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Thursday, May 13, 2021
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS

STATE 
COLLEGE, 
Pa. 
— 

There’s an old adage in sports that 
it’s hard to beat a team three times 
in a season.

Heading 
into 
its 
matchup 

against 
undefeated 
Maryland, 

the Michigan men’s lacrosse team 
hoped that that adage would once 
again rear its head. After a historic 
win over Ohio State in the first 
round of the Big Ten Tournament, 
the Wolverines were primed to 
catch the Terrapins — who had not 
played in over a week — dozing.

Against Michigan’s best wishes, 

though, the abilities of Maryland’s 
usual 
suspects 
were 
on 
full 

display on Thursday afternoon. 
On the back of a career-high 
10-point, eight-goal outing from 
attackman Jared Bernhardt, the 
No. 1-ranked Terrapins (11-0 Big 
Ten) ended the Wolverines’ (3-9) 
season in the semifinals of the Big 
Ten Tournament, defeating them, 
16-8.

“I think (our last) game, the 

last game of the year, maybe we 
walked off the field feeling like 
we didn’t play our best game,” 

Maryland coach John Tillman 
said. “Having that week off, I 
thought was really helpful for our 
guys just to kind of step away and 
catch their breath. … They were 
really excited (today).”

The Wolverines’ offense began 

the contest with the same tenacity 
and confidence that propelled it to 
victory against the Buckeyes.

Three minutes in, Michigan 

sophomore 
attackman 
Josh 

Zawada opened the scoring when 
he dodged from behind the crease 
and snuck a goal past Terrapins’ 
goalkeeper Logan McNaney. Just 
minutes later, graduate transfer 
midfielder Tyler Papa dodged 
hard down the right alley and fired 
a low-angle shot to the top left 
corner, extending the Wolverines 
lead to two.

Meanwhile, 
Maryland 
was 

kept silent for the first half of the 
opening quarter: partly due to 
a string of saves from Michigan 
junior goalkeeper John Kiracofe, 
partly due to the fact that a trio of 
its shots ricocheted off the post.

The Wolverines’ composure, 

and the Terrapins’ dormancy, 
would only last for so long, though.

As a 16-minute scoring drought 

ensued for Michigan, largely a 

consequence of several errant 
passes 
on 
offense, 
Maryland 

began to capitalize off its own 
possessions. Using speed to their 
advantage, the Terrapins picked 
apart a disjointed Wolverines’ 

defense and rattled off six-straight 
goals — four of which came from 
Bernhardt.

“The 
ball 
just 
zips, 
and 

(Bernhardt) is just too dynamic,” 
Michigan coach Kevin Conry said. 

“We just didn’t have the guy to 
really keep up with them. … He’s 
just special. He’s the best player in 
the country.”

Michigan falls in overtime to North Carolina in National Championship

The 2nd-ranked Michigan field 

hockey team knew it had its work 
cut out for itself in the National 
Championship game. 

The Wolverines (15-2 overall, 

6-0 Big Ten) faced off against the 
top-ranked University of North 
Carolina (19-1, 9-1 ACC), one of the 
best teams in the history of NCAA 
field hockey. The Tar Heels were 
chasing their third consecutive 
national 
championship 
and 

secured it after beating Michigan 
in overtime, 4-3. 

Carolina 
has 
maintained 
a 

37-0 record at home — where the 
championship game was played — 
since 2018, and has only lost one 
game in the past three years. 

Regardless, the Wolverines left 

their hearts out on the field and did 
what they’ve done well all season 
long: persevere. 

Unlike the Tar Heels in the 

ACC, Michigan didn’t play a fall 
season, and were forced to play 

in the spring due to the COVID-
19 pandemic. The Wolverines’ 
didn’t let that get the best of them, 
going on to earn an undefeated 
conference record and winning the 
Big Ten Tournament. One of the 
most impressive parts of the team 
was the season-long performance 
of junior goalkeeper Anna Spieker, 
who allowed only seven goals 
all season until the national 
championship game.

Michigan 
is 
considered 
a 

blue-chip field hockey program, 
qualifying 
for 
the 
NCAA 

tournament eight times since 2010 
under the leadership of coach 
Marcia Pankratz, but the team 
hadn’t made it to the championship 
game since 2001.

“I just couldn’t be more proud 

of how hard (the team) worked all 
season,” Pankratz said after the 
overtime loss. “(They) learned a 
lot and grew and came together as 
a team and respected each other.”

The Wolverines drew first blood 

in the first period as redshirt junior 
forward Kate Burney was able to 
score off the foot of an opposing 

player. Carolina was quick to 
follow-up, scoring 33 seconds later. 

The Tar Heels scored again in 

the second period off of a corner 

and built up a 3-1 lead in third. 
Where other teams would have 
staggered, Michigan rose up to the 
challenge. The team dug their heels 
in and engineered a comeback 
against the defending champs. 

After trimming the deficit to 

one, sophomore forward Sarah 
Pyrtek reacted to a wild ball off of 
a Carolina stick and scored, tying 

the game at three and forcing 
overtime. 

“They’re 
opportunistic. 
We 

knew it was going to be a hard-
fought battle,” Carolina coach 
Karen Shelton said. “Credit to 

them for not folding when they got 
down two goals. They almost got 
better (the more they trailed).” 

The Wolverines had a strong 

opportunity to end the game in 
overtime but missed the game-
ending goal by a few feet. In 
response to the threat, the Tar 
Heels pushed back immediately 
and were able to draw a penalty 
corner. Carolina controlled the 
ball and fired a backhanded shot 
that found its way to the back 
of the goal — ending Michigan’s 
championship hopes in devastating 
fashion. 

Still, the future is bright for 

the Wolverines. When a normal 
fall season gets underway in a 
few months, Michigan expects to 
be right back to competing for a 
national championship. 

“We didn’t give up and we kept 

fighting. And I mean, what more 
can you ask for?” senior fullback 
Halle O’Neill said. “We are such a 
young team. And thankfully, we get 
to get back at it in three months.” 

 MAX WADLEY
Daily Sports Writer

Michigan falls to Maryland in Big Ten Tournament semis, 16-8

DREW COX

Daily Sports Writer

BECCA MAHON/Daily

Despite a solid start, Michigan fell to No. 1 Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament.

BECCA MAHON/Daily

Michigan forced overtime in the National Championship against North Carolina, but 
ultimately fell short.

Read more at michigandaily.com

Read more at michigandaily.com

