The Michigan Lacrosse program handled business against Marquette to kick off the 2025 campaign. An impressive all-around performance should excite the Maize and Blue faithful. Here’s how the Wolverines did it:
After allowing the first goal, the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines (1-0) rattled off 14 consecutive to cruise past the Marquette Golden Eagles (0-1) Saturday afternoon, 14-1.
It was a dominating effort for head coach Kevin Conry’s squad.
The offense took a little more than a quarter to knock off the rust before finding its groove and picking apart the Marquette defense. Ryan Cohen, Jack Jenkins, Bo Lockwood, Aidan Mulholland and Will Byrne all recorded two goals in the victory. Cohen and Jenkins also tallied two assists.
The lead man Cohen started off behind the net but struggled to create separation against his matchup. However, once the staff shifted him to the high left wing — his most natural spot — he was free to dictate the offensive flow. He needs room to use his speed, and it was just too clogged up down low today.
Jenkins saw a bulk of the game at X with Lockwood maneuvering around the crease, where he attempted a couple of behind-the-back finishes. Though nothing is set in stone, it looks like this trio will see a majority of the minutes at attack. Jenkins and Lockwood can cause headaches as they roll around the crease.
The midfield was — as expected — a bit of a cluster. Mulholland is clearly the alpha out of the box and used several powerful dodges to blow by his defender. Byrne can play up top, but he’s probably better suited as a left wing shooter or passer, where he scored on an outside attempt and beat his man for a crease finish.
The D3 Attackman of the Year is going to be a major piece of the puzzle.
Lukas Stanat, CJ Reilly, John Morgan, Emmett Houlihan, Brandon Plemmons, Nick Roode and Dylan Bruno also got run out of the midfield and demonstrated the faith Conry has in his depth. Stanat, Reilly and Morgan are probably going to be key contributors, while the rest will battle on the second midfield.
Either way, this is a fluid and versatile offense that can play positionless ball. They love to invert against shorties and expose mismatches.
The only knock on the offense in this game was ball movement. Oftentimes, after drawing a slide, they took too long to whip it around and will need to do better in this department against elite defenses. Better off-ball cutting will help, too.
Defensively, Michigan put on a clinic. Kees Van Wees, Mason Whitney and Pace Billings took on the close responsibilities, routinely locking up their attackmen and communicating well in the pick game. Billings and Whitney also picked off passes during the 10-man ride while floating around the center X.
They are absolute weapons in the ride and should be heavily leaned upon all season.
Rowan Clay looked good at LSM and on the faceoff wings, even picking up a goal in a slow-break situation. Max Bonner did well to spell him. Those two could form a dynamic duo as the year progresses.
The short stick defensive midfield was led by Carson Billig and Jack Welcsh. They are bulldogs in the 1-on-1 game and reliable outlets in the clear. Justin Ennis saw plenty of time, too, but was usually the targeted defenseman by the Golden Eagle offense. Ennis showed flashes defending dodges but will need to improve his off-ball senses.
However, any time a defense goes over 55 minutes without allowing a goal, something is working. A lot of that can be attributed to stellar goaltending.
Hunter Taylor was an absolute brick wall in net. He made 10 saves and gobbled up (nearly) everything thrown his way. Outside shots looked elementary and he’s very intuitive on the clear, never panicking with the ball and hitting the upfield cutters.
If he can channel these types of performances, the Michigan defense will be excellent in 2025.
At the faceoff X, newly-minted starter Jackie Weller was fantastic. He went 12-for-18 and scooped up seven ground balls in a commanding effort. His clamps were quick, he had great feel for the incoming wings and battled hard for GBs. DJ Dixon was also a standout on the wing.
The Wolverines needed to come out of the gate hot and today’s performance was near perfect. The defense already looks to be in midseason form and it’s only a matter of time before the new pieces on offense fully gel. Taylor and Weller are extremely encouraging specialists.
Next weekend Michigan hits the road for a major test at North Carolina. The Tar Heels struggled in 2024 (7-7, 1-3 ACC), but their youth-heavy roster should take a step forward in ’25.
Conry will have to bring his A-game going against a National Championship-winning coach in Joe Breschi, but if Saturday was any indicator, the Wolverines are ready for the challenge.