The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/480355
long-running national powers in men's lacrosse, with a combined 11 national titles in the 43 years of an NCAA-sanc- tioned tournament. Along with Ohio State and Penn State programs that have each made the NCAA Tourna- ment (which recently expanded from 16 to 18 teams, to go along with the sport's expansion from 63 to 69 varsity squads in the past half-decade alone) once in the three years since the Wol- verines added a program, Michigan faces a tough challenge being competi- tive within its own league, much less on the national stage. "I think the challenges are that we're competing against programs that have already been through a lot of the stuff that we're going through now," Paul said. "A program like Hopkins and Maryland, they're expecting to be in a Final Four every year, it's just what that program's expectation is. They're not hoping to be, it's what they expect to be. Whatever there is in differences in talent, coaching, facilities and ev- erything else, it's still that attitude that we have to grow up into that we don't have yet. "Even the others, Penn State, Ohio State, and Rutgers, who I think are still developing that level of expectation in their programs, they've been around forever. Rutgers is over 100 years old in lacrosse, and Penn State is over 80. They've been doing it for so long that it's part of their athletics culture there, they have this history of success in the past that they can look back at. I think that's one of the challenges for us, is developing that level of confidence that comes with that history. That's one of the things that's special about the Big Ten, no question." There's still little question that the Wolverines are on the right track to reaching their goals. The increasing re- turns on the field are evidence that the program is making steady growth. The Maize and Blue finished 2014 as the No. 49 team in the nation, according to the statistics at TempoFreeLax.com, and are currently on pace to be the No. 19 team this season. The rewards on the recruiting trail should see that trend continue, or even happen at an increased rate. Michigan's 2014 class featured tal- ented goalie Tomy Heidt, the nation's No. 17 overall prospect according to Inside Lacrosse, out of the Brunswick (Conn.) School, and defenseman Hugh Mosko, No. 99 overall, out of powerhouse Boys' Latin in Baltimore, but future groups have the potential to be even more highly touted. Inside Lacrosse ranks two class of 2016 Wol- verines in the top 40 of the nation — Cherry Creek (Colo.) attackman Henry Adams at No. 32 and midfielder Chris- tian Ford, the grandson of former U-M football standout and U.S. President Gerald R. Ford, out of La Jolla (Calif.) Bishop's School at No. 31. The future is bright in Oosterbaan Fieldhouse and Michigan Stadium — and soon a dedicated facility for the men's and women's lacrosse pro- grams. For those who have been there since the beginning, it's an exciting prospect. The players from Teams One through Four see the sustained suc- cess of the program outweighing the bittersweet aspects of missing out on the best times. "Obviously everybody wants to