May 17, 2007

Event:  Men's Lacrosse

Site:  Dallas, Texas (Pizza Hut Park – Dr. Pink Field)

Score:  #4 Michigan 13, #7 Colorado 8

Records:  U-M (13-5, 7-0 CCLA), Colorado (14-7, 2-3 RMLC)

Attendance:  117

Next U-M Game:  Season has concluded.

Wolverines Close Out Season with Win over Buffalos

Event Recap I Boxscore I Notes & Quotes I Photos

DALLAS, Texas - The University of Michigan men's lacrosse team finished off the 2007 season with a win on Thursday (May 17), defeating the seventh seeded Colorado Buffalos by a score of 13-8 in Dallas, Texas in a MCLA National Championship Consolation Game.  Michigan held a one-goal lead at half-time and held on down the stretch, with every Wolverine seeing action in the game. 

The Wolverines opened fast, scoring the first goal of the game for the first time in the tournament with junior midfielder Bobby Morales (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) scoring from 10 yards straight out on a low, skipping shot.  Sophomore attackman Jared Blechman (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) made it 2-0 on Michigan's next possession, catching a feed from junior Peter Krauss (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) before turning and firing for the goal.  Immediately following the goal the Wolverines were awarded a three-minute man-up opportunity resulting in a quick-stick goal from Morales on a rebound to extend the lead to 3-0. 

Colorado answered on the man-down at 10:27 and scored again at 7:16 to cut the lead to one mid-way through the quarter.  Although the Wolverines only led by one goal after the first, they dominated possession through the first 15-minutes, out-shooting the Buffalos 12-5. 

Michigan was awarded a man-up opportunity early in the second after an interference call on Colorado.  The Wolverines responded, as senior attacker Evan Fox (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) scored a quick stick goal on a feed from behind the cage from sophomore midfielder Anthony Hrusovsky (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest).  Trailing 4-2, Colorado answered at 5:23 to cut the lead to one on a shot from the left wing, before the Wolverines regained the two-goal lead on a quick-stick goal from the left wing from Blechman who was fed by Morales to close the second-quarter scoring.

Michigan came out quickly in the second half as junior faceoff specialist Brekan Kohlitz (St. Claire Shores, Mich./Notre Dame Harper Woods) won the faceoff, carried the ball in and fed Evan Fox for the 6-3 lead.  Fox added his third of the game at 9:36 on another quick-stick feed from Hrusovsky, before Blechman's third of the game at 4:40 extended the Wolverines lead to 8-3.  Fox golfed in Michigan's next goal for his fourth of the game to build a six-goal lead, but Colorado wouldn't be deterred, netting three unanswered goals in the final three minutes of the quarter as the team's entered the final frame with the Maize and Blue leading 9-6.

Freshmen hooked up to open the Wolverine scoring in the fourth as Josh Ein (Potomac, Md./Bullis) buried a feed from David Rogers (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) to give Michigan a 10-6 lead early in the fourth quarter.  Morales added Michigan's 11^th, before freshman attacker Clark McIntyre (Little Silver, N.J./Rumson – Fair Haven) buried a pass from behind the cage from junior attacker Doug Bell (Troy, Mich./Troy) for the 12-6 lead mid-way through the quarter.  Junior midfielder Lawrence Okwali (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) banged home the final Wolverine goal with just under four minutes left before Colorado added two late goals.

Statistically, the Wolverines won every category, out-shooting Colorado 47-33, while the Wolverines scooped up 46 groundballs to the Buffalos' 23.  The Wolverines were 16-24 at the "X", while both teams faired roughly same on clears, with U-M finishing 15-24 and CU posting 15-27 totals.  The Maize and Blue were very sharp on the man-up, finishing 7-10 on the man-up while Colorado went 0-4.

With the win, Michigan has concluded their season.  Please be sure to visit MGoBlue.com for all of your Michigan Lacrosse information. 

NOTES

● Junior faceoff specialist Brekan Kohlitz (St. Claire Shores, Mich./Notre Dame Harper Woods) finished 9-13 on faceoffs, while fellow junior, Lawrence Okwali (Silver Spring, MD./Springbrook) posted 6-8 totals.  Freshman David Reinhard (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) was 1-3.

● Kohlitz also paced the team with seven groundballs. 

● Kohlitz recorded his first career assist in the game.

● David Rogers notched his first career point, an assist, in the game.

● Josh Ein scooped up his second career groundball. 

● All three goaltenders saw action on the afternoon as senior Ryan Kaufman (Olney, Md./Magruder) posted 8 saves in a half of action, junior Graham Townsend (Williamsville N.Y./Williamsville East) stopped 10 shots in 28:38, and freshman Drew Donnell (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) finished the final 1:22. 

● Evan Fox paced the team with four goals in his final game as a Wolverine, while Bobby Morales added four points on three goals and an assist. 

● Michigan improved to 6-5 vs. ranked opponents in 2007.    

