Michigan
8-2
Denver
8-2
Wolverines Notch Big Non-Conference Win Over No. 20 Denver
3/26/2026 6:06:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
» Michigan scored the final five goals of the contest to earn a 12-6 win.
» Katharine Merrifield scored four goals in the victory.
» Emma Burke won 10 draw controls.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan women's lacrosse team earned a 12-6 victory over No. 20 Denver on Thursday afternoon (March 26) at U-M Lacrosse Stadium.
The teams played a back-and-forth contest in the first three quarters, with Michigan holding a 7-6 lead with 4:44 remaining in the third. The Wolverines (8-2) opened the fourth quarter on a five-goal run, and the defense shut out Denver the rest of the game to secure the victory.
The U-M defense did not give up a goal for just under 20 minutes and did not allow Denver (8-2) to put a shot on cage for 15 minutes, as Jordyn Harrison had three ground balls and one caused turnover, and Megan Minturn had a key caused turnover in the final quarter. In the cage, Elizabeth Johnson made eight saves, with five coming in the second quarter.
Offensively, Katharine Merrifield and Ava Class had four points each, with Merrifield scoring four goals and Class netting two goals and handing out two assists. Calli Norris recorded a hat trick for her fifth straight multi-goal game, and Ceci Stein added a goal and an assist. Sophomore Emma Burke notched her fourth double-digit draw win contest with 10, and Grace Callahan won three.
Michigan and Denver exchanged goals in the first quarter, as DU opened the scoring with just over 10 minutes to play in the opening quarter. Michigan answered four minutes later with back-to-back goals from Class and Merrifield to take a 2-1 lead. The Pioneers knotted it up to close out the quarter at 2-2.
Merrifield and Class combined for another pair of goals for the Wolverines, and Emma Bradbury tacked on a third straight to give U-M a 5-3 advantage with 6:35 left to play in the half. The Pioneers scored one final goal in the closing minutes of the first half to stay within two, 5-3, heading into the halftime break.
Michigan and Denver traded goals over the first nine minutes of the third quarter, and the Wolverines held a 7-5 lead with 4:32 left to play in the quarter. The Wolverines got a pair of goals each from Norris and Merrifield, and Emerson Pattillo added another to seal the home win.
The Wolverines will celebrate their senior class on Sunday (March 29) when they welcome Oregon to U-M Lacrosse Stadium. The contest will begin at 1 p.m. and will be streamed live on B1G+.
