USC's sixth-ranked women's lacrosse team is having an exceptional season, boasting a 14-3 record, the No. 1 scoring defense and the No. 10 scoring offense in the nation. Senior captain Michaela Michael, recently named the MPSF Player of the Year, has played a starring role in the team's success.
She leads the nation with 63 goals this season, and is showing no signs of slowing down heading into the MPSF Women's Lacrosse Tournament this week at USC's McAlister Field.
"I want to finish my senior season with an MPSF championship, and going to the Final Four would be awesome," Michael said. "That's kind of what we worked four years for, and once you get there, anything can happen in the Final Four."
Michael's elite skill set came to fruition at Menlo High School in San Mateo, CA, where she was named a First Team All-American twice. Originally, however, Michael thought lacrosse was played with the ball on the ground.Â
"I picked up a stick [for the first time] in fourth grade, so I was like nine, and I honestly thought it was like field hockey where you threw the ball on the ground," Michael said. "At my first practice I picked up a stick and they told me you play with it kind of upright, and I was really confused."Â
Michael said the learning curve was a challenge for her, but that she always loved how fast the game was. Michael picked it up quickly enough to earn a college scholarship and start all 18 games her freshman year at Troy. After putting herself on the map as a freshman, she enjoyed a breakout season as a sophomore, becoming USC's first-ever IWLCA All-American (third team) while also being named the MPSF Player of the Year.
"I guess my sophomore year is when everything kind of blew up a little bit more," Michael said. "The first game I got face-guarded by the other team I was like, 'Okay this is kinda different.' It kind of came really fast though, I wasn't really ready for it."
Despite more and more teams game-planning for Michael's offensive firepower, she continued to amaze her junior and senior seasons. She was named an All-American again her junior year and entered her final season as a preseason All-American and a Tewaaraton Award candidate.
"I guess my sophomore year is when everything kind of blew up a little bit more," Michael said. "The first game I got face-guarded by the other team I was like, 'Okay this is kinda different.' It kind of came really fast though, I wasn't really ready for it."
Despite more and more teams game-planning for Michael's offensive firepower, she continued to amaze her junior and senior seasons. She was named an All-American again her junior year and entered her final season as a preseason All-American and a Tewaaraton Award candidate.
Throughout the years, she's inscribed her name all over the Trojan record books. Michael is USC's all-time leader in goals, total points, free position goals, game-winning goals and draw controls. She holds USC's top three single-season scoring marks as well, and needs just six goals this postseason to top her record of 68 from last year. Michael doesn't check up on her stats, though.
"I actually never have any idea when I'm getting near a new [record]," Michael said. "But it's cool that when I leave I'll be able to say I was one of the first record holders, but I never know when I'm close or anything."Â
Head coach Lindsey Munday, who was hired in 2011 to lead USC's first women's lacrosse team, knew she could have a successful program if Michael became a Trojan, and has seen her development ever since firsthand.Â
"She didn't just stick to what she's good at, she really grew her game and continued to get better," Munday said. "That's something that's really really special about her. She was never satisfied with where she's at, she always wants to get better and improve and to just push her game to the next level." Â
That wasn't always easy for Michael as she lives in California where lacrosse is much less of a focus than it is on the East Coast, which meant constantly searching for new clinics and coaches to improve her game.Â
"I really thought I would have to end up going to the East Coast to play," Michael said, "but as soon as I visited USC and met Lindsey, I knew right away it was something that I really wanted to do."
The Trojans have a first round bye in the MPSF Tournament, which Michael hopes to win on the way to the NCAA Final Four. They will play on Saturday afternoon at McAlister Field and then again on Sunday if they advance to the championship match.
"At this point now it's about her wanting to take this team further than we've ever gone," Munday said. "It's never really been about her. Her focus has always been the team and trying to do whatever she can to push this team to be its best, and that's something that has always been very important to her, that it's all about the team, which is awesome."
