Wolverine Devotee

March 14th, 2015 at 2:56 PM ^

SCOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 31528

Old Lax Wolve

March 16th, 2015 at 10:43 AM ^

into the crease before the shot, i.e. his foot touched the line before he released the shot.  I couldn't tell from the stands if this in fact happened; but that is the only explanation that fits the rules and how the refs called it.  He definitely scored before his body landed in the crease, whcih would have been a legal goal because of the push. Very close. Sucks to have to score twice in OT to win, so I am glad we did.

Joined: 01/30/2015

MGoPoints: 148

Arizona Blue

March 14th, 2015 at 3:29 PM ^

That was exciting and awesome the full on meltdowns did not come to fruition...we really need a good face off specialist. Has continued to kill us all year. Also would be swell if the offense had anyone who can beat the slide with either a move or a pass..but enough bitching. We aren't very good and should take any win we can with a smile

Joined: 06/17/2009

MGoPoints: 2281

icordonbleu

March 14th, 2015 at 3:37 PM ^

We caught St. Joe's after an emotional high from the near-upset of Virginia on Tuesday. Statistically, we were clearly the better team in the first half, and clearly the better team in the third quarter. This game should not have gone to overtime.

This is still a great win. We should've won based on that dominant third quarter, but St. Joseph's held in tough and we didn't execute in the fourth quarter. Also very nice to get a win on the road against a team that beat us 15-6 in the Big House last year.

On to Drexel.

Joined: 02/26/2011

MGoPoints: 142

icordonbleu

March 14th, 2015 at 3:54 PM ^

Going through the stats:

Michigan took 14 of 24 faceoffs. Not Lott's best day statistically, but he did well, especially in the third quarter.

Both teams effective on the clear. Michigan 19-20, St. Joe's 22-23.

Michigan was very disciplined, but couldn't capitalize on St. Joe's penalties. St. Joes had one EMO and cashed in, Michigan had five and cashed in once.

Otherwise, I was a little surprised to realize how much the stats still favored St. Joe's at the end of the game. 49 shots to Michigan's 38, 40 groundballs to Michigan's 28. It seemed more balanced than that.

Having Peter Kraus makes not having Ian King around that much more okay.

Joined: 02/26/2011

MGoPoints: 142

mlax27

March 14th, 2015 at 5:11 PM ^

I think today's game was really a 2nd chance at a team like Jacksonville. They were big, strong, athletic, and last year beat us at home much like the JU team beat us last week. Credit to the defense, goalies and FOGOs. We packed it in and gave up lots of shots, but they weren't great shots. It looked like good team defense. This team was no cupcake given what they did to Virginia earlier in the week. To do this without king and on the road speaks to the effort the team gave today.

Joined: 11/23/2010

MGoPoints: 2052

laxalum

March 14th, 2015 at 6:53 PM ^

Watched the stream.  You can really see how much the offense misses King.  Schlosser was great until St Joes put their pole on him.  Then there weren't a lot of other offensive options.  Would really like to see Jackson get back on track.  He was so promising the past couple of years but seems like he's mostly ineffective this year.  Is he playing hurt?

Great to see the defense step up.  Logan is part of that, and he played great, but the defense has been so inconsistent.  They played well today, even without regulars like Hatton and Moore (assume both are hurt?).  Slides and recoveries were better.  Generally better on ball.  Were forcing a lot of shots that Logan could save.  He did bail them out a few times, but great goalies do that.

Lott had a good faceoff day today, and that made a huge difference.  I thought the St Joes guy who was having success late was moving early every time, but they only got the call a couple of times.

Hard to tell from the angle they showed if the Joseph goal in the first OT should have been good or not.  It was close.

Joined: 03/10/2010

MGoPoints: 379

goblue16

March 15th, 2015 at 1:36 AM ^

Team is definitely improving but still long ways to go. Can't wait for the day I will be cheering for Michigan in the lacrosse tournament in May

Joined: 03/28/2010

MGoPoints: 17468

gwkrlghl

March 15th, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^

I remember going to a Michigan-St Joe's game in Philly several years ago in the fall that was their first run at D1. That game was far uglier. I want to say it was like 15-0 before we scored. Glad to see we're still moving up

Joined: 04/13/2012

MGoPoints: 72

laxalum

March 15th, 2015 at 1:06 PM ^

Here's the release;

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-lacros/recaps/100811aaa.html

I think your memory is a little sketchy.  That was their second D1 scrimmage.  They played Providence at home before that, losing 11-10 in OT.  The score against St. Joe's was 9-5.  They were down 5-3 at the half.  Granted, that was not yet a good St. Joe's team back then.  Both teams have been steadily improving since then, but obviously St. Joe's had a big head start as an older program.

They did get smoked 14-2 by Towson that day.  Maybe you're remembering that one.

Either way, this was a good win for this team right now.  St. Joe's was 11-4 last year and thumped us at home.  They almost beat Virginia earlier this week.  To win this one on the road without a guy like King after losing two in a row says a lot about their fortitude.

Joined: 03/10/2010

MGoPoints: 379

Old Lax Wolve

March 16th, 2015 at 1:12 PM ^

Defense: Michigan's (perhaps overly complex) defensive scheme wasn't getting the job done the last few games. Against St. Joe's we employed a much more simple set up, going with a packed in zone and what appeared to be a more basic sliding scheme. The slides consistently came under control - no wild stick swing, no big run out for a big hit - and were largely effective in pinching off drives to the cage and passes to the crease and forcing outside shots. Not sure why we did, but we went away from this scheme when we were up three in the fourth, switching to a less packed in look which opened some lanes and allowed St. Joe's some better, closer shots and got them some goals that let them back in the game.

Goalie: Gerald Logan played huge. He made all the easy saves (one got in that he gave the "my fault" chest tap to after) and just about every one of the hard saves. He came up again and again, high and low, near side and cross side. He controlled the shots and made great decisions on the clears. Logan's best highlight save was his high stuff of a backside dunk shot late in the game. That definitely got the bench and Michigan crowd exited.

Weather and fortune: The rain stopped for all but the first quarter, and the turf-grass field was very wet. Not a lot of slipping on cuts, but ground ball play was affected. Michigan got lucky more than a few times on clears when passes sailed over the head of the intended receiver and got picked up by one of our guys on an unintentional skip pass. We also had a string of bad luck the back half of the fourth quarter, giving up possession several times on bad bounces and slight checks dislodging the ball that lead to St. Joe’s comeback. Our worst bad luck came when the refs waved of David Joseph’s game winner in the first OT. Still not sure how the refs decided that was the right call. Just minutes before Michigan’s winning goal St. Joe’s had a chance, but the shot had too much velcoity+spin+water on it and ball spun out of the stick of the back up before he could feed his open man on the crease for the winning goal. Michigan was at least +1 in the good fortune stats today - coming on the last play of the game. Jackson’s outside shot missed the cage but fortune finally went our way as Francia snatched it up, turned and fed Kraus alone on the crease for the uncontested layup game winner.

Injuries: we've got lot of them on both sides, and added another one today as Chris Walker (D) stepped on a ball that was too close to the back line and seemed to badly hurt an ankle that was bothering him already. Anyone you're not seeing is out because of an injury, including a couple of key Defensemen. Word on Ian King is that he has a stress fracture in his leg that will keep him out of the lineup for another 3+ weeks.

Annoying: St. Joseph's played one song, and only one song, when they scored, namely Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It" while holding streadfast that South Central (St. Joseph's athletic campus) does it like nobody does. On the other hand, their stadium was nice enough, and not having concessions or game programs was offset by no adimission price and free parking.

Joined: 01/30/2015

MGoPoints: 148