Defense, Smith Lead Michigan Over Penn

Michigan’s vaunted defense once again answered the bell and Jill Smith scored the game-winner with 18 seconds remaining as the Wolverines won a Top 10 matchup of undefeated teams at Penn on Saturday.

The third-ranked Wolverines entered the game with the nation’s No. 1 defense, allowing just 5.2 goals per game. Right behind them was Penn, allowing just 6.7 goals per game, so a defensive struggle at historic Franklin Field was no surprise.

The Wolverines (10-0) never trailed in the game, but it was tied four separate times, the last with 5:44 to play when Penn’s Anna Brandt tied the score 5-5.

Penn had two chances to take the lead, but Michigan goalie Erin O’Grady made her 12th save with 4:36 left and Penn’s Niki Miles hit the post with just under a minute to play. That gave Michigan one more chance in regulation and Smith made a cut, took the feed from Ava Class and scored the go-ahead goal with 18 second left.

Brandt secured the ensuing draw for Penn, but her final shot went wide and the Wolverines remained unbeaten.

Smith had a pair of goals for Michigan and Class and Kaylee Dyer each had a goal and an assist. Brandt led No. 10 Penn (6-1) with three goals and Miles scored twice.

Penn doubled up Michigan on shots, 28-14, but O’Grady’s 12 saves proved to be a big factor.

Notre Dame Upsets No. 2 Boston College

A season of big wins for Notre Dame added another chapter with a 15-14 victory at No. 2 Boston College on Saturday. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Eagles – including three losses last season – and was Notre Dame’s first win in Chestnut Hill since 2003.

Notre Dame goalie Lilly Callahan kept the game tied 14-14 on a save with a free position shot with about a minute to play and then Mary Kelly Doherty scored the game-winning goal with 15 seconds left.

THE IRISH DOWN THE EAGLES 🦅

No. 8 @NDWomensLax defeats No. 2 Boston College, 15-14, in a thriller! #NCAAWLAX x 🎥 ACCN / @NDWomensLax pic.twitter.com/mwjU6hU6gj

— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) March 16, 2024

Doherty had four goals for the Irish and added six draw controls, including a clutch one after her go-ahead goal that helped seal the victory. Abby Maichin also scored four for Notre Dame and Jackie Wolak had three goals and two assists.

Rachel Clark led Boston College (8-2) with six goals and Mckenna Davis had five assists.

Notre Dame (7-2) has now knocked off Northwestern, North Carolina and Boston College – the three most recent NCAA champions – this season.

Syracuse Routs North Carolina in ACC

No. 14 Syracuse stayed perfect in the ACC with a dominating 20-5 victory over No. 8 North Carolina before a single-game record crowd of 2,982 in the JMA Wireless Dome.

The Orange, who have three nonconference losses, are taking care of business within the league as they improved to 4-0 in ACC play. Emma Tyrrell paced the Syracuse offense with an eight-point day on five goals and three assists. Natalie Smith added four goals and Olivia Adamson had a hat trick. Syracuse had 12 assists and saw Emma Ward (2g, 3a) and Payton Rawley (1g, 3a) help the offense go.

Elsewhere in the USA Lacrosse Top 20

Izzy Scane had seven goals, including a hat trick in the first five minutes of the game as No. 1 Northwestern beat No. 11 Johns Hopkins, 14-9. The Wildcats scored the first six goals of the game before the Blue Jays pulled to within 8-5 at the half. Northwestern reasserted itself by scoring the first four goals of the second half, two of them by Scane.

Scane’s seven goals came on just nine shots and the Wildcats also got four goals and three assists from Madison Taylor. Ava Angello had a hat trick for Johns Hopkins.

Kate Carnavale scored six goals as No. 4 Virginia won its fifth straight game, beating Pittsburgh 19-10. The Cavaliers (8-1, 3-1 ACC) are just an overtime loss to North Carolina away from a perfect start in Sonia LaMonica’s first season as head coach. The Cavaliers host state rival James Madison in a big match on Wednesday.

No. 5 Maryland scored the first five goals of the fourth quarter to break open a one-goal game and beat Ohio State 12-6. Eloise Clevenger dished out five assists and Kori Edmondson and Hannah Leubecker each had hat tricks for the Terps.

No. 6 James Madison bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 19-3 win over East Carolina. Isabella Peterson had five goals for the Dukes (7-1) limited ECU to just seven shots in the game.

Despite leading by as many as seven goals, No. 8 Loyola had to hold off a late comeback from Army to remain undefeated with a 14-13 win. The Greyounds led 10-3 late in the second quarter, but Army tied it 12-12 on Brigid Duffy’s goal with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

Loyola’s Anna Ruby scored with 1:30 left in the third quarter to restore the Greyhounds advantage and Chase Boyle’s fifth goal of the game to open the fourth quarter gave Loyola a 14-12 lead. Army’s Lily Valentine scored with 6:22 remaining to get the Black Knights within one, but Army managed just two shots in the final six minutes – a free position shot that went high and another that was saved by Loyola goalie Lauren Spence.

Boyle had seven points (5g, 2a) for Loyola (7-1, 1-0 Patriot League) and Sydni Black had a hat trick. Allison Reilly led Army with five goals and Duffy had a hat trick.

No. 12 Stony Brook scored the final three goals of the game to snap a two-game losing streak and edge Towson 11-8. Kailyn Hart’s goal with 9:15 left gave the Seawolves the lead for good and Ellie Masera and Clare Levy scored goals in the final 70 seconds. Masera led Stony Brook with four goals and Towson’s Lindsey Marshall scored three goals, the last of which tied the game early in the fourth quarter.

Danielle Pavinelli had four goals and two assists as No. 13 Florida beat Mercer 20-7. It was the seventh consecutive victory this year for the Gators.

Ella Heaney had six goals and Shelby Tilton scored five as No. 16 USC notched a season-high 21 goals in a 21-13 win over UC Davis.

Four players recorded hat tricks – Kari Buonanno, Haven Dora, Jami McDonald and Nina Montes – as No. 18 Princeton beat Jacksonville 16-11.

No. 20 Fairfield won its sixth straight game, beating crosstown rival Sacred Heart 15-5 behind four goals from Amanda Kozak and three goals and two assists by Elizabeth Talluto.