Men's Lacrosse Season Opener Today; Game Moved to Detroit Country Day
Men's lacrosse takes on Bellarmine today at 4PM to kick off its 2022 campaign. The game was supposed to be at 1PM at Michigan's lacrosse facility but the snowstorm has forced it indoors at Detroit Country Day's fieldhouse. I don't think it will be streamed anywhere. Bellarmine actually already has a game under it's belt, but it was a 9-4 loss to Mercer last weekend. This should be a good game for M to dust off the cobwebs and notch a W to start the season.
I usually put together a brief season preview but I got a lot of stuff going on lately so I won't be able to. But, a few things: First, my annual bitching about the early start of the season. This is a "spring" sport and yet they have five games on the schedule for February but only four in April. The regular season ends April 23rd. ALSO: THE WINTER OLYMPICS STARTED LAST NIGHT AND THE SUPER BOWL IS NEXT WEEK. What are we doing here?
Secondly: casual Michigan fans may want to start paying attention to the lacrosse program because it could be a key factor in Michigan's pursuit of the Director's Cup. I imagine that if the men's team puts together a strong season including an NCAA tournament berth, that could score a few important points for M. And it could be the difference because other teams in the hunt like BYU, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin do not field varsity men's teams. So, if you're rooting for Michigan to win the Director's Cup, start pulling for the lacrosse team.
I'll post game updates in the comments later. GO BLUE!!!
February 5th, 2022 at 1:16 PM ^
Appreciate it. Cool sport, and now that I am semi-retired I am trying to look in on more Michigan sports offerings. Wish M had a sports network like Texas!
February 5th, 2022 at 1:24 PM ^
What’s with this owl and why does everyone think he’s so superb?
February 5th, 2022 at 3:10 PM ^
IIRC, we are highly ranked to start the season, along with a bunch of northern teams.
February 5th, 2022 at 3:46 PM ^
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/lacrosse-men/d1/inside-lacrosse
I was mistaken, we are in the "others receiving votes". Saw the rankings on BTN the other day and Michigan was ranked...
February 5th, 2022 at 1:52 PM ^
Lacrosse played in snow shoes and snowmobile suits sounds exciting.
February 5th, 2022 at 1:57 PM ^
re: the weather. Yeah, the weird part is, it's not really a southern/western sport. So they can run to FL, TX, CA, AZ like baseball/softball.
Makes no sense why they have this timeframe for a season. No reason why the sport needs to end at Mem. Day.
February 5th, 2022 at 2:55 PM ^
Even worse, when breaking down the schedule --- Michigan has SEVEN (7!!) lacrosse home games in astronomical winter (prior to 3/21).
They then have TWO in the astronomical spring!
That's absolutely no way to get good attendance for the games.
I get it, the NCAA makes a lot of $$$$ by having the National Championships on Memorial Day weekend, and they like the Saturday-Monday setup. That necessitates a beginning of February start. But it's bad for the sport on the front end of the season.
I'd think a mid-to-late June National Title with the semis on a Friday night and the final on Sunday could still work. As you said, it's a regional sport: the finals are nearly always in a mid-Atlantic city and the fanbases traveling in for the finals can almost always drive (outside of ND & Denver, no school north of Syracuse, south of Raleigh, or west of the Appalachians has ever made the Final 4!). That drive just means taking off a Friday from work.
Shoot, people still show up for the CWS in Omaha that time of year and that's a whole week+ commitment from fans, with the fans having much longer distances to travel to get there.
February 5th, 2022 at 3:12 PM ^
Lacrosse hasn’t caught on in the southern school (yet?).
February 5th, 2022 at 1:59 PM ^
Why does a HS have an indoor facility that a D1 lacrosse program can use but the D1 program with MONEY doesn't have one for themselves?
February 5th, 2022 at 4:55 PM ^
Good q. Actually, Michigan used to play indoors all the time: Oosterbaan (sp.?) Fieldhouse was the team's site for practices and home games for years, even in the club days. When the program joined Division 1, they would play early season games indoors and then a few games in the Big House when it got warmer (I had no problem with this set up and I think they should have just kept it).
But, then a few things happened: they renovated O'baan and expanded the weightroom. But, the actual field part of the fieldhouse did not expand so it wasn't big enough for lacrosse anymore (I may not be remembering that correctly though so don't quote me on it).
Around the same time, Ross ponied up a few million bucks for the new lacrosse-only stadium, which is of course entirely outdoors. And it only has 2,000 seats (but I guess hosting games in February is a good way to ensure crowds won't ever reach capacity).
Anyway, so the short answer is that they no longer have access to O'baan and that's why they have to play at some prep school when a Feb. 5th game gets snowed out. It's all kind of stupid.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:26 AM ^
But, then a few things happened: they renovated O'baan and expanded the weightroom. But, the actual field part of the fieldhouse did not expand so it wasn't big enough for lacrosse anymore (I may not be remembering that correctly though so don't quote me on it).
This is correct. If you were to go into Oosterbaan now, and haven't been in a few years, you'd find 2/3 a football field with the expanded weightroom taking up what was the eastern most third. It's more of a practice facility to baseball, softball, other sports now and doesn't have space for full size lacrosse/soccer/football anymore.
February 5th, 2022 at 2:10 PM ^
I'd love to watch them play in the snow.
February 5th, 2022 at 2:42 PM ^
I have an issue with an early Feb start too. I remember playing a game in HS where it was in the 20s and snowing at game time with ice water puddles on the field. by half it was 50s and sunny. I’m not sure why the season can’t start in March? It makes it hard to gain a following of new/casual LAX fans.
