Lacrosse

Northwestern lacrosse (9-0) will postpone its April 8 game against Michigan (3-4) due to COVID-19-related issues within the Wolverines’ program. 

Northwestern Athletics and Michigan Athletics announced the decision Saturday, five days before the Wildcats were supposed to compete in Ann Arbor. There is no set date for the make-up game, but the teams intend to play at U-M Lacrosse Stadium in Ann Arbor. 

This is the second time NU has postponed a game this season because of the pandemic. In early March, a double-header against Penn State was pushed back due to COVID-19 issues within the Penn State program. 

Michigan has postponed five games in a row, of which four are  against Johns Hopkins. The No. 11 Wolverines have not competed in two weeks because of COVID-19. Michigan last played Penn State, losing to the Nittany Lions 13-12 in overtime, on March 21. 

Despite scheduling setbacks, the Wolverines have been ranked in the top 15 for the past two weeks, coming in at 12 in the March 22 IWLCA Division I Coaches Poll and 11 in the March 29 poll. Michigan has played against four teams this season, three of which were ranked. All three of their wins have come against ranked teams.

No. 3 NU is off to a strong start, going 9-0 for the first time since 2012 and clinching a share of the Big Ten regular season title for the first time in program history. The Cats are led by junior attacker Izzy Scane, who is currently first in the NCAA in goals per game, and senior attacker Lauren Gilbert, who is just behind her teammate at third in goals per game nationally.

During its last matchup against the Wolverines in 2019, NU won 19-9 at Homewood Field in Baltimore. The Cats have played the Wolverines nine times in team history and have never dropped a game.

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— Lacrosse: No. 3 Northwestern sweeps No.7 Penn State in weekend double-header