Game Report

February 10, 2008

Event: Men's Lacrosse

Sites: Ann Arbor, Michigan (Oosterbaan Fieldhouse), Columbus, Ohio (Woody Hayes Center)

Scores: #8 Michigan 13, Wittenberg 12 --- #8 Michigan 6, Ohio State 14

Next U-M Game: Saturday, February 16, 7:00 PM – vs. Kenyon – Ann Arbor, Michigan (Oosterbaan Fieldhouse)

Wolverines Work out Kinks in Pair of Pre-Season Scrimmages

Ann Arbor, Mich. – The pre-season #8 ranked University of Michigan men’s lacrosse team got their first chance to spar against another opponent this spring in the form of two NCAA teams this past weekend, taking on Division III Wittenberg on Friday evening in Ann Arbor, before battling traditional rival Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday afternoon.

Friday night at Oosterbaan Fieldhouse featured a highly entertaining scrimmage that served up a multitude of lead changes and intense play as the Wolverines came out on top in overtime against the Tigers. Senior Peter Krauss (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) notched two goals and added an assist, while junior Riley Kearns (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) added three points on one goal and two assists. Sophomore David Reinhard (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) was especially tough on faceoffs, finishing 14-18 at the "X".

Leading 12-10 with just over two minutes left, Wittenberg rallied for two goals before time expired. Senior attackman Doug Bell (Troy, Mich./Troy) came up big for the Maize in the Blue in the overtime frame however, wrapping around the cage and slipping one past the Tiger net-minder for the game-winning goal. The Wolverines rushed the field marking the end of a contest that felt little like the first scrimmage in February.

Two days later the Wolverines boarded a bus early Sunday morning and ventured south to Columbus, Ohio in frigid February temperatures. Thankfully, Michigan found themselves playing another indoor game, this time at the Woody Hayes Center on the OSU athletic campus. In what was their second trip to Buckeye nation in the past three years, the Wolverines knew they would have a stiff test on their hands taking on their fourth Division I varsity opponent this academic year.

After trading two quick goals to open the contest, the Buckeyes scored eight of the next nine before junior attackman Wes McGowan (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) scored with :29 seconds left in the first half. The Wolverines didn't back down however, and held OSU to only two goals in the second quarter, and opened the fourth with three straight goals to claw to 11-6. In all, six Wolverines scored in the scrimmage.

The Wolverines will be back in action this upcoming weekend when they host Division III Kenyon in the team's regular season opener at Oosterbaan Fieldhouse in Ann Arbor. Game-time is set for 7:00pm EST.

NOTES

● This is the fourth straight season the Wolverines have battled against Wittenberg in a pre-season scrimmage.

● 10 Wolverines scored goals in the contest vs. Wittenberg.

● Friday night's contest vs. Wittenberg featured an unusually large crowd for a pre-season scrimmage, including a solid showing from the Wittenberg faithful.

● With the contest vs. Ohio State, Michigan has squared off against three Division I varsity opponents this academic year, taking on Johns Hopkins and Army in the Wolverine Showcase in the fall.

● All four goalies on the roster saw a quarter of action vs. Wittenberg with freshman Mark Stone (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek) getting the win in overtime, while senior captain Graham Townsend (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East) and freshman Andrew Fowler (Grosse Pointe, Mich./Hotchkiss CT) each saw a half of action vs. OSU on Sunday.

● Michigan will have a slightly lighter practice schedule this upcoming week with the addition of the annual "Mock-Rock" fundraising event to the team's calendar on Wednesday night. An annual fund-raiser for C.S. Mott Children Hospital, Mock Rock features all of Michigan's Varsity and Varsity Club teams in a competition where teams perform renditions of musical and stage acts. For the second straight year the show will be hosted by the Sklar brothers, and judges include football coach Rich Rodriguez. The show is set for Wednesday at 7:30pm at Hill Auditorium.

QUOTES

U-M Head Coach John Paul

On the Wittenberg scrimmage: "They're a much improved team over the past couple of years and that's testament to George Harris and everything he's doing down there. The good thing about that is that it gave us a great test which is something we both needed at this point in the season. Bottom line, it was a pre-season scrimmage, we played everyone, there was some sloppy play, some lack of discipline, but in the end we gutted it out and won a game in overtime, and we'll take away the lessons from winning a close game."

On the play of the freshmen: "Yealy really played well and I think he's going to be an outstanding player for us. He's gaining confidence and learning to play at this level. Both Burgin and Freid did some really nice things today."

On the goalies: "I thought Ben Scherr played really well in goal during his quarter. We have four very talented goalies and Ben keeps stepping up into that battle. We want them to have an intense but friendly competition. For one, so we have a great backup and they are all pushing each other and secondly, if Graham has an off-day or something, we want someone who can be ready to go in."

On getting the young guys to settle into their game: "Games like this go a long way. They help guys learn that if you make a mistake, don't put your head down, don't get upset at officials. Just turn around and make two hustle plays and make up for it. They'll gain a lot of confidence getting through games like this and learning its ok to make mistakes."

On the energy level: "The great thing about a close game like this is that everyone is into it for the entire 60 minutes. No one is losing focus at all because they're intense the entire time."

On the OSU scrimmage: "First, we're incredibly thankful to Joe Breschi for inviting us down again. He's one of the class acts in our game. We're honored to have the opportunity to play as many varsity teams as we have this year. For a D1 team like Ohio State to use one of their preseason scrimmage dates on us is a testament to them, and also says something about the way our program is perceived."

On the positives drawn from the contest: "They are obviously more skilled than us. They should be. Their ability in transition was especially impressive. However, I was really proud of the way our guys did not back down at all. They seized the opportunity and played pretty well. We made some plays, and made them work for everything they got. This should give us confidence heading into the season."

On Fowler's solid play in the second half: "He has really stepped up and continues to show the potential he has. As I've said before though, we have four outstanding goalies. Right now Fowler is a little ahead of the other freshmen, but that could be fluid throughout the year. It's a good competition."

On the Ohio State rivalry: "You really feel it when you're there. We were in the football facility, and there's a real sense of the tradition. It's impossible not feel something special seeing Michigan and Ohio State going at it. That said, both times we've been down there we've been treated with nothing but class and respect. It's when you get off campus, on our food stops for example, that you really get a taste of how passionate so many of the fans are in Ohio."

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