Michigan
4-3
Harvard
4-1
Stanat, Roode Record Hat Tricks, Wolverines Fall to No. 12 Harvard on the Road
3/8/2025 4:55:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
» Lukas Stanat scored four goals, with three coming in the second quarter.
» Nick Roode recorded a hat trick for the second straight game for Michigan.
» Mason Whitney had a career-best five caused turnovers and five ground balls.
» Hunter Taylor made 12 saves.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The No. 20-ranked University of Michigan men's lacrosse team battled back from as much as a four-goal deficit and tied the game in the fourth quarter but ultimately fell 14-11 to No. 12 Harvard on Saturday afternoon (March 8) at Jordan Field.
Michigan (4-3) used a three-goal run in the third quarter and a goal with 23 seconds left in the period to pull within one of the Crimson (4-1). John Morgan then tied the game with just over seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but Harvard responded with a three-goal run of its own to secure the home victory.
Graduate student Lukas Stanat led Michigan with four goals, while Nick Roode recorded his second straight hat trick. Aidan Mulholland added a pair of goals for the Maize and Blue, and Ryan Cohen tallied two assists.
Defensively, Mason Whitney had a career-high five caused turnovers and a career-best five ground balls to lead Michigan, while Pace Billings contributed four ground balls and a caused turnover. In goal, Hunter Taylor made 12 saves.
Roode got the Wolverines on the scoreboard 10 minutes into the game before Harvard went on a 3-0 run to take the lead with 4:16 left in the first quarter. Brandon Plemmons got one back for Michigan, wrapping around the cage and firing the ball high into the net, but the Crimson added one more goal to end the first quarter with a 4-2 lead.
Stanat opened the second quarter with a goal off a pass from Cohen to pull Michigan within one, 4-3. U-M and Harvard traded goals, but the Crimson used a four-goal run to extend its lead to 9-4 with 4:38 left in the half. Stanat completed his hat trick in the closing two minutes of the half, sending Michigan into the locker room trailing 9-5.
Needing a fast start to the second half, Mulholland scored less than a minute into the third quarter, but Harvard answered quickly to maintain the four-goal advantage. With under 12 minutes to play, Stanat sparked a Michigan run with his fourth goal of the day, followed by second goals from Mulholland and Roode to bring the Wolverines within one, 10-9, with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Harvard briefly stopped the run, but Michigan responded with 23 seconds left in the third to trail by just one, 11-10, heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter was a defensive battle for the first seven minutes, with neither team scoring. Morgan tied the game with 7:10 left to play, but Harvard took control in the final six minutes, scoring three unanswered goals to secure the win.
Michigan returns to U-M Lacrosse Stadium on Saturday (March 15) to take on reigning national champion Notre Dame at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
