Lacrosse

Following a trio of grueling Spring Break games, No. 6 Northwestern (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten) will travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Thursday to face the Wolverines (5-5, 0-1) in the Big Ten “Thursday Night Game of the Week.”

After being trounced by Maryland 16-5 last Thursday, the Wildcats hope to secure their first Big Ten win of the season.

Michigan will also enter Thursday night’s game on the heels of a loss, a 13-5 defeat against No. 18 Ohio State.

Last season marked the inaugural season for Michigan women’s lacrosse, and the Cats earned a decisive 20-6 victory against the Wolverines.

For the Cats, freshman midfielder Selena Lasota has proved herself as one of the most impactful players on the field this season and will be instrumental against the Wolverines. Lasota leads NU in goals, points and caused turnovers.

Lasota is fifth in the nation in goals per game. Against No. 1 Maryland she tallied 3 goals and an assist.

Senior Kara Mupo has also been on fire since returning from an injury against Syracuse on March 22, notching 10 goals in three games.

Mupo and Lasota shine during free position shots. Mupo is 6-for-7 this year while Lasota is 7-for-9. As a team, the Cats are shooting 50 percent from the 8-meter, going 19-38. Michigan, however, is 26-for-57 on the season, or about 46 percent.

Michigan goalie Allison Silber has a 38 percent save record so far this season, and if the Cats can continue to draw fouls in the 8-meter, they should be able to capitalize.

NU struggled in the circle against Maryland, nabbing just five draws compared to the Terrapins’ 18. Against Michigan, the Cats will need to box out Anna Schueler, who has a team-high 34 draw controls.

Thursday’s game marks the start of a busy April for the Cats, who will play three home games and four away games to finish out the regular season.

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Twitter: @clairechansen