When No. 2 Maryland hosts No. 7 Michigan on Saturday it will juxtapose tradition and success in one of the Big Ten’s premier games of the season.
On one side, Maryland (13-0, 3-0 Big Ten) is led by Cathy Reese who became the program’s all-time leader in wins Wednesday night at Virginia. She’s 261-21 overall, has four national titles and led her team to the national semifinals 10 times.
Her counterpart is Hannah Nielsen, who in less than two years’ time has turned Michigan (13-0, 3-0 Big Ten) from perennial afterthought into a title contender. Nielsen is 20-10 in Ann Arbor having already twice reset the program record for season wins.
Saturday evening will be the fifth meeting between the two programs who have never been closer. For the first time in the series, Michigan is expected to compete. And for the first time, the players believe it.
“I think even last year, and in years in past, we would go into the game assuming the worst, that Maryland is better and assuming the loss,” Nielsen admitted. “Even last year, we played well, but [the players] never thought were going to win. This year is different. We trust our ability and have confidence. We’re not nervous and not scared and we expect to go into College Park and give them a good run.”
Reese has taken notice of Michigan’s rapid ascension under Nielsen’s leadership and reminisced of her playing days.
NO. 7 MICHIGAN AT NO. 2 MARYLAND
WHEN: Saturday, April 6, 5 p.m.
WATCH: Big Ten Network
“Huge credit to her and what she’s done over the last couple years,” Reese said. “She’s getting the job done. I remember trying to recruit her as a player, and it’s cool to see her have that success, and now in the Big Ten to have another great Big Ten program be undefeated in the nation.”
Michigan’s rise has led to reevaluation as a program because all the goals have already been achieved. No longer are the goals merely to have a winning record and grab a berth in the Big Ten tournament, the Wolverines are all but certain to crash the NCAA tournament for the first time come May. All that comes back to the mentality of winning instilled earlier in the season, especially in tight games against Dartmouth, Denver and Towson.
“We’re definitely playing better,” Nielsen said. “Every game we play, nothing is ever perfect. Some of those close calls, we could have won by a few more, but since then [the players] have buckled down and learned to play to win rather than play to not lose.”
The Terrapins are rolling along as they tend to do in April. Michigan represents their seventh top-10 foe of the season and the team’s fifth in a 28-day stretch, which is exhausting by anyone’s count. Keeping the energy on the Terrapins’ own ability is Reese’s objective.
“It’s not about Michigan-Maryland being undefeated,” said Reese. “It’s about being better than we were the week before and really focus for Maryland to be the best team that we can be.”
That team has a stable of seniors who have gone an astounding 78-3. The 10 seniors will be celebrated on the back half of a doubleheader with the men’s game vs. Michigan, which heightens the excitement for this top-10 clash.
“I love them, this group of seniors, they’re just awesome people,” Reese added. “They have each brought a different personality to this program and so much more to this team. This senior class is sitting on three losses, to have only three losses and just be midway through their senior year you forget to celebrate those accomplishments. They’ve have so much success and are loving life, but there’s so much lacrosse left to play.”
Other games highlighting the weekend include:
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No. 14 Duke at No. 1 Boston College
Saturday, 12 p.m., ACC Network Extra
Two of the nation’s top draw teams in the country face off in another talent-laden ACC contest as 14th-ranked Duke (8-4, 2-2 ACC) will try to knock off top-ranked Boston College. The Eagles just dusted No. 4 Notre Dame, 13-9, on Wednesday to run their record to 13-0 overall and 4-0 in the ACC. Duke will be the second straight top-ranked draw team to face Boston College. The Blue Devils win 67.5 percent of the draws it takes, while Boston College is second (66.8). BC has shown it’s up for the tough task in the center circle by taking 16-of-24 draws against Notre Dame, who was first entering that contest. Boston College hasn’t defeated Duke in Newton since 2013. The Eagles will be hosting the annual Red Bandana Game in honor of Welles Crowther, a BC lacrosse player who lost his life saving others in the 9/11 attacks.
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No. 13 Navy at No. 10 Loyola
Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, Patriot League Network
The premier matchup in the Patriot League is sure to live up to its billing once again. These teams have traded blows over the past two seasons with Loyola getting the upper hand in the regular season (2-0), but Navy getting the wins in the postseason (3-0) all at Ridley Athletic Complex. Both teams are on five-game winning streaks: The Mids haven’t lost since March 6 against BC and the ‘Hounds last lost March 13 at Virginia. How Navy shoots may tell the tale of the tape. In their two losses, the Midshipmen shot 32.6 percent, while in their wins they’re connecting at 48.1 percent. One thing Loyola will try to focus on is keeping care of the ball. The Greyhounds have committed at least 15 turnovers in each of their three losses. The winner of this game will be in the driver’s seat to host the Patriot League tournament.
MORE GAMES ON OUR RADAR
All times are listed in ET. For a full list of broadcast games, please visit our US Lacrosse TV listing page.
FRIDAY, APRIL 5
6 p.m.
No. 11 James Madison at Delaware (YouTube)
Colorado at No. 12 USC (Pac-12 Networks)
10 p.m.
Arizona State at Stanford (Pac-12 Networks)
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
10 a.m.
No. 6 Northwestern at No. 15 Johns Hopkins (ESPNU)
11 a.m.
No. 19 Stony Brook at Vermont (AmericaEast.tv)
12 p.m.
No. 18 Denver at Georgetown (Big East Digital Network)
No. 9 Penn at Brown (ESPN+)
No. 5 North Carolina at Louisville (ACC Network Extra)
1 p.m.
Vanderbilt at No. 17 Florida (YouTube)
No. 16 Princeton at No. 20 Dartmouth (ESPN+)
SUNDAY, APRIL 7
12 p.m.
Towson at No. 11 James Madison (MadiZone)
Virginia Tech at No. 4 Notre Dame (ACC Network Extra)
1 p.m.
No. 8 Virginia at Penn State (BTN Plus)
4 p.m.
Oregon at No. 12 USC (Pac-12 Networks)