M Lacrosse Hosts #19 Harvard, Noon Today
Michigan returns home after a successful 3-0 spring break trip to take on the #19-ranked Harvard Crimson. Game will stream on BTN+ Ocho so if you're in the area, actually going to the game is probably your best bet (not sure what the weather is like out there).
Harvard is 5-0 albeit with some narrow escapes/one-goal wins over Bucknell and BU. Michigan played very well in this game last year and came away with a somewhat comfortable 19-13 win. The offense seems to be coming together with Boehm and Cohen leading the way with 31 and 28 points on balanced scoring and assisting. Newcomer Bo Lockwood is a great piece and has 21 assists so far and Lehigh transfer Justin Tiernan has also been a great addition and he already has 26 G's on the year. He's an old-school crease man and fantastic shooter. Looks like Michigan is going with it's "4 attackman" again this year which worked well for them in 2023.
Michigan should be the stronger team but Harvard does pose a threat to pull the upset if the Wolverines are not sharp and focused. But, just like last week, if M handles their business they should win. And getting to 6-1 before they head into South Bend for a showdown with ND next week would be huge. GO BLUE!
(Honolulu, if you're out there, holler at me and let's chart some plays and put together some breakdowns. I plan on writing a more extensive/detailed preview for the ND game next week but let me know!)
March 10th, 2024 at 10:35 AM ^
I forgot to add this, v important...
March 10th, 2024 at 10:51 AM ^
I like how the weather was 50-70 degrees in Michigan during the spring break trip and now today it's cold and windy.
March 10th, 2024 at 10:53 AM ^
Also, you gave Harvard's ranking but not ours. I'm not sure which poll you're using but surely Michigan is ranked higher.
March 10th, 2024 at 12:30 PM ^
Yes - I forgot to mention they're ranked 13th. They held steady at 13 from last week while there was a lot of movement in front and behind them.
March 10th, 2024 at 11:01 AM ^
As a lax parent, this forecast is the norm for spring sports in the Mitten. Go Blue!
March 10th, 2024 at 11:19 AM ^
Doncha mean "M hosts the Michigan of the East"?
March 10th, 2024 at 12:13 PM ^
So would that be Michigan vs Eastern Michigan???
March 10th, 2024 at 12:45 PM ^
I wish I had the patience to look it up but Craig Ross had a really interesting piece on the state of higher education in the 1890s(?). At that point, Harvard and Michigan were the two largest universities in the country, and of course, football powerhouses. While Harvard was still exclusively focused on admitting its Old Money legacies and the sons of titans of industry, President Angell was innovating by democratizing higher ed. And Michigan was educating the best and brightest students from all backgrounds. And actually, football played an important role in engaging successful alumni who wanted to help the program and university. Very interesting.
Love me some Craig Ross!
March 10th, 2024 at 11:57 AM ^
Go blue!
10-6 Harvard in the 3rd. Hopefully they can put together a good second half game plan and take control.
13-11 H in the 4th now. Seems like a real dogfight and M has been clawing back.
Final 13-11 Harvard. Seems like they were chasing all game, down 4-5 for most of it. They cut it to 2 a few times in the 2nd but Harvard responded. And it seemed like the two teams were stuck on 13-11 for the last several minutes of the game so Michigan just couldn't quite complete the comeback.
This would've done a lot for the tournament resume but they're not out of it yet. Still opportunities for quality wins out there. And they can redeem themselves by knocking off ND next week. GO BLUE.
Seems like late in the game they struggled to complete the final pass needed for an open look. Credit to disciplined D from Harvard I think. With maybe four minutes left, Cohen drew a double-team and threw a little dump pass to Tierney that was a tough catch (that he missed). Then with maybe a minute left in the game, on the man-up, Tierney got one decent catch (and turn) and shoot look that he sent just wide. Maybe if those two plays are made the game goes to OT.
Those seem like makeable plays that a bit of practice might be able to fix. Not sure about the slow-starts in games. That seems like a broader issue. Does Conry have a history of that in his career as an HC?