After a tough loss over the weekend, the Michigan Lacrosse team bounced back in a big way by blowing out the Canisius Golden Griffins:
The Michigan Wolverines (3-2) overcame a lethargic first quarter before cruising to a 16-2 victory over the Canisius Golden Griffins (0-5) Tuesday afternoon.
Michigan needed a get-right game after the heartbreaker in Durham on Saturday.
Whether it was the short turnaround of playing on a Tuesday, low expectations against an inferior opponent or even the bright Ann Arbor sun affecting their vision, it was not an ideal start for the Wolverines.
The game was tied at one with just over one minute remaining in the opening quarter. The offense failed to finish its chances and made far too many turnovers.
Then, Michigan rattled off 15 of the next 16 goals.
The offense took some time to figure out the Canisius defense, but they soon realized that adjacent slides left men wide open for quick shots/one-more feeds. It was a completely unselfish effort all day long.
Jack Jenkins was a monster, netting four goals and an assist. He found success in the pick-and-pop game as a shooter, cutting from behind the cage on an extra-man opportunity, during transition, and he made a stellar split dodge at X which resulted in a wraparound finish.
Jenkins also had a natural hat trick (three consecutive goals) during the second quarter.
Ryan Cohen ended with two goals and four assists and further showcased he is this team’s top quarterback. He was unguardable as a midfield dodger and continuously threaded the needle as he swept over the top of the defense.
Cohen also hit 200 career points with an assist to Will Byrne on an EMO.
Outside of those two, it was an extremely balanced and deep effort for Kevin Conry’s offense. Bo Lockwood (one goal, one assist), Nick Roode (two goals), John Morgan (two goals) and Emmett Houlihan (one goal, one assist) all had multiple points.
Nine other Wolverines recorded a point, including DJ Dixon’s first career goal as a Michigan Man.
Defensively, Michigan had to play without its top pole in Pace Billings, who was out for undisclosed reasons. Ryan Lyngklip took his place at close defense and had a fantastic outing. He is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound menace with tremendous athleticism and ferocious checks.
Stalwarts Kees Van Wees (three caused turnovers) and Mason Whitney (two CT) also had great days. They were aggressive in their approaches and responsible off the ball. No Golden Griffin looked comfortable with those two covering them.
SSDM Carson Billig had one of his best games so far, as he consistently matched his dodger’s feet and was extremely physical when engaging with the ball carrier.
Hunter Taylor had another impressive performance with eight saves and a couple of high-danger robberies. He was eventually replaced by senior Cameron Goodloe in the fourth quarter, one of many mass substitutions from Conry.
While the settled defense was stout, the defensive highlight came during the ride. Michigan was all over the middle third of the field and made clearing life miserable for Canisius. Guys like LSM Jimmy Pisani, Whitney, Dixon and the entire attack unit was tenacious.
This type of relentless pursuit — even with a comfortable lead — is a testament to the Wolverines’ determination. The ride largely kept the Golden Griffins at bay in the first quarter and helped fuel Michigan to a 14-goal victory.
Canisius finished the afternoon just 13-of-21 on clears, while the Wolverines went a smooth 16-for-19.
The only negative was at the faceoff X. Jack Rideout went an underwhelming 6-of-17 on draws and did not have his quickest clamps. He was also called for a couple of violations.
Even then, the ride was so dominant that Rideout’s lackluster game went relatively unnoticed.
This was a nice confidence boost for Michigan and a great opportunity to empty the bench and get (almost) everybody some playing time.
Now, the Wolverines can ride the morale wave into an idle weekend before regrouping against Cleveland State next Tuesday.