Wolverines Rout No. 7 Louisville on the Road

Sunday, October 22

Louisville, Ky.

Noon

Michigan

(15-2)

Louisville

(11-6)

Michigan

Louisville

10/22/2017 3:30:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: le

Site: Louisville, Ky. (Trager Stadium)
Score: No. 4 Michigan 6, No. 7 Louisville 2
Records: U-M (15-2), UL (11-6)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Oct. 24 -- at Central Michigan (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), 4 p.m.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team scored early and often en route to a 6-2 rout against No. 7 Louisville on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 22) at the Cardinals' Trager Stadium. It was the second top-10 win this weekend for the Wolverines, who extended their winning streak to 12 games.

Penalty corners led to half of the Wolverines' goals in the contest, including their first tally -- on their first corner opportunity -- just 2:29 into the opening half. A direct shot by senior Katie Trombetta was blocked at the top of the circle, but she recovered and fed a pass through traffic to the right post, where freshman Halle O'Neill tipped it in for her third goal of the season.

» Michigan earned its 12th straight win in decisive fashion, cruising to a 6-2 victory at No. 7 Louisville.
» Carly Bennett posted two goals and two assists, while Katie Trombetta notched a pair of helpers.
» Sam Swenson registered four saves in the Wolverine cage.

Michigan struck again just six minutes later, at 8:43, out of a scrum in front of the Cardinal cage. Louisville goalkeeper Ayeisha Mcferran kicked it away a shot from the right side but right to graduate student Carly Bennett, who batted it back toward the goal. With McFerran out of position, junior Emma Way finished the play, corralling the ball and knocking it into the open cage for her 10th of the season.

Louisville got on the board with a penalty-corner goal at the 19:55 mark, but Michigan responded with a goal stemming from its next corner chance. Trombetta's initial shot was saved by McFerran, while freshman Kayla Reed pushed a rebound shot into a Louisville player on the goal line to draw a penalty stroke. Reed converted the stroke at 28:28, improving to 2-for-2 on attempts and collecting her fifth goal of the season.

Bennett contributed to all three U-M goals in the second half to end a career-best day with two goals and two assists. She drew and then finished on another penalty-corner chance at the 40:50 mark -- just six minutes into the half -- when she tipped Trombetta's corner sweep high into the cage. Bennett added her second marker at 53:13, driving the circle to put a shot into McFerran's pads then lifting over the sprawled goalkeeper on the second effort. It was Bennett's third career multi-goal game; she has eight tallies on the season.

Sophomore Meg Dowthwaite closed out the contest with her Big Ten-best 16th goal of the season at the 63:18 mark after another flurry in front of the Cardinal cage. Bennett batted a high crossing pass out of the air and right at McFerran, who got her blocker on it but redirected it right to Dowthwaite, who helped it into the open goal.

Michigan outshot the Cardinals, 14-10, but was narrowly outcornered, 7-5. Senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned four saves in the Wolverine cage, while McFerran stopped five of 11 U-M shots on goals.

The Wolverines (15-2) will close out the regular season on Tuesday (Oct. 24), traveling to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, for a 4 p.m. slate against in-state foe Central Michigan at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.

Tweet of the Game

GOAL MICHIGAN! 2:29. Wolverines strike on their first corner opportunity. O'Neill mops up the rebound from the right post. Her 3rd. 1-0 U-M pic.twitter.com/NWYYFLOd90
— Michigan FieldHockey (@umichfldhockey) October 22, 2017