Do you know where the incoming Freshman figure in? look to have young impact players at Middie & Attack. But need to tighten up on D. A solid ‘22 class and it looks like Conry is making progress building the program.
also don’t understand why the B1G Network can’t air these games even if not on live. There’s literally no programming on that network for tomorrow?
February 5th, 2022 at 7:31 PM ^
answer to my earlier question:
A trio of Wolverines making their Michigan debuts found the back of the net with freshman attackman Ryan Cohen leading the way behind two goals and three assists. Freshman Aidan Mulholland and graduate transfer Hakan Atillasoy finished with one goal each.
February 5th, 2022 at 3:19 PM ^
Lacrosse>>>Field Hockey.
February 5th, 2022 at 5:24 PM ^
You're comparing men's lacrosse with field hockey, which I believe isn't an NCAA men's sport.
Your comment makes little sense.
Stop upvoting yourself.
February 5th, 2022 at 7:11 PM ^
They should substitute field hockey for lacrosse. Women can play lacrosse. It is a much better all around game.
Seth told me I can upvote any post I want. He LOL'D it.
He doesn't care and thought it was ridiculous that anyone thought it was an issue.
I like that you take time to answer some of my posts. Have a good day.
Let's
Go
Blue !!!
February 5th, 2022 at 7:42 PM ^
Michigan has women’s lacrosse.
February 5th, 2022 at 8:37 PM ^
Add Ice Hockey
Drop Field Hockey
February 5th, 2022 at 7:45 PM ^
I have a niece who plays high school varsity lacrosse; her older sister was all-conference and won a partial scholarship (they don't do full schollies at that level) at a nearby Div II Women's Lacrosse program, so I'm very familiar with the sport, having attended their games. But you made the comparison of lacrosse to field hockey (a women's sport at the NCAA level) in the thread about U of M's men's lacrosse team, which, BTW, is a much more physical sport with different rules than women's LAX. Still a dumb comparison.
As for the discussion of upvoting yourself, I don't buy what you're selling.
How about posting a screenshot in the moderator sticky thread, where this conversation can continue?
February 5th, 2022 at 8:43 PM ^
Seth's response inferred that anyone who cares about points is a simpleton. Upvotes or downvotes doesn't matter. He said points mean zilch. By his responses to me his inference was clear. People who care about points are taking themselves way too seriously. Have a good day.
Let's
Go
Blue!!
February 5th, 2022 at 9:33 PM ^
Full circle: then why do you upvote yourself?
A 'simpleton', maybe?
February 6th, 2022 at 10:14 AM ^
I do it to see who cares. It shows who the simpleton is. It is the caring about points that makes someone a simpleton. I hope my explanation was simple enough for you to comprehend. Have a good day.
Let's
Go
Blue!!
February 6th, 2022 at 10:34 AM ^
Making up excuses/lies for upvoting yourself 27 times in one day, "...to see who cares". LOL.
Have you ever considered going into politics as a career? You're a natural. You got caught but as of yet, you're unable/unwilling to answer my question truthfully.
Your actions speak for themselves.
February 6th, 2022 at 6:54 PM ^
I upvoted one of my posts again. Oops. Don't snitch....points are so important.
February 6th, 2022 at 9:00 PM ^
Timeout chair?
Timeout chair!
February 5th, 2022 at 5:10 PM ^
The IL scoreboard has M up 10-3 at half.
February 5th, 2022 at 5:14 PM ^
Really enjoyed some great games last year on BTN. Especially their victory over that team down US23. Looking forward to more this year. Thanks for the heads up!
February 5th, 2022 at 5:39 PM ^
At the game with my son. Michigan started off a little slow. They missed three wide open shots on the goalie in the first quarter. They are rolling now. 18-6 Michigan up after three quarters.
February 5th, 2022 at 7:26 PM ^
Program record setting 22 goals today!!
February 5th, 2022 at 8:16 PM ^
The final score was 22-13
February 5th, 2022 at 8:22 PM ^
Many of the spring sports schedules could be shifted so that the seasons start and end later but the southern schools resist this I presume to maintain their weather advantage. Most of the athletes are on campus year round.
There had been some talk of the B1G dropping out of NCAA baseball and playing a summer schedule rather than one starting in February. The weather would be better. Perhaps attendance would be weather. It would eliminate the winter road trips in February and early March and would give BTN some live summer programming. With the rarity of B1G schools advancing to the CWS the sacrifice would not be overwhelming. Of course the talk was just talk and I heard it before we advanced to the CWS finals.
It would be nice if northern schools banded together and exerted influence when it comes to NCAA.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:29 AM ^
Northern schools have tried to push, but they simply will never have the numbers.
There'd need to be a big monetary reason for southern schools to give up their weather advantage... that can only come from TV. Right now, the CWS is in a really nice spot with respect to the sports TV calendar. After NBA/NHL playoffs, before people start caring about MLB and before many people are 100% off to summer vacations. I don't think ESPN would want a ratings-getter moved.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:09 AM ^
Went to the game. I was really impressed. The new OC seems to be emphasizing early offense. I can’t even count how many of the goals were within 10 seconds of getting possession. The 10 man ride also featured heavily.
Was most impressed at how fast they played. I’m not talking about top speed, or quickness. It was the never ending effort and doing the little things at top speed, getting just a single step advantage off ball or between the whistle and playing full speed to take advantage of it. We basically ran Bellarmine out of the building with effort. Bellarmine was ready to quit midway through the 3rd quarter. They just didn’t have the legs to keep up with that kind of effort.
Excited to see what this season will bring.
February 6th, 2022 at 7:36 PM ^
The good guys apparently killed them on face offs and ground balls. Good sign though Bellarmine is not too strong.