After ending regulation with the scoreboard even, the No. 10 Michigan women’s lacrosse team had one more chance to try to capitalize and seize control in overtime — and it slipped away. Penn State took advantage with a break though the Wolverines’ defense and was able to bury the game-winning goal in the back of the net, sealing the win for the Nittany Lions.
Michigan (7-4 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) fell in gut-wrenching fashion Sunday afternoon, dropping a 13-12 overtime decision to Penn State (4-7, 2-2). After storming back late to force extra time, the Wolverines couldn’t lock in on an opportunity to win in overtime, and the Nittany Lions made them pay, scoring on a quick transition to seal the upset win.
“We obviously weren’t happy with today’s result,” Michigan coach Hannah Nielsen said. “I don’t think we executed well enough.”
Although the Wolverines were upset with the results, the game was close with a huge amount of back and forth play throughout the four periods. Although Michigan was unable to secure the win there were bright spots throughout the highly-contested battle that allowed The Wolverines to stay in the game.
Senior attacker Kaylee Dyer led them with six points, and Smith notched four goals and six draw controls. On the defensive end, junior defender Jordyn Harrison delivered a strong performance with three caused turnovers and four groundballs. Even though there were some electric moments for Michigan throughout the game, it wasn’t enough to secure the win.
The loss marks a frustrating stumble for Michigan as it entered the matchup heavily favored against a Penn State squad that had yet to beat a ranked opponent this season. The Wolverines trailed for a majority of the game, struggling to find rhythm against the scrappy and energetic Nittany Lions side. Michigan fell behind by two entering the fourth quarter with a score of 12-10. But it rallied behind senior attacker Jill Smith, who was able to even up the score with a minute and a half left in the fourth period.
Smith’s equalizer gave Michigan some momentum, and a win on the final draw of regulation gave it a shot to end the game for good. But a critical save by Penn State in the dying seconds pushed the contest to overtime, and then to the overall win. The Wolverines fought hard, but Penn State fought harder capitalizing on a fastbreak early in overtime to seal the narrow victory.
“We told the girls that they are playing to keep their season alive, and they played like it,” Nielsen said. “So right on to them, that’s Big Ten for you.”
Big Ten play is notoriously unpredictable, and this game was just the latest reminder. Regardless of records or rankings, every matchup brings intensity, urgency and a sense of desperation — especially for teams fighting to stay afloat. The Wolverines showed resilience in key moments Sunday, but simply couldn’t follow through. The Nittany Lions surge of offensive dominance shifted the momentum, proving once again how tightly contested these battles can be.
“They were more up for it than we were,” Nielsen said. “When they came out, they looked faster and a bit more energetic about the whole thing.”
In a game defined by momentum swings and missed chances, Michigan learned the hard way that in the Big Ten, effort isn’t enough — execution is everything.
The post Penn State upsets No. 10 Michigan, 13-12, in overtime as Big Ten play heats up appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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