Michigan
3-2
Central Michigan
1-3
Gooch's Late Goal Pushes No. 18 Michigan Past Central Michigan
2/26/2023 3:41:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
» Josie Gooch scored the game-winning goal in the final three minutes of play.
» Kaylee Dyer recorded a hat trick.
» Michigan outshot CMU 31-20 and won the draw control battle 10-7.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan women's lacrosse team used a goal in the final three minutes from Josie Gooch to take the 7-6 victory over Central Michigan on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 26) at U-M Lacrosse Stadium.
The Wolverines (3-2) outshot CMU 31-20 with 23 shots on goal and won 10 draw controls compared to Central's seven. Offensively, Kaylee Dyer led U-M with three goals, while Gooch scored the game-winner.
Defensively, Maddie Burns dominated as she caused four turnovers and picked up four ground balls. Graduate student Morgan Whitaker also had two caused turnovers for the Maize and Blue and Lily Montemarano added two draw-control wins.
Maya Santa-Maria earned the win in the cage with four saves, and Erin O'Grady made two saves on the afternoon.
Michigan got out to a quick 3-0 start with two goals from Dyer with two minutes left in the first quarter. Central Michigan (1-3) got within two on a goal with 14 seconds remaining in the opening stanza. The Wolverines extended their lead to 5-1 when Garvey scored on a drive and low shot into the bottom of the cage and Dyer recorded the hat trick.
CMU used a goal in the final three minutes of the second quarter to stay within two, cutting the U-M lead to 5-3 heading into the halftime break. U-M outshot the Chippewas 14-9 in the first half with 11 on goal.
Central Michigan came out of the halftime break with an offensive push to tied the game at 5 and kept Michigan off the scoreboard. Michigan regained the lead on a Jane Fetterolf drive, but the Chippewas quickly responded with the game-tying goal.
The game remained deadlocked until U-M called a timeout to draw up an offensive possession. Coming out of the break, Gooch drove down the left side and fired a shot past the CMU keeper to give Michigan a 7-6 lead.
Central Michigan looked to even the score and force overtime, but a final shot went wide in the last minute of regulation and the Wolverines ran out the clock to victory.
U-M next heads west to take on Denver on Wednesday (March 1) at 4 p.m. MT before going up against Colorado on Friday (March 3) at 3 p.m. MT.
