By Bryant Pugmire

The No. 1 Michigan lacrosse team will place its two-year undefeated record on the line on Saturday at 7 p.m. against No. 5 BYU at North University Field.

The Cougars have a big task at hand, facing the back-to-back Men’s College Lacrosse Association national champions. The Wolverines finished the 2009 season with a 20-0 record, ending with a 12-11 victory in the national championship game against Chapman.

The Wolverines have continued their winning ways in the 2010 campaign with a 3-0 record.

The Wolverines will complete their road trip in Provo on Saturday night. Michigan defeated the University of Arizona 15-5 in Tuscon, Ariz., last Saturday, with its most recent victory coming against No. 4 Arizona State on Wednesday night in Tempe, Ariz.

“Michigan is very well coached and very disciplined,” said BYU coach Matt Schneck. “The most important thing for us this game is to put four solid quarters of lacrosse together. It’s something we haven’t done yet this year, and it will be very important for us Saturday night.”

The Cougars will enter Saturday’s game with a 3-1 record, with key victories coming against No. 20 UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State. The Cougars’ only loss was against No. 2 Chapman in a heartbreaking 12-11 overtime finish.

The Cougars and the Wolverines faced each other in 2009 with the Wolverines winning 14-11 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Schneck said his team is excited for the opportunity to play Michigan, but admits to being the underdogs in the match.

Even with the impressive Wolverine record, BYU players are not intimidated by the opportunity at hand.

“We’re not afraid to play against anyone,” said Jason Arias, a sophomore from Princeton, N.J., who was also named first team all-conference after the 2009 season. “When we play as a team, we know no one in the country can beat us.”

Both Schneck and Arias agreed that one of the strongest characteristics of this year’s team is its coachability.

“We do not have any players with attitude problems,” Schneck said. “All the guys are very respectful and very coachable this year.”

Arias said another key to BYU’s success is playing as a team and not individuals.

“We have so much individual talent this year that at times we rely on that,” Arias said. “We need to realize that the team is the star and not us as individuals.”

Even with the Wolverines coming to Provo, Schneck has not lost his long-term vision or goal for his team this year.

“We’re definitely developing as a team this year,” Schneck said. “But we realize we need to peak at the end of the season during playoffs.”

When asked what a victory would mean to the BYU team, Arias, laughing, replied, “It would mean a big party.”