COLUMBUS, Ohio – Senior Adriana Pendino scored five goals to lead the No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women’s lacrosse team to a key 15-10 victory over rival Ohio State on Thursday night (March 21) at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
The win extended Michigan’s win streak to 13 games overall, its and allowed Michigan to improve to a perfect 11-0 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten Conference play.
The draw control was a key to victory for the Maize and Blue as it dominated Ohio State 19-8 with eight wins from junior Molly Garrett and five from freshman Sydney Whitaker Offensively, Michigan recorded 28 shots, 21 of which were on goal and was 8-for-11 in free position attempts.
Pendino notched her sixth hat trick of the season, while four other Wolverines had multi-goal performances with two goals apiece from Garrett, sophomore Maggie Kane, junior Chandler Kirby, and sophomore Caitlin Muir. Juniors Lilly Grass and Nadine Stewart closed out the scoring for the Wolverines with one goal each.
Senior Mira Shane played the entire game in the cage, making nine saves and adding eight ground balls. Senior Madison Richardson caused three turnovers to lead the backline.
The Wolverines earned the first lead of the game on a Kirby free-position goal 4:54 mark, but Ohio State quickly answered to tie the game at 1 with 20:55 remaining in the first half before scoring three straight goals to take a 4-2 advantage with just under 12 minutes to play in the opening half.
With 9:09 remaining before halftime, Garrett scored her second goal of the game to start a run of five unanswered goals that the Wolverines a 7-4 lead with 5:25 left before the half. Ohio State with three consecutive goals to tie the game at 7 in the closing minutes before Kane buried a free-position attempt with 13 seconds on the clock to give U-M an 8-7 lead heading into the locker room.
Kirby and Garrett each netted two goals in the opening 20 minutes, while Michigan dominated the draw control, 12-4 against the Buckeyes. Michigan also outshot Ohio State, 15-11, putting 12 shots on goal compared to OSU’s nine.
The Buckeyes tied the game for the third time, scoring less than 30 seconds into the second half, but Kane again came up the go-ahead goal when Grass threaded her a pass between defenders and Kane ripped the one-timer into the back of the cage. A free-position goal from Pendino pushed the lead to two for the Maize and Blue before OSU once again clawed back within one, 10-9, with 16 minutes left to play.
Pendino stepped up offensively, scoring three straight goals – the second of which gave her the sixth hat trick of the season — to put Michigan up, 12-9, with 10 minutes remaining. Michigan added another three goals, one each from Stewart, Muir and Pendino, to punctuate its 11th consecutive victory to start the season.
The Wolverines will take a break from conference action on Monday (March 25) when they play host to Niagara at U-M Lacrosse Stadium. First draw is set for 5 p.m.