Maryland women’s lacrosse vs. Michigan preview

After a successful battle against Florida, Maryland women's lacrosse plays its second Big Ten game as Michigan comes to College Park. Michigan started the season on a five-game losing streak, but has improved of late, having won three of its last four.

The game on Saturday begins at noon and will be on BTN Plus.

Michigan Wolverines (4-8)

Head coach: Jennifer Ulehla. The only head coach in program history, Ulehla has lead the Wolverines to just 19 wins in over three years at the helm. Ulehla spent time as head coach at Temple and James Madison prior to being hired to run Michigan’s program.

Players to Watch

Anna Schueler, 5’5, midfield, No. 9. The senior has been strong this season, notching 17 goals and 12 assists. However, the best part of her game might be draw controls, as she leads the team with 54 in 12 games.

Jess Angerman, 5’6, attack, No. 5. In 11 games, Angerman leads Michigan with 33 points, coming on 20 goals and a team-high 13 assists. She’s been on the team since its inception in 2014 and started 62 of the 64 total games in program history.

Strength

Draw controls. Michigan has struggled this year, but the team has been solid when it comes to draws. The Wolverines are averaging 13.3 controls per game and have a draw control percentage of .550 for the season.

Weaknesses

Scoring offense. After facing the nation’s top offense, Maryland gets to oppose a weak offense. The Wolverines are only averaging 10.25 goals per game, which ranks at 82 in the country. Additionally, Michigan’s 14.25 points per game is 85 in the nation, meaning the Terps’ defense shouldn’t have much issue on Saturday. However, the Wolverines have picked it up in their past four games, averaging 13 goals a game in that span.

Three Things to Watch

1. Draw control battle. Maryland is coming off its best performance in the circle, with Zoe Stukenberg’s nine draw controls leading the way. Michigan’s best chance to win this game is with a strong draw performance, so the Terps have to continue their success with controls.
2. Major step down in competition. The last time Maryland played a team that didn’t receive a vote in the nation’s poll was Hofstra a month ago. Thus, after a string of strong competitors and a physical battle with Florida, Maryland shouldn’t have an issue in this one.
3. Bench play. If the Terps play like they are capable of, Cathy Reese will empty her bench for much of the second half. Brindi Griffin is coming off a hat trick and making a run to be Maryland’s top bench player. Additionally, top freshmen Lizzie Colson, Hannah Warther and Nikki Sliwak haven’t played much this year but could get significant playing time if this game gets out of hand.