The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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didn't make that our goal. Our goal is to set the stage for what our pro- gram is going to be." Winning is, of course, a goal for the team — it's just not the primary goal. This Michigan team has to look at other indicators of success, because the final record is not going to be pretty. That's a serious change for the upperclassmen that have spent the last several seasons winning nearly every time they set foot on the field. "It's a little tough, because for the past three years our expectation was to win championships," senior mid- fielder Alex Vasileff said. "Now, our expectation and our goal is to build a program. We know it's the first year of Michigan as a program." Focusing on Michigan as a work- in-progress rather than a fin- ished product has allowed the team to keep their heads up despite tough results on the field. Building is an impor- tant theme for this squad, and although they are unlikely to accomplish much on the field in terms of victories, they're hoping to set the table for a team that will do plenty of winning in the future. Establishing a culture is a more nebulous goal, and one that's tougher to evaluate in tangible terms. It will be sev- eral years before this team will know if they successfully laid the groundwork for a strong program. For now, Michigan's expe- start. Louisville (Ky.) Trinity fa- ceoff specialist Brad Lott is ranked as the No. 15 player in the country by ESPN Rise, and the same outlet considers Carlsbad (Calif.) La Costa Canyon attacker Brendan Gaughan the No. 27 rising senior. However, one year of recruiting is not enough to completely overhaul the team's roster, and it will take several classes for Michigan to build up the base of talent that is eventually expected in the program. Michigan athletics director David common for lacrosse players to make college commitments as sophomores — it will take a few years of top-level recruiting to turn Michigan into a top-level program. The 2012 signing class is a good tant factor in measuring the success of all sports at the university. How- ever, he's more than willing to be patient with the men's lacrosse team. They started from a disadvantaged position in the team's first year, and he came to an agreement with Paul that the building process is more im- portant than seeing quick results. "We've promised one another from day one that the benchmark of success in the early stages of the program is to establish a platform and build it to last," Brandon said. "We aren't going to get hung up on wins and losses early on, because we know we're not competitive. But we want to put ourselves in a position where after two or three recruiting classes, and the experience that we're gaining from playing against terrific programs, we'll be there. We know we're gonna be there." In addition to his patience, Brandon is also ready to do his part to give Michigan's program the support it needs on its quest to become one of the country's best. If metaphorical building is the team's overall focus in their first year as a program, con- struction in a literal sense is right around the corner. "We need a facility, and we rienced players are putting in the effort on and off the field to set an example for the future. "We're progressing each Junior midfielder/attackman Thomas Paras and the Wolverines started thier first varsity season 1-6, with the lone victory coming in a 14-4 win over Mercer on March 4. PHOTO BY CLARK BELL/UM PHOTO SERVICES day, we're working hard each day, and I think that's the one thing we can focus on," junior midfielder/at- tackman Thomas Paras said. "If we get better each practice, start striving more and more each day to reach that elite Division I culture, that's really all we can focus on each day." Building the talent to compete in Division I will take time. Michigan's 18-man freshman class comprises nearly half of the team's total ros- ter (42 percent), but only a couple of those players committed to Michi- gan knowing that they would play NCAA ball as freshmen. With an ac- celerated recruiting schedule — it's Brandon knows that the recruiting surge will take time, and is willing to be patient with the process. "We have to fill the pipeline with the kind of recruits that can compete at this level," Brandon said. "This isn't a professional league where you go out and buy players. The way that commitments are made, often times you're recruiting juniors and sophomores. So once you announce, it really takes a couple of years of recruits to really get your roster bal- ance with the talent we need to re- ally be competitive." Brandon has consistently empha- sized that winning is a very impor- the Wolverines are suiting up on Me- morial Day weekend in the NCAA Final Four, the foundation that is be- ing built today will finally pay off. Everyone who is part of this year's team will know that they played a part. "It will be a little bittersweet," One day in the distant future when Vasileff said. "It's always part of it, but anyone who comes through Michigan knows how special it is. The history here is phenomenal, and eventually we're going to have great recruits, we're going to be in Final Fours, and we're going to be able to look back and say: 'We built that.'" ❑ APRIL 2012 THE WOLVERINE 91 need a home for men's and women's lacrosse," Brandon said. "We're working hard, we're in design phase right now and we're already in the fundraising mode. We know that we need to make a financial commitment to facilities, and the programs need a home."