Matchups with Butler and Canisius Set for Home-Opening Weekend

» Michigan will compete at the new U-M Lacrosse Stadium for the first time this weekend, hosting Butler on Friday (Feb. 16) at 3 p.m. and Canisius on Sunday (Feb. 18) at 1 p.m.
» Fans are encouraged to arrive early to find parking for Friday's game due to several concurring U-M Athletics events in the South Campus area.
» Through two games, attacker Adriana Pendino leads Michigan with six goals, as she recorded a hat trick in each of U-M's games last weekend.

THIS WEEK
Friday, Feb. 16 -- Butler (U-M Lacrosse Stadium), 3 p.m.
Live Stats | Tickets | Stadium Information
Promotions: Giveaways -- Commemorative cup (first 200 fans), Free hot chocolate (first 100 fans) [ more promotions ]

Sunday, Feb. 18 -- Canisius (U-M Lacrosse Stadium), 1 p.m.
Live Stats | Tickets | Stadium Information
Promotions: Giveaway -- Free hot chocolate (first 100 fans) [ more promotions ]

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The University of Michigan women's lacrosse team has long awaited the chance to compete in its brand new facility, and the Wolverines will get that opportunity this weekend when they host their first two games at the state-of-the-art U-M Lacrosse Stadium. Michigan will host Butler on Friday (Feb. 16) at 3 p.m. and welcome Canisius to Ann Arbor on Sunday (Feb. 18) for a 1 p.m. matchup. Individual single-game tickets can be purchased for $6, or $3 for groups of 10 or more.

Parking at all U-M Lacrosse games is free of charge and is available in the parking lot adjacent to the Varsity Tennis Center and in the State Street Commuter Parking Lot just south of the stadium. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for Friday's game, as parking will be limited due to several Michigan Athletics events occurring simultaneously.

WOLVERINE BITES
• Friday will mark the first game inside the new state-of-the-art U-M Lacrosse Stadium for the women's lacrosse team. The U-M men's lacrosse team officially opened the stadium last weekend with a 15-5 win over Cleveland State on Saturday (Feb. 10). The 2,000 seat stadium is one of only eight 1,000-plus-seat venues in the country built specifically for Division I lacrosse (six men's and women's venues, two women's-only). The stadium has direct corridor access to a lacrosse-dedicated facility that houses custom-designed locker rooms, team lounges, meeting rooms and coaches' offices. Both programs also have access to two film rooms and an indoor-turf room that can be used for wall ball, individual skill training and small instructional sessions.

• Michigan opened its 2018 campaign in Jacksonville, Florida, last weekend, going 0-2 with losses to two 2017 NCAA Tournament teams in No. 17 Colorado (20-10) and Jacksonville (14-9).

• Several Wolverines made career debuts and earned their first career starts in the season opener against Colorado (Feb. 9). Juniors Maggie Handlan, Adriana Pendino and Maddie Klee and sophomores Lilly Grass, Sydney Whitaker and Quinn Melidona each earned their first career starts. Sophomore Nadine Stewart made her first appearance in a Michigan uniform after missing the 2017 season with a knee injury, and junior Casey Cummo also made her U-M debut after transferring from Louisville in January, starting against Colorado and Jacksonville. Freshmen Maggie Kane and Erin Daly both made their Michigan debuts, with Kane earning the start in both games last weekend.

• Eight different Wolverines scored goals in the opening weekend, with six of them recording multiple goals. Pendino led Michigan in both games last weekend, recording hat tricks in each outing. Pendino matched her career high in both games and scored all three goals against Colorado on free-position attempts, tying the school record for FPGs in a single game. Through two games, Grass already surpassed her goal total from last season, notching her first career hat trick against Colorado and adding another goal against Jacksonville.

• Michigan is 10-for-14 (71 percent) on free-position shots, scoring 10 of its 19 goals on free positions through two games. Five different players have scored a FPG with Pendino leading the way at a perfect 4-for-4 mark.

