Michigan defense falters in upset loss to Penn State

Even the most elite units have off nights, and an off night from the Wolverines’ most elite unit cost them the game.

Generally the backbone of the squad, the No. 10 Michigan women’s lacrosse team’s defense struggled to contain Penn State on Sunday, resulting in the 13-12 overtime loss. The Wolverines’ defense failed to keep the Nittany Lions out of the back of the net for any extended period throughout the match.

With less than 20 seconds left in a hard-fought first quarter, Michigan junior attacker Calli Norris cut into open space to the left of the crease. Upon receiving a pass, she slotted a top-shelf goal in one motion to put the Wolverines up by one.

As the Nittany Lions passed the ball around and controlled possession, it looked like Michigan would take its one-goal lead into the second quarter. But with just two seconds remaining, Penn State midfielder Brooke Long cut to the right and slipped the ball just past the stick of Wolverines senior goalie Erin O’Grady. That 18 seconds was the only time Michigan led the entire game.

“(Penn State) looked a bit more energetic about the whole thing,” Michigan coach Hannah Nielsen said.  “Yes, we’re coming off of a Thursday game, but that shouldn’t matter.”

Throughout the first half, Michigan defenders successfully prevented Nittany Lions attackers from getting open and receiving passes close to the net. Still, the Wolverines had trouble stopping Penn State from driving inside and generating quality shots in one-on-one matchups.

Up one goal and one player in the second quarter, Nittany Lions attacker Erika Ho got the ball on the left side and sprinted right. The Michigan defender couldn’t keep up, allowing enough space for Ho to take an unaffected shot and find the back of the net.

The Wolverines had no answer for Ho, who racked up six points and four goals in the first half, including two back-to-back to give the Nittany Lions the lead. Michigan, generally an exceptional defensive team, had trouble with the speed of the Penn State’s attack, which finished the third quarter with 19 shots on goal.

“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. They played a great game. And that’s Big Ten for you.” 

The defense showed marked improvement in the fourth quarter, forcing several turnovers and allowing just two shots on net. That gave the offense enough possessions to tie the game back up with just over a minute to go.

After an unsuccessful overtime possession, Michigan settled in on defense for over a minute without the Nittany Lions threatening. Two minutes into overtime, junior defender Taylor Cullen aggressively pressured Ho as she caught a pass near the restraining line before weaving towards goal. The Wolverines’ defense slid over to double, but that left an attacker open to slide underneath for a wide-open, game-ending shot in front of the net.

Despite showing improvement by the end of the contest, it was too little too late for Michigan’s defense to prevent the Nittany Lions from coming away with the upset.

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