Michigan Knocks Off No. 3 Penn State for Fourth Straight Shutout

Sunday, September 24

State College, Pa.

Noon

Michigan

(7-2, 3-0B1G)

Penn State

(8-2, 2-1B1G)

Michigan

Penn State

Esther de Leijer

Michigan Knocks Off No. 3 Penn State for Fourth Straight Shutout

9/24/2017 3:56:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan's 3-0 road win at No. 3 Penn State marks U-M's fourth straight shutout win and third in Big Ten play this season.
» Meg Dowthwaite, Carly Bennett and Esther de Leijer all recorded goals; Bennett and de Leijer also tallied assists.
» Goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned seven saves and de Leijer posted two defensive saves in the shutout win.

Site: State College, Pa. (PSU Field Hockey Complex)
Score: #9 Michigan 3, #3 Penn State 0
Records: U-M (7-2, 3-0 Big Ten), PSU (8-2, 2-1 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 29 -- vs. Maryland (Phyllis Ocker Field), 6 p.m.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team earned its fourth straight shutout victory in decisive fashion, knocking off No. 3 Penn State, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 24) in front of 782 fans at the PSU Field Hockey Complex. The Wolverines improved to 3-0 in Big Ten Conference play and claimed their fourth win over a ranked opponent this season.

Michigan took advantage of a blocked Nittany Lion penalty corner -- and a couple of spectacular passes up the field -- to swing momentum and break through midway through the first half. Graduate student Esther de Leijer blocked the PSU corner shot in the middle of the U-M circle and immediately fed the ball to the midfield. Sophomore Meg Dowthwaite passed it off to sophomore Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort at the 50-yard line, and Fernandez Lacort in turn sent a long transfer pass to freshman Kayla Reed all alone on the PSU 25 on the left side of the field. Reed carried the ball into the circle and near the baseline before diving to send a pass by the Nittany Lion defender and to the middle of the circle, where Dowthwaite -- crossing in front of the cage -- got her stick on it and redirected it into the lower right corner at the 18:30 mark. It was Dowthwaite's team-best eighth goal of the season

Michigan converted again just eight minutes later, at 26:37, while attacking deep inside Penn State territory. De Leijer corralled tha ball on a free hit outside the circle, dished a pass to graduate student Carly Bennett, and Bennett, who was crossing right-to-left inside the circle, chipped a high shot just inside PSU goalkeeper Jenny Rizzo's shoulder and and into the cage for her fifth goal of the season.

Penn State applied some pressure early in the second half, drawing an immediate corner, and later drew a penalty stroke when senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson charged out and collided with a Nittany Lion attacker alone in the circle. Swenson challenged the stroke call, however, and the umpires overturned the call and gave possession back to the Wolverines. De Leijer iced the game soon after -- at 54:36 -- with her first goal of the season. Bennett set up the play just outside the arc, beating a PSU defender before feeding it to de Leijer on the right side; de Leijer carried it into free space, wound up and blasted a hard shot to the board.

The Wolverines outshot the Nittany Lions, 13-12, while PSU outcornered them, 8-3, including a 5-0 differential in the second half. Swenson earned seven saves in the U-M cage and de Leijer posted a pair of defensive saves, while Penn State's Rizzo also recorded seven saves with a pair of PSU defensive saves.

Tweet of the Game

The Victors! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/M3dQi234dI
— Michigan FieldHockey (@umichfldhockey) September 24, 2017

Michigan (7-2, 3-0 Big Ten) returns to home competition next weekend, kicking off a four-game homestand against Maryland at 6 p.m. Friday (Sept. 29) at Phyllis Ocker Field. The Wolverines also host Ball State at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 1). All regular-season home games are free admission.