• Michigan was edged on the draw in both games last weekend, but remained competitive throughout. Sophomore midfielder Molly Garrett set a new career high against the Buffaloes, winning seven draw controls, and followed that up with six against Jacksonville. Garrett and Kane combined to win 12 of U-M's 15 draws against Colorado as Kane recorded five in her Michigan debut.

• Junior goalie Alli Kothari earned the start in both games last weekend. She played all 60 minutes, making 10 saves against Colorado. In the Jacksonville matchup, Kothari made the start and classmate Mira Shane came off the bench, playing the final 32-plus minutes, and finished with seven saves.

• With the addition of three new programs for the 2018 season, there are currently 115 NCAA Division I women's lacrosse programs across the country that compete in 15 different conferences. Michigan has been competing in the Big Ten Conference since 2015, as the addition of Maryland and Rutgers to the Big Ten gave the conference six teams that sponsor the sport. Johns Hopkins joined the Big Ten as an affiliate member in 2017, giving the conference seven teams.

Head Coach Hannah Nielsen
On the new U-M Lacrosse Stadium and South Performance Complex … "Every time you enter the facility, you just look at the grand scale of not only our facility, but the whole performance center. For me, it just shows the athletic department's commitment to lacrosse and to non-traditional sports. I think we're extremely lucky -- our players and staff appreciate it so much because this is the best complex in the country. The construction and development teams did a great job in thinking of every little detail. We're proud to call it home and can't wait to officially compete at our stadium for the first time."

Scouting Butler:
Butler will begin its second season as a varsity program against Michigan on Friday (Feb. 16) under the direction of head coach Cecil C. Pilson. Butler had a 1-16 overall record during its inaugural season, and will look to continue to develop the program with the 23 new faces on the roster. The Bulldogs named Haley Hallenbeck, Jordan Fischbach and Adilyn Smith captains for the 2018 season. Hallenbeck, a redshirt junior, was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs with 26 goals in 2017. She also led the team in draw controls (38) and caused turnovers (16). Fischbach, a junior defender, played in 16 games and posted seven caused turnovers and came up with 12 ground balls. Smith, the third member of the trio and transfer from the University of Dayton, is a returning attacker for Butler. She played in 12 games and scored three goals last season. Butler also returns its team points leader in sophomore Journey Fischbeck, who had 32 (20 goals, 12 assists). In goal, the Bulldogs return sophomore goalie Hayley Rayburn, and expect to see freshman Amanda Rumsey with some time in net as well. With 23 new faces, many freshmen will see significant time on the field this spring.

Series vs. Butler:
Michigan and Butler will go head-to-head for the first time in program history.

Scouting Canisius:
Canisius will play its second game of the season when they face Michigan on Sunday (Feb.18) under the reigns of new head coach Allison Daley. The Golden Griffins are coming off an 18-7 season-opening loss against Northwestern. Aiding the first-year head coach is a veteran-laden roster, as Canisius returns five of its top-six point producers from last season. Canisius is led by MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, Jourdan Roemer, along with fellow returners Lauren Smolensky and Jen Reininger. Last season, the trio combined for 101 goals, 79 assists, and 180 total points during the Griffs' 15-5 season. Roemer started off strong in the 2018 season opener with two goals and two assists. Goaltender Rebecca VanLaeken tied a program-best 20 saves against Northwestern. The Griffins were picked to finish first in the MAAC in this year's preseason coaches' poll and will look to defend their 2017 MAAC title.

Series vs. Canisius:
The Wolverines and the Golden Griffins have met twice in program history, with the all-time series split at 1-1. Michigan won the inaugural game in 2016, 13-11, and Canisius took the 18-10 win last season.

UP NEXT
Sunday, Feb. 25 -- at Navy (Annapolis, Md.), 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 28 -- at Towson (Towson, Md.), 4 p.m.