Michigan
Marquette
Wolverines to Host Golden Eagles in Midweek Tilt
3/10/2020 3:44:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
» Alex Buckanavage (94) and Kevin Mack (93) enter the week in range of earning 100 career points.
» Josh Zawada leads the team and the NCAA in points for a freshman (4.67/game).
» Through six games, newcomers have accounted for 42 percent of starts.
THIS WEEK
Wednesday, March 11 -- vs. Marquette (U-M Lacrosse Stadium), 4 p.m.
TV: BTN+ | Tickets | Live Stats | Live Video | Digital Program (PDF) | Kevin Conry Interview (WTKA)
PROMOTIONS
• Free admission with valid MCard
• Full Promotions Schedule
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The University of Michigan men's lacrosse team (3-3) will open a two-game week, returning home to face Marquette (3-3) on Wednesday (March 11) at 4 p.m. inside U-M Lacrosse Stadium. The matchup against the Golden Eagles will be U-M's final non-conference home game of the season and will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
Wolverine Bite
• Freshman Josh Zawada continues to lead U-M in points with 28, and assists with 14. He is averaging 4.67 points per game, a number that ranks 21st nationally, and is the top mark in the country by a freshman. He is six points away from setting the U-M freshman record for points in a season (33), a mark set by Ian King in the 2014 season. The U-M record for assists in a season is 23, set by teammate Alex Buckanavage last season.
• A pair of juniors in Alex Buckanavage (94 points) and Kevin Mack (93 points) are each looking to eclipse the 100-point plateau, a mark only reached by four players in program history. They would be the first U-M players to reach the mark in their junior seasons.
• Mack extended his point streak to 32 consecutive games with an assist against Yale (March 7). Former teammate Brent Noseworthy (2016-19) holds the program record with 35. Mack also ranks eighth nationally in man-up goals with four.
• U-M's offense ranks No. 23 in scoring offense (13.33 goals/game), and the man-up unit is No. 10 nationally, scoring on 56 percent (14-of-25) of its opportunities. The Wolverines also rank second in the country in turnovers per game at 13.50/contest.
• Michigan has excelled in the second quarter, outscoring opponents, 29-15, and owns a plus-20 (52-32) goal margin in the first half overall. U-M is also 3-1 in games when leading at the half.
• The Maize and Blue are No. 16 in the nation in offensive efficiency (33.9 percent). This strong offensive output is led by Zawada with a total expected goals added (EGA) of 21.20 to rank No. 38 nationally in the category. Close defender Andrew Darby leads the defense in the metric with a 1.56. EGA is a metric compiled by Lacrosse Reference and is similar to WAR in baseball.
• Through six games, freshmen have accounted for 42 percent of Michigan's starts. Zawada, as well as fellow newcomers Jake Bonomi have started all-six games, while Jacob Jackson, Ryan Schriber and Drake Schaffner have started five games apiece.
Opponent Preview
Marquette
The Golden Eagles (3-3) are coming off an 11-10 loss against Robert Morris on March 7, allowing a goal with four seconds left. Five of Marquette's six games have been decided by two goals or fewer. U-M and Marquette have faced a common opponent in Cleveland State, whom the Golden Eagles defeated, 11-10, in overtime on Feb. 1. The Wolverines defeated the Vikings, 16-9, in the season opener on Feb. 8 att U-M Lacrosse Stadium.
Freshman Chris Kirschner leads the team in goals with 14 and points with 18, while classmate Jake Stegman leads the team in helpers with nine. Close defender Mason Woodward boasts 26 ground balls and has caused 10 turnovers to lead the defensive effort, while three goalies have seen time in cage. FOGO Thomas Washington has taken the majority of draws, and has won 60 of 127 (47 percent) to go along with 31 ground balls. Marquette is averaging 9.17 caused turnovers per contest to rank No. 17 nationally, and its man-down defense checks in at No. 8 nationally (83 percent).
The all-time series is split at 1-1, with the home team winning each contest. U-M defeated the Golden Eagles, 12-7, in 2018, and fell, 17-15, in Milwaukee a season ago.
Ticket Information
Tickets are for all remaining U-M men's lacrosse home games are on sale, with general admission tickets available for $6 and group tickets (10 or more) for $3 each.
Tweet of the Week
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— Michigan Men's Lacrosse (@UMichLacrosse) March 10, 2020
Enterting the week, Josh Zawada leads the country in points-per-game for a freshman (4.67/game).#WearIt | #Scrum20? pic.twitter.com/hqJE2rjU9w
Keep Up With the Wolverines
Stay current with everything going on with the Wolverines by following Michigan men's lacrosse on Twitter and Instagram (@umichlacrosse), on Snapchat (@umichathletics) and "liking" the Wolverines on Facebook! Inside access can also be seen via the team's YouTube page by searching "MGoBlueLacrosse."
Up Next
Sunday, March 15 -- at No. 14 Notre Dame (South Bend, ind.), 4 p.m.
