The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, March 8, 2012 - 7A Michigan loses first varsity lacrosse match in Ann Arbor PAUL SHERMAN/Daily Senior defenseman Greg Pateryn has been a steady presence on the blue line for Michigan this season. SPateryn finds balance as Blue's defensive anchor By SCOTT FREEDMAN For the Daily The Michigan men's lacrosse squad suffered a tough defeat in the newly minted varsity pro- gram's first home game LOYOLA 15 Wednesday MICHIGAN 8 night. The 15-8 loss against No. 9 Loyola (Md.) leaves Michigan coach John Paul and the Wol- verines at 1-6 approaching the halfway point of the season. Despite the loss, Paul was pleased by the effort from his team. "We came in knowing that this was going to be a really challenging season, with what we had coming in, to get wins," Paul said. "And so we didn't make that our goal. Our goal is to set the stage for what our program is going to be." Michigan jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but Loyola, led by a five-goal performance from junior Mike Sawyer, quickly reclaimed control. The Grey- hounds went on an eight-goal run after initially trailing. Loyola led, 8-2, at the half in Ann Arbor. Re-energized by an offensive upsurge in the third quarter, the Wolverines brought the game within five goals on a strike by midfielder Willie Steenland early in the fourth. But Loyola's 42 shots - and two goals coming in 50 seconds as the clock wound down - proved overwhelming for Mich- igan freshman goalkeeper Emil Weiss. Loyola certainly dominated the stat sheet, outclassing the Wolverines in every major cate- gory, including faceoffs, ground balls, turnovers, and an impres- sive 4-for-4 on man-up opportu- nities. Michigan has faced a tough schedule so far this year, com- prising six consecutive road games to start the year. The Wolverines finally had their first official home game as a varsity program in front of a crowd of nearly 500 at the Oosterbaan Fieldhouse. "It felt good to play in front of the hometown crowd," said By LIZ VUKELICH Daily Sports Writer Watch senior defenseman Greg Pateryn during any of his shifts for the Michigan hockey team, and your body will wince every time his 216-pound frame slams into the boards. It's not Pateryn you feel bad for. It's the unfortunate oppo- nent on the receiving end of one of his blows. The defensive corps takes pride in Pateryn's brute force on the ice. Having smart, puck-moving defensemen is important - hav- ing someone who's not scared to get a little physical is even more so. "(Physicality) is one of his strengths," said Michigan coach Red Berenson. "He's got that mentality. Some of the big guys don't want to play too physical because they might hurt some- body. Pateryn isn't that way." t Not all of the aggressive- ness comes naturally - to some degree, the mindset has been instilled in him through coach- ing, as Pateryn was taught to be "the meanest kid on the ice." "I played for (Michigan State defenseman) Torey Krug's dad growing up," Pateryn said. "He was always a really high-intensi- ty guy, never took anything from anyone. "(He) put that mentality in WANT TO JOIN THE DAILY SPORTS STAFF? Tremendous deci- sion. Here's how to get started: E-mail sportseditors@ michigandaily.com to inquire, and then VISIT OUR WEEKLY SPORTS MEETING EVERY SUNDAY AT 1 P.M. AT 420 MAYNARD STREET your h Thi rooted lacros: as a sl fielder game the ice Dur only h title h. gan h faceof defens stre th Tho faceof he's st the W penalt But he's in "Th betwe taking "We n kill. It he get: Pate ead." penalty minutes this season - s aggressiveness is also the second-highest on the team. i in Pateryn's high school Despite this, Berenson is still se days, where he played pleased with the self-control hort-stick defensive mid- Pateryn has exercised. . Many elements of the Since arriving in Ann Arbor easily translated over to as a freshman, Pateryn has been working to find the balance ing lacrosse, Pateryn not between aggressiveness and ad the hardest shot - a spending most of the game in e still holds on the Michi- the sin bin. ockey squad - but took Some things, such as under- fs and played man-down standing the appropriate times e. to hit, have been slowly learned over time. Berenson recalled that dur- ing Pateryn's freshman year, he (Physicality) would fearlessly hit the opposi- tion at all costs. is one of his Pateryn is a little calmer now. But some penalties are inevita- ngths. He's got ble - he can't control if an oppo- nent hits the boards awkwardly. at mentality." And some penalties seem to have more to do with luck than anything else. "Some penalties come and ugh Pateryn now leaves go," Pateryn said. "You'll go fs to the forward corps, through a stretch where it seems till recognized as one of like every time you hit some- olverines' most effective one ... you get unlucky, and then y killers. you won't take a penalty for ten he can't kill penalties if games or so. They come and go." the box. Now, he seems to have found a ere's always a fine line perfect medium. en playing physical and "You've got to chose your penalties," Berenson said. spots," Pateryn said. "Make sure ieed him on the penalty your hands are down all the 's a double-edged sword if time, make sure you're always s a penalty." moving your feet and don't get eryn has accumulated 63 caught standing still." ADAM SCHNITZER/Daily Junior midfielder Thomas Paras scared twice in Michigan's lass ts Loyola. junior great t "It's "Oi the o being month to be b Pau Thomas Paras. "It was a firmed that his aim for the urnout tonight. first few years of the program been a little different includes building culture and laying a foundation for the future of the team. That culture incorporates ar goal is to set leadership and success on and off the field. stage for what "It's about trying to be excel- lent in everything we do," Paul ar program is said. Sto"It's about wanting to be a goingt . champion and doing every- thing you can to be a champion. That's what we are trying to build." on the road for over a The Wolverines square off in now, but yeah, it felt good an afternoon matchup with Bel- 'ack out here." larmine on Saturday, March 17 I has continuously reaf- at Michigan Stadium. TANNER LECTURE ON HUMAN VALUES 2011-12 the public and private morality of climate change ProfLJohn Broome White's Professor of Moral Philosophy, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Uniersity of Oxford THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012 - 4PM BALLROOM OF THE MICHIGAN LEAGUE Amok