Michigan
6-12
Northwestern
9-8
U-M's Season Comes to a Close with Loss in B1G Tourney Quarters
5/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
» With Northwestern leading by just one 10 minutes into the game, the Wildcats went on a 6-0 run to break open the game, and took a 13-3 into the halftime break.
» Bianca Brueckner scored her first of two goals to start the second half, before Northwestern went on a 7-0 run to take its largest lead of the game, 20-4, with 3:49 left in the game.
» With two goals today, Kim Coughlan became the third player in program history to record 100-career points (88 goals, 12 assists), joining teammates Jess Angerman and Anna Schueler in the 100-career point club.
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium)
Score: #15 Northwestern 20, Michigan 5
Records: U-M (6-12), NU (9-8)
Attendance: 324
Next U-M Event: Season Complete
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The sixth-seeded University of Michigan women's lacrosse team was eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament in the quarterfinals, as the third-seeded and No. 15-ranked Northwestern Wildcats earned a 20-5 win on Thursday (May 5) at Northwestern's Martin Stadium.
Juniors Kim Coughlan and Bianca Brueckner led Michigan with a pair of goal each. The two goals gave Coughlan 100 career points (88 goals, 12 assists), to join teammates Jess Angerman and Anna Schueler, who worked their way into the 100-career point club earlier this season.
Tweet of the Game
That goal gave Kim Coughlan 100 career points (88G, 12A), putting her in the 100-point club with Angerman & Schueler pic.twitter.com/JDhM6jm1m0
-- Michigan Lacrosse (@umichwlax) May 5, 2016
Michigan struggled with possession in the early going, allowing Northwestern to jump out to an early 2-0 lead by the 27:14 mark. Michigan regrouped and cut the lead in half, as a big save by junior goalie Allison Silber led to a Coughlan goal on the other end at 20:12.
Following Coughlan's goal, Northwestern strung together six straight goals to break open the game and take an 8-1 lead with 13:31 left in the opening half. Junior Tess Korten slowed the Wildcats' momentum at the 10:02 mark, firing a rocket into the upper right corner, to make it 8-2.
Northwestern ended the half on a 5-1 run, with U-M's goal during that stretch coming from Coughlan to give her 100 career points, and the Wildcats took a 13-3 lead at the break.
U-M junior Bianca Brueckner opened the scoring in the second half as she drove around the crease and beat NU goalie Mallory Weisse on a low right-handed bounce shot, to make the score 13-4 with 24:17 remaining in the game.
The Wildcats then put the game out of reach, as they used a 7-0 run over a span of 19:47 to take their largest lead of the game, 20-4, with 3:49 left on the clock. The Wolverines tacked on one final goal with 49 ticks left as Angerman fed Brueckner from the right wing for her second of the game to produce the final score of 20-5.
Silber made three saves in the first 16 minutes of action, before freshman Mira Shane came off the bench to man the cage for 30 minutes. Silber returned to play the final 14 minutes of her Michigan career, finishing with four saves. Silber announced earlier this season that she will not return for her final season of eligibility next season. The Phoenix, Maryland, native is going to take advantage of the opportunity to graduate in December 2016 with a degree in movement science and will then begin preparations for medical school, including studying for the MCAT exam.
Freshman midfielder Grace Hemmer, who grew up just minutes down the street from Northwestern University (Kenilworth, Ill.), saw her first action of the season, recording one ground ball.
"Today was another great opportunity to compete against another well-established Big Ten program," said head coach Jennifer Ulehla. "Northwestern is always a challenging opponent which we continually choose to embrace with an 'everything to gain mentality'. Our program works hard each and every day to learn and grow. We understand that we must play the best to become the best ... it's that simple. Building a positive championship culture is a journey not a sprint and we are in it for the long haul."
The loss brings Michigan's third season as a varsity program to a close, as the Wolverines went 6-12 overall, while Northwestern advances to tomorrow's (Friday, May 6) semifinal match against Penn State.
"As the Team Three season comes to a close we will reflect on all aspects of our program and address the areas that need improvement," Ulehla added. "It is necessary to evaluate where we are and where we are going in preparation for Team Four. We are proud of our players and how they represent the University of Michigan and our athletic department with such resilience and strength. We must continue our path to success with a relentless work ethic, competitive edge and love for the game. We are growing and our time is coming."
