Michigan
Penn State
Wolverines to Hit the Road for Friday Night ESPNU Game Against Nittany Lions
4/6/2022 10:20:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
» Ryan Cohen was recently named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the fourth time.
» A Michigan victory would tie the program record for wins in a season (8).
» This week's matchup pits against each other the two teams in the conference with 0-2 marks.
THIS WEEK
Friday, April 8 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 6 p.m.
TV: ESPNU | Live Stream | Live Stats
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The University of Michigan men's lacrosse team (7-4, 0-2 Big Ten) will travel to State College, Pa., to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday (April 8) in a nationally televised Big Ten Conference matchup on ESPNU. Faceoff from Panzer Stadium is slated for 6 p.m.
Wolverine Bites
• Ryan Cohen was recently named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the fourth time this season (Apil 5). He ranks No. 35 nationally in points per game (4.00), tied for first among all freshmen in the country with Bucknell's Connor Davis. He has nine points (5g, 4a) through two Big Ten games. Most recently, against No. 1 Maryland, he led the team with five points (4g, 1a) on 11 shots.
• Michigan and Penn State are both 0-2 in conference play. The Wolverines are searching for win No. 8, which would tie the program record for wins in a season.
• Junior attackman Josh Zawada ranks second in U-M history for points in a career (134, 76g, 58a) and is now 11 points away from breaking Ian King's (2014-17) program record of 144. Zawada's average of 5.73 points per game ranks sixth in the country, while his goals per game (3.27) and assists average (2.45) both check in at No. 12.
• Fellow attackman sophomore Michael Boehm enters the week with 55 points, the second-most in a season in program history. He trails the current number of 63 held by Zawada; both have already surpassed the previous single-season record of 48. In his brief U-M career, Boehm has 91 points (52g, 39a), putting him nine away from becoming the seventh Wolverine in history to reach 100 points in a career. In addition, he ranks No. 13 in the country in points per game (5.00), No. 31 in goals per game (2.82), and No. 18 in assists average (2.18).
• As a team, U-M ranks second in the country in points per game (25.18) and sixth in scoring offense (15.36 goals/game). The defensive unit ranks 21st and allows 10.45 goals/game.
• Sophomore goalie Shane Carr is No 15 in the NCAA in goals-against average (10.40) and No. 15 in save percentage (56 percent). Over the last four games, the first-year starter is averaging 14.25 stops per contest.
• The Wolverines have excelled at the faceoff dot with a 59 percent mark as a team to rank No. 9 in the country. The tandem of sophomore Justin Wietfeldt and junior Nick Rowlett has developed as one of the best in the country. Wietfeldt ranks seventh in the nation with a .616 faceoff winning percentage (92-of-150) and has 48 ground balls. Rowlett ranks 19th at 57 percent (91-of-160) with 51 pickups.
• Per Lacrosse Reference, U-M's cumulative offensive efficiency ranks No. 15, while the defensive unit ranks No. 22. Zawada ranks fifth in the country in the site's "statistical Tewaaraton" with 46.67 expected goals added, while Boehm is No. 11 (43.79). U-M's strength of schedule is ranked No. 25, while the team's Lax-ELO ranking is No. 43.
History vs. Penn State
Under head coach Kevin Conry, U-M has played the Nittany Lions close in three of four matchups and is 1-1 in State College. The first matchup in 2018 was a 10-9 overtime victory for U-M, while the Nittany Lions won 17-7 in Ann Arbor in the 2019 campaign. Last season, the sides split, with U-M winning 14-12 on March 20 in Ann Arbor before the Nittany Lions returned the favor on April 16 with a 14-13 defeat in overtime.
Tweet of the Week
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— Michigan Men's Lacrosse (@UMichLacrosse) April 5, 2022
Ryan Cohen takes home ANOTHER #B1G Freshman of the Week honor!#GoBlue?? pic.twitter.com/BTFzWvwqrh
Up Next
Saturday, April 16 -- vs. Rutgers (U-M Lacrosse Stadium), Noon (TV: ESPNU)
