Michigan
Northwestern
Big Ten Championship on the Line as No. 4 Michigan Welcomes No. 1 Northwestern
4/18/2024 8:45:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan women's lacrosse team will vie for a Big Ten Conference title on Sunday (April 21) when it welcomes No. 1 Northwestern to U-M Lacrosse Stadium at noon. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
Notes
• Michigan is ranked fourth nationally in the IL Women/IWLCA poll in week 11 of the season, coming up two spots from a week ago. U-M is 6-1 this season against ranked opponents and 2-1 against opponents ranked inside the top five.
• U-M will compete for an outright Big Ten Championship title when it welcomes No. 1 Northwestern to U-M Lacrosse Stadium this weekend. If the Wolverines defeat the Wildcats it will be the first B1G championship in program history and the first time Michigan has defeated NU in the history of the program. Furthermore, it would mark the first time U-M has taken down the top ranked team in the nation.
• Junior Jill Smith broke the U-M career goals record last weekend (April 14) with five goals to bring her career total to 125, topping Kim Coughlan's 124 goals from 2014-17. Smith leads the Wolverines with 57 points (45 goals, 12 assists) this season and has won 40 draw controls, which ranks second for U-M.
• As a defensive unit, the Wolverines continue to lead the nation as they give up just 6.27 goals per game and rank first with a .586 team save percentage. Junior goalie Erin O'Grady also continues to lead the nation in goals against average (5.91) and save percentage (.611).
• Senior Maddie Burns needs just one ground ball to reach 100 career ground balls. Burns would be just the second Wolverine in program history to reach 100 career ground balls and needs just two to break the U-M career record of 100 ground balls set by Anna Schueler from 2014-17.
• Senior Lily Montemarano now has 167 draw control wins in her career, passing Kaitlyn Mead for third all-time in Michigan history. Her 15 wins against Penn State (April 6) also eclipsed a Michigan single-game best and brought her season total to 98 - which set a Michigan single season record.
• Head coach Hannah Nielsen enters her seventh season at the helm of the Michigan program and has brought the team to new heights during her coaching tenure. Nielsen has led U-M to three NCAA Tournament appearances including back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023. Nielsen's squads have shattered the Michigan record book in her seven seasons, while she has also coached four players who were Tewaaraton Award nominees.
