Michigan Defeats No. 22 Iowa to Clinch Share of Big Ten Title

Sunday, October 15

Iowa City, Iowa

Noon CT

Michigan

(13-2 (7-0))

Iowa

(5-10 (1-5))

Michigan

IOWA

Michigan Defeats No. 22 Iowa to Clinch Share of Big Ten Title

10/15/2017 4:06:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan defeated No. 22 Iowa, 3-2, on the road to clinch at least a share of the 2017 Big Ten regular-season title.
» Esther de Leijer, Emma Way and Meg Dowthwaite all scored within a narrow nine-minute stretch late in the first half; Dowthwaite's goal was her league-best 15th of the season.
» The Big Ten regular-season title was Michigan's ninth in program history and first since 2011.

Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Grant Field)
Score: No. 3 Michigan 3, Iowa 2
Records: U-M (13-2, 7-0 Big Ten), UI (5-10, 1-5 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 20 -- vs. Northwestern (Phyllis Ocker Field), 4 p.m.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team clinched at least a share of the 2017 Big Ten Conference regular-season title with its 3-2 decision against No. 22 Iowa on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 15) at the Hawkeyes' Grant Field. The win was the Wolverines' 10th in a row and improved their conference record to a perfect 7-0.

Michigan's regular-season crown is the ninth in program history -- coming 20 years after its first -- and its first since 2011. U-M previously captured Big Ten titles in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2011. The Wolverines have will have a chance to win outright when they close out the conference schedule against Northwestern at 4 p.m. next Friday (Oct. 20) at Phyllis Ocker Field.

"I'm incredibly proud of this team," said head coach Marcia Pankratz. "It has been a hard-fought Big Ten season, week in and week out. This team works so hard, they play together with one heartbeat, and we have amazing leadership from our senior class all the way down to the freshmen. So, I'm just so happy for them and so proud. There's nothing better than looking into their eyes now as Big Ten champions."

After no shots or penalty-corner opportunities for either team through the opening 24 minutes of play, the Wolverines broke through with three goals over a nine-minute stretch late in the first half.

Graduate student Esther de Leijer scored the game's first goal on the game's first shot at the 24:54 mark. Freshman Kayla Reed worked the ball into the Iowa circle to initiate the opportunity. Iowa attempted to clear it when it got away from Reed but put it directly on the stick of de Leijer, who wound up and hammered a shot from the top of the circle. The ball moved through traffic in front and found the right side of the cage for her third goal of the season.

Michigan netted another just 1:16 later, at 26:10, on a redirection in front from sophomore Emma Way -- her ninth goal of the season. Reed again set up the opportunity, dribbling the ball into the Iowa circle from the right side before dishing a centering pass to sophomore Fay Keijer, who swept it toward the cage. Way, standing unguarded in front of Iowa goalkeeper Katie Jones, finished the play with a redirection to the lower left corner.

Sophomore Meg Dowthwaite made it a three-goal game in the closing minutes of the half, at 33:30, with her league-best 15th marker of the season. She emerged out of a scrum near the stroke mark, dribbled left to create space and sent a reverse chip off a defender's stick to the lower right corner of the cage.

Iowa narrowed the score with a pair of goals early and late in the second half, scoring on a shovel shot in the center the circle at the 42:29 mark and pulling within one with a corner goal at 63:17 -- one of five penalty corners allowed by Michigan over the frame.

The Hawkeyes had a chance to tie the game with another penalty corner with less than three minutes remaining, but the shot missed wide. Michigan played the final 1:12 down a player after a late yellow card to Dowthwaite, but held on, aided largely by sophomore Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort's ability to work off much of the clock on the left sideline.

Michigan outshot the Hawekeyes, 11-7, but was outcornered, 5-3, with all corner chances coming in the second half. Senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned two saves in the Wolverine cage, while Iowa's Jones stopped five on eight U-M shots on goal.

Michigan (13-2, 7-0 Big Ten) will play three games over a six-day stretch to close out the regular season. After the home finale against Northwestern, the Wolverines will travel to Louisville, Kentucky, to face Louisville at noon on Sunday (Oct. 22) before wrapping up with an in-state matchup against Central Michigan at 4 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 24), in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

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