Men's Lacrosse vs. Hobart, 1PM @ Detroit Country Day
(So, I'm sure Honolulu will be along shortly with some more in-depth coverage but I just wanted to post this in case in anyone was in the area and wanted to check out the game today).
Your #14-ranked Michigan Wolverines take on Hobart College Statesmen at 1PM today at Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, MI. Michigan is 1-1; they suffered an ugly season opening loss at Virginia last week 19-11 and then took out their frustrations on Canisius, 21-5 in a game that was 10-1 after the 1st quarter.
Hobart is no slouch, but this is the easiest game on the schedule the rest of the way for Michigan. After this they head to Florida for a pair of spring break contests vs. Marquette and Jacksonville and then round out the non-con with Delaware, Harvard and Notre Dame. All of those teams are fringe top-25 or better and it wouldn't be a shock to see more than one in the tournament. It's crucial this team gets to 6-1 before they play ND.
Hobart College is a good, small school in the picturesque Finger Lakes town of Geneva, NY (my brother actually graduated from there). And they actually have a really interesting and unique lacrosse history: they have won national champions at the Division II and III levels and in the pre-division era, which I'm guessing makes them the only team to do that? They won 12(1) D-III national championships from 1980-92 and then another in '94 to make it 13 out of 14. They jumped to Division 1 in the 1990s and have made the tournament a handful of times since then. They were going to back to D-III in 2008 but the alumni were outraged and they've stayed put.
This would be a good win for Michigan and will help them gain momentum for the next few games which they absolutely need to build a strong tournament resume. GO BLUE!
February 17th, 2024 at 11:55 AM ^
Sorry- forgot to add some context: I have no idea why the game is being played at DCD. I'm guessing they have a fieldhouse there? Also, game will be streaming on the BTN Ocho so it's probably inaccessible for most of us.
While I'm here I might as well make a plug for my annual rant...Michigan has its own lacrosse facility (outdoors) and used to play games in Oosterbaan Fieldhouse (indoors) before the renovations made it unusable for hosting lacrosse games. But, then they built a lacrosse-only stadium which cost a few million dollars. And yet they're playing today's game indoors in Detroit because it's February, because I'm guessing the weather is awful. So they only really have 4 true home games and don't play a home game after April 7th, when the weather is still pretty awful. What are we even doing here? This all seems so stupid to me. College lacrosse needs to get its shit together.
February 17th, 2024 at 12:37 PM ^
Not to mention --- Michigan's April 7th home game starts at 7 PM. It won't even be in the sun, if the sun were out that day!
All these February dates are stupid. I get it, Memorial Day weekend is "sacred" and the finals must be then, but it still seems like the schedule can be improved, for more April home dates:
- The B1G doesn't need to take 2 weekends for the tournament. One weekend for "3 vs 6 and 4 vs 5" is pointless. Have the top 4 play the Semis and Final the same weekend, and shoot, 5 can play 6 too, so they get a game.
- The NCAA could/should combine the 1st 2 rounds into 1 weekend, versus the current 2 weekends.
February 17th, 2024 at 12:42 PM ^
Should be a fall sport, it seems.
February 19th, 2024 at 12:54 AM ^
Trouble enough growing the sport when it doesn't clash directly with football for athletes, dates, facilities, coverage and attendance.
Move it to fall and it would sewing as quickly, possibly not at all.
February 19th, 2024 at 2:04 PM ^
I'm aware... just doesn't make sense to have a lacrosse season in winter.
February 17th, 2024 at 12:47 PM ^
21 degrees and a slight layer of snow on the ground in Metro Detroit. Playing outside today would be painful and costly - lax heads and sticks would be cracking all over the place.
DCD has a super nice indoor field house that is excellent for lax if you cannot be outside. Michigan and UM Dearborn lax have used this facility many times for early season games.
I agree with you. Another case of the southern schools trying to freeze out the northern schools (bad pun intended) by keeping the lax season in bad weather time frame for the north. Northern school ADs need to step up and fight back on this and baseball. Probably will never happen though because money is not much of a factor.
Go Blue today. Let’s get on a roll with a much needed win.
February 17th, 2024 at 1:05 PM ^
The VAST majority of D-1 lacrosse schools are north of the Potomac and Ohio Rivers. Of the ~ 70 D-1 schools, only about a dozen aren't (Virginia, VMI, Hampton, High Point, UNC, Duke, Presbyterian, Mercer, Jacksonville, Bellarmine, Denver, AFA, Utah). Even Durham, NC and Charlottesville, VA only have normal highs of 50 in February.
This isn't baseball, where the schools from warmer climates have both (1) the numbers and (2) the power.
Lacrosse has all these February dates because everyone (particularly the NCAA, which makes a ton of $$$$ on it) wants to have the Final Four on Memorial Day weekend. Everything flows from there. The northern schools are all complicit in this non-optimal scheduling.
February 17th, 2024 at 1:13 PM ^
Even more reason for the northern schools to act then. I suspect the power schools in the ACC would block any meaningful reform. It is nice to have championship around Memorial Day but it is a high price to pay with lax in Feb-Apr in the north. You have to be a tough customer to play in that kind of weather.
February 17th, 2024 at 11:56 AM ^
Gonna be a bit chilly.
February 17th, 2024 at 12:45 PM ^
serious question: you can't play lax in snow? lax is a great game and not for the faint of heart. would think you could play in just about any kind of weather, excepting significant accumulation of snow on the field.
February 17th, 2024 at 1:17 PM ^
I suppose it's desirable to avoid it, but yes it is played in the snow.
https://laxgoalierat.com/tips-for-playing-lacrosse-games-in-the-snow/
Plus, you can do snow angels when you score.
February 17th, 2024 at 2:06 PM ^
i have played hockey and football in the snow many times over the years. seems like lax would be a natural in the snow, and fun.
February 19th, 2024 at 12:56 AM ^
White ball.....bad. Orange ball okay...
Snow on the ground is one thing, but heavy snow in the air would make the game really challenging and I would think a bit dangerous for goalies not being able to see incoming shots.
February 17th, 2024 at 1:14 PM ^
The women's team is playing in Ann Arbor right now in 12 degree wind chill. They were giving out gloves to the fans as a promotion. Currently tied at 2.
February 17th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
yep - i’m in the stadium and freezing
February 17th, 2024 at 1:59 PM ^
I thought you were saying they were playing a HS team lol.
February 17th, 2024 at 2:01 PM ^
FWIW… game is NOT open to the public. Field House is small with limited capacity.
February 17th, 2024 at 2:44 PM ^
Men are up 16-6. Women are up 7-4. Both in the 4th.
February 17th, 2024 at 3:57 PM ^
Thank you.
Go blue!
February 17th, 2024 at 6:16 PM ^
Final scores for both LAX squads:
(#10)Michigan 8 - (#4) Denver 4.
Congratulations to the Michigan women, this was just the 2nd time in program history they've beaten a top 5 team.
(#14) Michigan 18 - Hobart 8. They outscored the Hobos(?) 12-3 in the 2nd half after leading only 6-5 halfway through the match.
February 17th, 2024 at 6:44 PM ^
Hobos, Statesmen, I can't tell the difference.
February 17th, 2024 at 7:24 PM ^
Hail to the Victors!
February 19th, 2024 at 12:59 AM ^
Good day for M LAX!!