Michigan Lacrosse navigated a difficult schedule, but needs to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Here’s a look at how the regular season went down:
As the No. 13 and 4th-seeded Michigan Wolverines (7-6, 3-2 B1G) prepare for their Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal contest vs. 5th-seed Rutgers (6-8, 2-3 B1G), let’s take a look back at the regular season and postseason outlook.
Bracketology
Michigan is firmly on the bubble. Should the NCAA Tournament start today, the Wolverines would be unlikely to receive an at-large berth. The 18-team bracket includes automatic bids for the ASUN, MAAC, CAA, Big East, American East and NEC champions.
None of those leagues have a team higher ranked than the Wolverines, and assuming the ACC, Ivy League, Patriot League and Big Ten winners are all top-10 teams, the lowest-ranked at-large team will likely be ranked No. 12 in the country.
By my estimations, Michigan will need to at least reach the Big Ten Championship, meaning the upcoming tournament game against Rutgers and a potential semifinal matchup against top-seeded and No. 4 Ohio State are must-wins.
Head coach Kevin Conry has propelled his team from deeper depths to win this tournament each of the past two springs, so there is not as much pressure as in 2023 and 2024. However, the safest path is still to three-peat. The good news? The Wolverines will host Rutgers on Saturday, and U-M Lacrosse Stadium is the designated neutral site for the semifinals and the championship.
A hungry squad with a raucous home crowd (and a record-setting three sellouts this year) could mean trouble for the rest of the Big Ten.
Key Wins
- March 22 at then-No. 1 Maryland: The triple overtime classic in College Park provided the Wolverines with their best victory and first-ever win over a top-ranked team in the nation.
- April 13 at Rutgers: This slop fest two weeks ago saw Michigan survive and pick up another resume booster. Now, the Wolverines will need to double down on their success and eliminate Rutgers from the Big Ten Tournament.
“Our guys are going to be charged up and ready to go,” Conry recently told Maize n Brew.
Key Losses
All six of Michigan’s losses came against top opponents: Feb. 8 at No. 8 North Carolina, Feb. 22 at No. 9 Duke, March 8 at No. 12 Harvard, March 15 vs. No. 6 Notre Dame, April 6 vs. No. 7 Penn State, April 19 vs. No. 4 Ohio State.
Outside of the North Carolina and Notre Dame blowouts, the Wolverines were in all of these games and none should be looked at as “bad” losses. Don’t tell Conry that, as there are no moral victories, and an upset in any of those contests would have significantly improved their chances of making the NCAA Tournament.
Top Performers
A Ryan Cohen
A first-team All-Big Ten selection, the senior paced the team with 42 points on 17 goals (third on the team) and 25 assists (first). The unquestioned offensive quarterback needs a few more elite performances to secure a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The party starter has all the tools to take over a game.
D Pace Billings
Michigan’s second first-team All-Big Ten selection was an absolute beast in his lone graduate season in Ann Arbor. Billings led the team in ground balls (55) and was one caused turnover behind Mason Whitney for the team lead (22). Billings mostly traveled with the opponent’s top player and was a force in 1-on-1 dodges. However, he is perhaps most effective when flying off the wings on faceoffs and terrorizing FOGOs.
G Hunter Taylor
The junior goaltender was incredible in his second campaign as the full-time starter. He ended the year with a ridiculous 9.20 goals allowed on average and an impressive .519 save percentage. He was not recognized in the Big Ten honors, but this is more of a testament to the conference’s strength in net rather than a knock on Taylor.
As Conry told us, “This is the conference of goaltenders.”
M Aidan Mulholland
Every team needs a big, hard-shooting midfielder who can win matchups off the dodge. Mulholland was exactly that and more, as the senior netted 19 goals (tied for the team lead with Lukas Stanat) and six assists. He will need to be more assertive on Saturday (and hopefully, beyond) for the Wolverines to make a run, but he has shown the ability to take over games. If he gets even a yard of space, watch out for that shot.
Other Top Performers
D Mason Whitney, D Kees Van Wees, M Lukas Stanat, SSDM Carson Billig
Whitney and Van Wees, alongside Billings, held things down at close defense with their length, toughness and hatred of offensive players. Stanat, a Princeton transfer like Billings, has been excellent as a high midfield dodger and operates smoothly in the two-man game with Cohen. As for Billig, defensive midfielders need love, too, and he was as good as anyone on this defense. The lefty bulldog is a nightmare for opposing midfielders and quietly one of the best players on the field every week.
Final Thoughts
Michigan had many predictable outcomes. It won the games it was supposed to win (aside from maybe Maryland), and lost the games it was supposed to lose. Team 14 won a program-record three regular-season conference games and, with another successful tournament, could surpass the program record of 10 victories.
The defense and goaltending have been elite, and while the offense has been stagnant at times, it still boasts a legitimate trio of Cohen, Mulholland, and Stanat. Faceoffs have not been great, but with Billings and midfielders like C.J. Reilly providing wing support, this is not as glaring a weakness as it may seem.
This has been a solid spring for Conry’s group, but much like 2023 and 2024, everything hinges on the Big Ten Tournament.