contributed significantly to the scoring column this season. Lauren Oberlander (21G+5A=26P) and Tess Korten (19G+6A=25P) have also contributed more than 20 points each, helping that group of five account for 169 of U-M's 221 points (76 percent) and 134 of its 171 goals (78 percent).
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 seven players with 10 or more goals, while last year only five finished the season with 10 or more goals. Jess Angerman (32G, 14A) is leading U-M with 46 points, while Anna Schueler (31G, 7A), Kim Coughlan (30G, 4A), Lauren Oberlander (21G, 5A), Tess Korten (19G, 6A), Madeline Dion (15G, 0A) and Kelly Schlansker (10G, 2A) round out the players with 10 or more goals.
Consistent Starters
Five Wolverines have started all 15 games for Michigan this season -- Jess Angerman (A), Madeline Dion (M), Kelly Kubach (D), Anna Schueler (M) and Allison Silber (G).
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 16 games, including seven starts, and has tallied three assists, 14 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Attacker Mae Tarr has seen time in 13 of 16 games, including one start. Tarr has recorded seven goals and one assist, including a breakout performance at St. Mary's, where she 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 also has 16 draw controls. 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.
Big Ten Conference Coaches
Five of the six Big Ten women's lacrosse head coaches are alums of the University of Maryland. Michigan's Jennifer Ulehla (1990-91), Northwestern's Kelly Amonte Hiller (1993-96), Penn State's Missy Doherty (1994-97), Maryland's Cathy Reese (1995-98) and Ohio State's Alexis Venechanos (2000-03) each played for the Terrapins. Ulehla and Amonte Hiller both continued their careers on the U.S. National Team, but were never teammates, while Rutgers' Laura Brand-Sias (Rutgers, 1996-99) played for the Canadian National Team.
High School Connections
Two Michigan players have hometown connections to members of Northwestern's roster. Sophomore 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.).
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, Maryland, 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
The Maize and Blue has faced six nationally ranked opponents this season. The Wolverines wrapped up regular-season games against ranked opponents with a 14-9 loss to No. 1 Maryland on April 18. It marked the fewest amount of goals Maryland has defeated a non-ranked opponent by this season (five), while Michigan's nine goals are the most Maryland has allowed against unranked opponents this season. U-M is 0-6 against ranked opponents so far this season with losses to No. 4 Florida (Feb. 14; L, 21-0), No. 18 Ohio State (March 27; L, 13-5), No. 6 Northwestern (April 2; L, 17-8), No. 12 Penn State (April 9; L, 11-5), No. 13 Notre Dame (April 12; L, 21-12) and No. 1 Maryland (April 18; L, 14-9).
LAST TIME OUT
April 26, 2015: Rutgers 7, Michigan 6
Michigan was unable to hold on to a 6-4 second-half lead, as Rutgers closed the game on a 3-0 run to edge the Wolverines, 7-6, and earn its first Big Ten Conference victory. U-M used a five-goal run that spanned both halves to overcome an early 4-1 deficit but could not hang on to the lead. Jess Angerman and Lauren Oberlander led Michigan with two goals apiece.
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 leads U-M in points with 46, on 32 goals and 14 assists, and also has 16 ground balls, 10 draw controls and four caused turnovers. She has tallied at least one point in each of the last 15 games, including three or more goals in six games this season. At No. 13 Notre Dame (April 12), she set a program record with five assists in a game. Her 14 assists are also a program record for most in a season.
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 fifth on the team in points this season with 25, on 19 goals and six assists. She also has 12 ground balls, seven draw controls and seven caused turnovers. Korten has had nine multi-point performances this season.
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 second on the team in points with 38, on 31 goals and seven assists. She also has a team-high 44 draw controls and is third in the Big Ten, averaging 2.0 ground balls per game this season (32 total). Schueler is the only Wolverine to score at least one goal in each of the last 15 games, including six games with three or more goals.
