For 60 minutes, the No. 10 Michigan women’s lacrosse team failed to grab the lead. Right from the get-go, Penn State showed the Wolverines that it traveled to Ann Arbor with the intention of leaving victorious.
And despite efforts from the Wolverines, specifically senior attacker Kylee Dyer, the Nittany Lions were able to complete their goal.
In a dramatic overtime finish, Penn State took down the Wolverines to draw a massive upset over Michigan. A bright spot for the Wolverines, however, was the offensive energy that Dyer created for her team. Her aggressive, creative drive gave Michigan the necessary means to fight until the very end.
Right from the beginning, it was Dyer who got going for the Wolverines. Her free position goal, scored off an early penalty in the arch, put Michigan on the board. It took some time for the rest of the Wolverines to heat up, though, as the Nittany Lions took the lead early on, and preserved it throughout the game.
But what kept Michigan in the game was the energy emulated by its players. Dyer stopped up big, creating highlight-reel worthy plays to keep her teammates’ mindsets in the right direction.
The tides began to change at the end of the third quarter. In a game mostly dominated by Penn State, the Wolverines had new life breathed into their lungs. Kicked off by senior attacker Jill Smith’s back-to-back goals, it was Dyer’s third goal of the game that got the crowd on their feet.
It’s common to find Dyer behind the net, plotting out the future play in her mind. And this moment was no different. She found some footing, bolting off around the back of the net before launching one past the Nittany Lions’ goalie to shorten the lead.
In the 12 goals scored by Michigan, Dyer’s name is attached to six of them. Her three goals and three assists are merely numbers, though, because her presence on the field was what really made a mark on her fellow Wolverines.
Backed by Dyer, Michigan had completed a late half push to send the game into overtime, placing the game into the hands of a lone goal.
Ultimately, her efforts in regulation were not enough. After a missed opportunity on the offensive attack, the Nittany Lions charged down the field, manifesting a game-winning goal. Penn State utilized its chances in the middle, drawing players away from the front of the net to create the ideal opportunity for Nittany Lions attacker Emma Kelly to have a clear shot on net, ending the Wolverines’ night.
“(Capitalizing on offensive chances are) huge,” Michigan coach Hannah Neilsen said. “That was part of the game plan. We said, ‘If you think you have a shot early, take it because we don’t want to play our heels.’ Was it the best decision? No. But also, at the same time, that’s the play that essentially got us back into the game.”
Going to overtime was never part of the game plan for the Wolverines. Michigan was the clear favorite going into the game, and the numbers all pointed toward a win in its book. The first goal from Penn State put the Wolverines on their heels, and it was a constant climb until the end trying to close the gap.
Even with the disappointing turnout, Dyer was a consistent force to be reckoned with, never quitting in even the most impossible situations. Her efforts throughout the game were evident to all onlookers, going to extreme lengths to put her team in the best place possible. But ultimately, one player’s efforts aren’t always enough to compensate for the entire team’s play.
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