U-M to Begin B1G Play Hosting Rival Ohio State

» Michigan hosts rival Ohio State in its 2018 Big Ten home opener on Saturday (March 17) at noon.
» Saturday's game marks Michigan's Mental Health Awareness Game, as the Wolverines join forces with organizations on campus to help #BreaktheStigma around mental health.
» The game will be streamed live via BTN Plus (subscription required).
» U-M recorded its first Big Ten Conference win in program history over the Buckeyes last season, 12-11, in overtime in Columbus, Ohio.

THIS WEEK
Saturday, March 17 -- vs. Ohio State (U-M Lacrosse Stadium), noon, BTN Plus
Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets | Stadium Information

Promotions: Mental Health Awareness Game, Doubleheader with Men's Lacrosse, Giveaways -- Michigan Lacrosse Tumblers, Mental Health Awareness Wristbands [ more promotions ]

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The University of Michigan women's lacrosse team (3-5, 0-0 B1G) will open Big Ten Conference play, hosting rival Ohio State (2-4, 0-0 B1G) on Saturday (March 17) at noon inside U-M Lacrosse Stadium. The game will be streamed live online via BTN Plus (subscription required).

The game is a doubleheader with the U-M men's lacrosse team and all fans with tickets to the women's game are invited to stay for the men's game at 3 p.m. against Marquette.

Wolverine Bites
• Saturday's game marks Michigan's Mental Health Awareness Game, as the Wolverines continue to help #BreaktheStigma around mental health. Various organizations will be on site to share information about resources for those who seek help to improve their mental health. The Wolverines will wear green warmup shirts and shoe laces in support of the cause. Mental health awareness wristbands will be given to the first 150 fans in attendance at the game.

• Michigan is coming off a 12-4 win over Central Michigan last Sunday (March 11). Sophomores Lilly Grass and Molly Garrett each recorded hat tricks to lead U-M's offense. It marked Grass' second hat trick of the season and the first of Garrett's career. Michigan's 27 ground balls as a team matched a program record, while its 11 turnovers are tied for second in program history for fewest in a game.

• In all three of Michigan's victories this season, the Wolverines have held their opponents to four goals or fewer -- Butler (W, 12-2); Canisius (W, 14-3); and Central Michigan (W, 12-4). The two goals allowed against Butler rank third in program history for fewest goals allowed in a game.

• Graduate student Bianca Brueckner is the only Wolverine to score in all games played this season, tallying one goal in each of the seven games she has appeared in. She has played in seven of eight games this season and has nine total points, with seven goals two assists.

• Freshman Caitlin Muir has started each of the last five games after she missed the first three games of the season due to injury. She has scored a pair of goals in each of U-M's last two games, which set a new career best.

• Garrett continues to lead Michigan in draw controls this season with 25. She ranks ninth in the Big Ten with a 3.4 draw controls per game average. Her season total of 25 moved her into the 10th spot on Michigan's all-time top 10 for draw controls in a single season, while her 43 career draw controls rank tied for seventh in program history with senior Mae Tarr.

• Junior goalie Mira Shane has started each of the last two games in cage for Michigan. Overall, she has seen time in six of seven games this season and has recorded a goals-against average of 9.98 and a save percentage of .426. Her single-game save percentage of .600 against Central Michigan ranks fourth in the program record book, as she made six saves and allowed just four goals in 60 minutes.

Scouting Ohio State
Ohio State is led by seventh-year head coach Alexis Venechanos. The Buckeyes are 2-4 and will face UConn on Wednesday (March 14) before heading to Ann Arbor on Saturday (March 17). The game at Michigan will mark OSU's first Big Ten Conference game of the season. The Buckeyes' two wins came against Binghamton (14-13) and Detroit Mercy (20-5). Ohio State's 19.5 average in ground balls per game ranks second in the Big Ten. Sophomore Liza Hernandez ranks second in the conference for goals per game with an average of 3.35 goals and fourth in points per game with an average of 3.75 points. Junior Sara Dickinson ranks fourth in the Big Ten in assists per game with an average of 1.25 assists. The Buckeyes have five players ranked in the conference's top 10 in ground balls per game, led by Shannon Rosati and Hernandez, who are tied for second with an average of 2.50. With a total of 37 saves and an average of 9.25 saves per game, Ohio State sophomore goalie Jill Rizzo ranks first in the Big Ten in saves per game.

Series vs. Ohio State
Michigan and Ohio State have met five times in program history, with OSU holding a 4-1 lead in the all-time series against the Wolverines. U-M recorded its first Big Ten Conference win in program history over the Buckeyes last season, when then-senior Kim Coughlan scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give Michigan the 12-11 victory.

Tweet of the Week

Saturday's @B1GLacrosse opener vs @OhioState_WLAX is our Mental Health Awareness Game.

Come support your Wolverines and help us #BreaktheStigma. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/6TdKmHpSEB
— Michigan Women's Lacrosse (@UMichWLAX) March 14, 2018