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 is third on the team in points with 34, on 30 goals and four assists. She is second on the team in draw controls with 24, including a career-high five draw controls at No. 13 Notre Dame (April 12). She also has 17 ground balls and five caused turnovers. Against Niagara, Coughlan matched a program record with five goals on seven shots. She has had four games this season with three or more goals. Due to an injury to defender Brooke Pancoast, Coughlan has played a more defensive role for Michigan in the last four games, recording 10 draw controls, seven ground balls, two caused turnovers and two goals in those games.
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 15 goals, including two hat tricks against Colorado and No. 13 Notre Dame. She leads the team in caused turnovers with 26 (1.63/game), which are second in the Big Ten and tied for 24th in the NCAA. Against Virginia Tech, Dion set a program record with five caused turnovers. Dion is also first on the team in ground balls with 34, which are second in the Big Ten (2.12/game), and has 13 draw controls.
Lauren Oberlander has started 13 of 16 games played this season, far surpassing her offensive production from 2014 (8G, 1A) with 26 points (21G, 5A) in 2015, good for fourth on the team. She also has 16 ground balls, 10 caused turnovers and four draw controls this season. Oberlander has nine multi-point performances this season, including a career-high five points (4G, 1A) against Colorado (March 22).
Defense
Brooke Pancoast started all 17 games last season, recording 23 ground balls, 22 draw controls and eight caused turnovers.
Pancoast started the first 12 games of the season before missing three games with a right ankle injury. She returned to the lineup in the regular-season finale against Rutgers but did not start. Pancoast is a vocal leader for U-M's defense and has tallied 22 ground balls, six caused turnovers and three draw controls.
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. She was named Michigan's Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.
Kubach, one of Michigan's defensive vocal leaders, has started all 16 games in 2015, recording 23 ground balls, 15 caused turnovers and nine draw controls.
Margaret Metzger has continued to improve and play a larger role for U-M since earning Michigan's Unsung Hero Award in 2014. As a vocal leader for the Wolverine defense this season, she has started all 15 games played, recording 24 ground balls, 17 draw controls and 11 caused turnovers. Metzger started just one game for U-M in 2014, tallying 11 draw controls and six ground balls.
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 129 total saves and recording a save percentage of .404. She matched a career high with 14 saves at No. 1 Maryland (April 18). Silber is third on the team in ground balls with 28 total.
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 OPPONENT
Scouting No. 9 Northwestern
Northwestern owns an 11-5 record and finished Big Ten play with a 3-2 mark. All five of NU's losses have come against top-10 opponents -- No. 8 Duke (15-9), No. 2 North Carolina (12-11), No. 1 Maryland (16-5), No. 9 Stony Brook (11-9) and No. 12 Penn State (14-10). The Wildcats are 6-5 against ranked opponents this season, playing the fourth-toughest schedule in NCAA Division I.
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.
Six different players have tallied double-digit points for Northwestern this season, led by freshman Selena Lasota's 56 goals and seven assists (63 points). Lasota's 56 goals lead the Big Ten and rank tied for seventh in the NCAA. Redshirt senior attacker Kara Mupo has 32 goals, while junior midfielder Kaleigh Craig has 31. Freshman midfielder Shelby Fredericks leads NU with 50 draw controls, which rank fourth in the conference. Senior goalie Bridget Bianco, who has all of the Wildcats' decisions this season (11-5), has made 109 total saves and has a save percentage of .438.
Series vs. Northwestern: Northwestern leads the all-time series 2-0 against Michigan, with one meeting coming in each of U-M's first two seasons as a varsity program. In the second meeting between the two teams on April 2, 2015, the Wildcats defeated the Wolverines, 17-8, in Ann Arbor. After trailing 11-3 at halftime, Michigan played Northwestern to a close 6-5 second half. Kim Coughlan led U-M with four goals in that matchup, while NU's Selena Lasota recorded six goals and two assists.
