Michigan
4-1
Albany
1-2
Muir Scores Five Times to Lead Michigan Past Albany
2/29/2020 3:39:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
» Michigan won its third straight game.
» Caitlin Muir scored a team-best five goals.
» The Wolverines put 25 shots on cage.
» Kaley Thompson recorded her first U-M hat trick.
» U-M will travel to Nashville, Tennessee, for a road contest against Vanderbilt on Wednesday (March 4).
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Lacrosse Stadium)
Score: #14 Michigan 12, Albany 11
Records: Michigan (4-1), Albany (2-1)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, March 4 -- at Vanderbilt (Nashville, Tenn.), 1 p.m. CST
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Five goals and a second straight hat trick from Caitlin Muir led the University of Michigan to a narrow 12-11 victory against Albany on Saturday (Feb. 29) at U-M Lacrosse Stadium.
Muir tallied a season-high five goals on seven shots, while Kaley Thompson recorded her first career U-M hat trick, scoring three free-position goals.
On the draw, senior Molly Garrett had a huge game, winning eight draws for the Maize and Blue.
Junior goalkeeper Arielle Weissman made five saves including a clutch save to maintain the Wolverine lead in the final minute of the contest.
Defensively, Maggie Handlan led Michigan with two caused turnovers, while Erin Garvey and Lilly Grass had four ground balls each.
The Wolverines opened the game on a 6-0 run, including three straight free-position goals --two from Thompson. The Great Danes scored back-to-back goals cut their deficit to 6-2 late in the first half.
Michigan added its seventh goal of the half before Albany answered with another pair of goals to close out the first stanza, but the Wolverines took a 7-4 lead into the locker room with Muir and Thompson each scoring two goals.
U-M outshot Albany, 18-9, and put 12 of its first-half attempts on frame.
Albany came out with a pair of goals over the first three minutes of the second half, coming within one, 7-6, before the teams exchanged goals for the next eight minutes. With U-M leading, 10-7, with just over 22 minutes remaining, a pair of Great Dane goals brought them within one of the Wolverines, 10-9, and forced a U-M timeout.
Muir made what turned into a massive play at midfield with a backcheck that forced a turnover. Grass picked up the ground ball, then fed the ball to Muir, who sprinted down the field and scored. The breakaway goal put U-M ahead, 12-10, with 7:04 to play and proved to be the game-winner.
Albany came within one on a free-position goal with 2:28, and a attempted to score the equalizer in the closing minute, but Weissman came up with the ball with just seconds remaining. Michigan cleared the ball in the final 13 seconds to secure the win.
The Wolverines will go back on the road for a spring break trip to Nashville, Tennessee, to battle Vanderbilt on Wednesday (March 4) at 1 p.m. CST.
