Michigan
Maryland
Michigan Dream Falls One Game Short with Loss to Maryland
11/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Site: Boston, Mass. (Parsons Field)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Championship Game)
Score: #1 Maryland 2, #4 Michigan 1
Records: U-M (20-7), Maryland (24-1)
Next U-M Event: Season complete
BOSTON, Mass. -- On a warm, sunny, 70-degree day, the fourth-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team fell to top-ranked Maryland 2-1 on Sunday (Nov. 21) in the 1999 NCAA national championship game. With a record crowd of more than 3,500 on hand to witness a tight game, Maryland held on to win its third national championship in field hockey.
Maryland opened the scoring with 10:06 remaining in the first half as Kelli Smith found the back of the cage on a rebound shot. The Terrapins controlled much of the first half of play, outshooting the Maize and Blue by an 11-2 margin. Carissa Massimer gave the Terps a 2-0 halftime advantage as she scored with 0:01 on the clock following a green card given to Michigan's Ashley Reichenbach (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra HS).
Michigan came out strong in the second half with Jessie Veith (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest HS) finding Jessica Rose (Lititz, Pa./Warwick HS) on a cross-cage pass to put Michigan on the board and cut the deficit to one.
For the the following 20 minutes, the game settled down as both teams traded chances with neither team seeming to have a momentum advantage over the other. Michigan's Ashley Thomas (West Chester, Pa./Unionville HS) was given a yellow card with 25:37 remaining in the second half, forcing the Maize and Blue to play one player short for five minutes, but the Wolverines were able to keep their poise despite the adversity.
With one minute remaining, Michigan called a timeout with a free hit ensuing. The play did not develop and the Terps began to celebrate as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
Michigan finished the season with a 20-7 mark, the most wins in school history. The Wolverines, who reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, will return nine of 11 starters for next season.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Maryland | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- Maryland, Kelli Smith, 10:06 (unassisted)
1st -- Maryland, Carissa Messimer, 0:01 (Dina Rizzo)
2nd -- U-M, Jessica Rose, 33:56 (Jessie Veith)
Shots: U-M 5, Maryland 13
Saves: U-M 7 (Kati Oakes), Maryland 1 (Ashley Hohnstine)
Penalty Corners: U-M 3, Maryland 8
Defensive Saves: None
NOTES
• Michigan placed three players on the All-NCAA Tournament team: senior Ashley Reichenbach, sophomore Jessie Veith and junior Kelli Gannon (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS). The all-tournament team:
Kelli Gannon, Michigan
Rachel Hiskins, Maryland
Ashley Hohnstine, Maryland
Lesley Irvine, Iowa
Laura Klein, Connecticut
Quan Nim, Iowa
Ashley Reichenbach, Michigan
Kelli Smith, Maryland
Kati Stevens, Connecticut
Carla Tagliente, Maryland
Jessie Veith, Michigan
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On the game ... "Maryland is a great team with a lot of skilled players. What you saw today was a great game. It was great hockey and great for the fans to see."
On Michigan's postseason run ... "We have come so far. I'm so proud of this team. With such great leadership we were able to make a great run in our first-ever tournament. The freshmen only know going to the Final Four and that is a great foundation for our program to keep building on."
On the youth of Michigan and Maryland and possibly meeting again ... "I would like to see them again. We have two of the best programs in the country, and if we are lucky enough to make it to the tournament again next year and play as well as we did this year, it's a possibility."
U-M Senior Ashley Reichenbach
On her career at Michigan ... "It has been an unbelievable experience. In four years we have come so far. I couldn't have scripted a better story for my career -- well, maybe just a little, but it's been amazing. I will always be supporting the Blue."
On playing one player short following Ashley Thomas' yellow card ... "We were able to come together and step it up. I don't think it really hurt us. We played really well during that streatch of the game."
U-M Freshman Jessica Rose
On her goal ... "(Head coach) Marcia (Pankratz) always tells us to keep going until the end, and that is what happened on that goal. It was a second-effort goal and I was able to get it in. It felt great."