● Michigan was 4-3 in neutral-site games this season.

QUOTES

Head Coach John Paul

On his specific impressions of the game:  "I was actually a little surprised by the way we played today.  No matter what the situation all year, that was the best offense we've played all year.  Not only executing, but guys were moving off ball really well, firing the ball around, not hanging on to the ball too long.  We also did it throughout the entire game which was a first.  I'm not sure why it was today, but I was proud of the guys.  I think they were pretty relaxed, and once they started rolling they kept it going.  We were also making a lot of little plays and subtle plays that we hadn't been doing all year.  Today we showed a lot of potential."

On the play of the youngsters:  "Today we got every single guy on the roster in which is something we didn't quite do yesterday.  I think it was important to finish the season that way and we also got a look at some guys mixed in with starters to see what they have.  Emerging guys like Clark McIntyre, a guy who plays with a lot of confidence.  David Reinhard who has seen time throughout the year was solid as always.  I think Payer did some nice things today on defense.  And the biggest one and the most obvious is Graham.  He continues to  show what he can do and fills us with a lot of confidence.  It's hard because he doesn't get the opportunities to play against good teams a lot and today he did.  He leads the defense really well and he handles the pressure really well."

On looking back at the entire season:  "I was really proud we re-established ourselves in the CCLA.  That was first and foremost and an important step this year.  Not only winning our games and winning the tournament but there wasn't a close game.  We obviously want to continue that.  I was a little disappointed with the post-season, but perhaps frustrated is a more appropriate word.  I thought we were really prepared coming in, and we didn't see it.  Today we showed the potential though."

On the senior leadership this season:  "I was really happy with the captains this year.  Their leadership was outstanding.  Brad Ferriell came up to me after the game today and thanked me and said he was able to have all of these experiences because of me, and I told him the reason I do all of this is because of guys like him.  For me, the thanks go to those guys.  It's absolutely guys like him who make this the best job in the world."

On the change in attitude that may be required next year:  "We can't make gradual culture shifts anymore.  We've been doing that for a few years.  It's like we're going up a hill and then we roll back and go back down.  We might need to consolidate and keep the guys that are really going to buy into what we want to do.  I need to identify the guys who share that commitment.  It's about heart, desire and attitude and we have a mixture of guys who treat it like varsity and guys who use the club aspect as excuse.  It's not fair to the guys who want it to be one thing to have guys that are going to hold it back still around.  We've now made a major commitment to soon have Division I varsity lacrosse at Michigan and that culture shift is going to be part of that transition.  We continue to try and find things off the field that supplement the program, but at some point we need to take that next step on the field.  That time has come."

Senior Goaltender Ryan Kaufman

On his final game:  "I just wanted to finish on a good note.  I talked to a lot of older guys after the Northeastern loss and they told me I wouldn't remember that game, but rather all of the experiences, stories and friends, but it's still nice to go out with a win."

On donning the Maize and Blue one last time:  "I thought about it a little bit.  I've been preparing for this for the past couple of days.  I was starting to count down the lasts, like the last warm-up from Gigs, the last time getting stretched.  It all sort of hit me today but I'm not too down about it."

On looking back on the entire experience:  "It's weird but nothing really sticks out above the rest.  Its just one big block of my life that I have nothing but good memories about.  It's one of the defining aspects in my college experience.  I just want the guys next year to make sure they have fun and enjoy it while they can."

On Graham Townsend going into next season:  "Graham is more than prepared for next year.  He could have started this year and there wouldn't have been a difference in net.  He had a great attitude about being number two this year and now it's time for him to step up."

Senior defenseman Brad Ferriell

On his final game:  "I really wanted to come out and have fun today and grab the win.  We didn't want to come out and go "o-for" on the tournament.  It was a little weird putting my Michigan stuff on for the last time, but I'm definitely not done with lacrosse.  But obviously I'm going to miss this atmosphere and all the guys." 

On what he would pass on to next year's captains and leaders:  "The guys are lucky that they're going to have nine or ten seniors next year.  We've told them that they need to lead as a unit and to also pass down some of the leadership responsibilities to the younger guys.  It needs to be leadership amongst the whole team.  All the returning players need to be leaders for the freshman."

Looking at next year's defensive corps:  "I was talking to Elyacher the other night in the hotel about how this is his next year.  I think he had the same feelings I had when those guys like Kozel and Roth and Anderson graduated.  I was nervous and it's a lot of responsibility.  I've got a lot of faith in him though.  We've got a lot of talent around him and we'll have some solid freshman coming in to."

On what Michigan lacrosse meant to him through his college career:  "It was the defining experience.  I've always loved lacrosse and it was my home away from home.  It was where I could find my solace.  I'll always remember the times with the guys.  I've made friends for life.  I'll love these guys forever."

Contact: Joe Hennessy (734) 276-8493, jjhennes@umich.edu