Michigan
Penn State
Wolverines to Host No. 5 PSU on Program's First Senior Day
4/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
» Michigan will host No. 5 Penn State in its season finale on Sunday (April 30) at 11 a.m.
» The program will honor its first senior class prior to the start of the game. The 15 seniors will participate in U-M's commencement ceremony and receive their degrees on Saturday (April 29).
» Michigan is coming off a 16-day break since its last game, when Kim Coughlan set a program record with eight goals in a narrow loss to Rutgers.
THIS WEEK
Sunday, April 30 -- vs. No. 5 Penn State (Michigan Stadium), 11 a.m.
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram (@umichwlax)
PROMOTIONS
• Senior Day -- Be sure to arrive early as we will honor the first-ever women's lacrosse senior class prior to the game!
TEAM FOUR: GAME SEVENTEEN
The University of Michigan women's lacrosse team (5-11, 1-4 Big Ten) will host No. 5 Penn State (14-2, 4-1 Big Ten) in its 2017 season finale on Sunday (April 30) at 11 a.m. inside Michigan Stadium. Prior to the game, the program will honor its first-ever senior class in a special ceremony.
WOLVERINE BITES
• Sunday is a Michigan-Penn State doubleheader with the men's lacrosse team, as the men will also welcome the Nittany Lions to town for a 2 p.m. matchup.
• The 15 seniors that remain from Michigan's inaugural team will be honored prior to the start of the game. Together, that group will receive their degrees from the University of Michigan at the commencement ceremony set for Saturday (April 29) in Michigan Stadium. The class stepped onto campus together in the fall of 2013 and began an unforgettable journey as members of the first women's lacrosse team at Michigan. Over the past four years, this group of 15 women have had to forge their own path with no upperclassmen to show them the way. From the program's first win in 2014 over UC Davis, to the thrilling first Big Ten victory in overtime over Ohio State earlier this season, they have experienced adversity and triumph together. They have created a strong foundation and developed a culture that will be built on by future generations of Michigan women's lacrosse players.
• In Michigan's last game against Rutgers on April 13, Kim Coughlan set a program record with eight goals and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and HERO Sports Hero of the Week for her efforts. Coughlan's eight goals are the most by a Big Ten player this season, tied for third in the NCAA this season and tied for seventh in the conference's all-time single-game records.
• As a team, Michigan has won the draw control in 11 of 16 games this season and had the same number of draw controls in one game. The Wolverines rank third in the Big Ten, averaging 14.3 draw controls per game, which is up from their 2016 average of 10.5 per game. U-M has a total of 228 draw controls this season, which is a program record for draw controls in a single season.
• Anna Schueler has far exceeded her personal record for draw controls in a season with 82 (previous was 54 in 2014. Schueler has had nine games with five or more draw controls this season, including a program-record 10 against Maryland (April 1). She has 231 career draw controls, which is more than double any other player in program history. Schueler ranks third in the Big Ten and 22nd in the NCAA, averaging 5.13 draw controls per game this season. Coughlan, who takes the majority of Michigan's draws, has 34 draw controls this season and 106 in her career.
• Michigan is tied for first in the Big Ten in caused turnovers per game, averaging 9.3 per outing. Emily Braun has a team-high 22 caused turnovers and is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 1.38 per game. With one game remaining, Braun has already set a personal record for caused turnovers in a single season (previous was 16 in 2016). Madeline Dion holds the program record for caused turnovers in a season with 27 during the 2015 season.
• Michigan has three players with 30-plus points this season, led by Jess Angerman's 43 points, which includes 26 goals and a team-best 17 assists. Angerman's 17 assists are a U-M single-season record. Coughlan leads U-M with 34 goals and also has four assists, while Schueler has 21 goals and 15 assists. Coughlan is two goals shy of tying her own Michigan single-season record for goals (36 in 2016).
• Coughlan (122G+16A=138P), Angerman (110G+55A=165P), Schueler (107G+46A=153P) and Tess Korten (94G+29A=123P) have each surpassed 100 career points, while Coughlan, Angerman and Schueler have also reached 100 career goals. They are the first players in program history to reach those milestones. In their four years at Michigan, that group of four has combined to score 66 percent of U-M's goals (433-of-661) and tally 67 percent of its overall points (579-of-867).
• Schueler is the only U-M player to record at least one point in all 16 games this season, tallying 21 goals and 15 assists to date. In addition, Schueler is the only Wolverine to start all 68 games in Michigan's four years as a varsity program. Kelly Kubach is right behind her with 67 career starts, while Angerman has 66.
• After seeing time in two games last season, sophomore Madison Richardson has worked her way into a starting role on U-M's defense, starting 13 games this season. She is currently second on the team in ground balls with 26 and caused turnovers with 19.
• Freshman midfielder Chandler Kirby has worked her way into a more consistent role on the field as of late. She has played in all 16 games and earned the start in each of the last two games. The Darien, Connecticut, native has four goals and six assists on the season, with three goals and five assists coming in the last five games.
• Goalies Mira Shane (4-4) and Alli Kothari (1-7) have both seen significant time in cage this season. Shane earned the decisions in Michigan's last eight games and was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week on March 21. Overall, Shane has played 474 minutes, earning a goals-against average of 13.29 and a save percentage of .407. Kothari has played 490 minutes and owns a goals-against average of 12.10 and a save percentage of .428.
• Sunday's game will mark the 2017 season finale for the Wolverines, as they will not advance to the Big Ten Tournament. Maryland (5-0) has already clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, while Penn State (4-1) and Northwestern (4-1) have also locked up spots in the four-team Big Ten Tournament. Johns Hopkins (2-3) and Rutgers (2-3) will face off on Thursday night (April 27), vying for the final spot in the tournament.
Scouting the Opponent: Penn State
Penn State, which is led by seventh-year head coach Missy Doherty, owns a 14-2 overall record and 4-1 mark in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions have already secured a spot in the Big Ten Tournament and could win a share of the Big Ten regular-season title if they defeat Michigan and Northwestern defeats Maryland. PSU's only two losses of the season came against Colorado (16-11) and Maryland (16-14).
Penn State is averaging 14.5 goals per game while giving up just 9.94. The Nittany Lions have three players with 50-plus points, led by Steph Lazo's 77 points on 41 goals and 36 assists. Lazo leads the Big Ten and is 13th in the NCAA, averaging 4.81 points per game. Madison Carter has a team-best 95 draw controls for an average of 5.94 per game, which rank second in the Big Ten and 10th in the NCAA. Goalie Cat Rainone has all but one of Penn State's decisions (13-2) and owns a goals-against average of 9.78 and a save percentage of .481.
Series vs. Penn State: Penn State leads the all-time series 3-0 against Michigan. In last year's meeting, Michigan trailed 10-4 at halftime and pulled within three, 10-7, with 23 minutes left, but PSU pulled away at the end, winning 13-8.
