Weekly Release #7
10/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, Oct. 6 -- vs. Northwestern (Ocker Field), 4 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 7 -- vs. Central Michigan (Ocker Field), 1 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 13 -- at North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 2 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 14 -- at Wake Forest (Winston Salem, N.C.), 1 p.m.
This Week
The University of Michigan field hockey team will be back at Ocker Field this weekend to take on the Northwestern Wildcats on Friday afternoon (Oct. 6) and Central Michigan on Saturday (Oct. 7). The fourth-ranked Wolverines (12-1, 3-0 Big Ten) are 6-0 at home this season and have won 10 straight, after victories over Iowa and Southwest Missouri State this past weekend.
Battling the Wildcats
Northwestern University (4-7, 1-1 Big Ten) holds a 28-9 all-time record against the Wolverines, but the Wildcats have dropped the last seven contest in the series. The last Wildcat victory came during the 1996 season -- a 3-2 overtime win at Ocker Field. Michigan swept the season series in 1999, defeating NU three times -- 2-1 at Ocker Field, 5-1 at Northwestern and 4-2 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
This season, Northwestern has two victories over Michigan State and one each over Richmond and Providence. NU has lost to the three common opponents of Michigan, while the Maize and Blue has defeated Ball State, Ohio State and Ohio. The Wildcats on the Internet: www.nusports.com.
Pankratz on Northwestern
"Northwestern is going to come here and be very aggressive. They have already improved from last year, mainly because of their new head coach (Marisa Didio). We want to be focused because they stand in the way of our quest for the Big Ten title."
Charting the Chippewas
Central Michigan University has a 6-3 overall record and is 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference. Michigan holds a 19-14-2 advantage over the Chippewas in the all-time series, and the Maize and Blue has taken the last nine meetings by a total score of 47-6. Michigan has shut out CMU six times during the stretch. Last season, U-M defeated the Chippewas 5-1 at Ocker Field.
Central Michigan has a four-game win streak, going into its contest against Ohio University on Friday (Oct. 6). The Wolverines and Chippewas have four common opponents so far this season. Both teams have victories over Southwest Missouri, Ball State and Miami (Ohio). U-M has defeated Ohio State (2-1) and CMU lost to the Buckeyes (9-0). The Chippewas on the Internet: www.cmuchippewas.com.
Pankratz Comments
"It's always difficult to play back-to-back games. Central is an intrastate rival, so the game should be intense. We haven't seen much of them this season, but I know they've been playing well as of late."
Wolverines Take Two in Iowa City
Michigan improved its record to 3-0 in the Big Ten Conference with a 4-0 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday (Sept. 29) at Grant Field in Iowa City, Iowa. Kelli Gannon (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS) had two goals, defender Ashley Thomas (West Chester, Pa./Unionville HS) scored the gamewinner and Kristi Gannon (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS) scored for the Maize and Blue. Freshman goalkeeper Molly Maloney (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest HS) recorded her third shutout of the season.
The Wolverines stayed in Iowa City for their 4-1 defeat of the Southwest Missouri State Bears on Saturday (Sept. 30) at Grant Field. Senior co-captain Regan Wulfsberg (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown HS) scored two goals, and fellow co-captain Kelli Gannon scored on a penalty stroke as well as adding two helpers. April Fronzoni (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West HS) also scored for the Maize and Blue. Defender Catherine Foreman (Happy Valley, S. Australia/Westminister) made a defensive save and Maureen Tasch (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) stopped two shots on the afternoon.
Gannon Moves into Second Place on U-M's Points List
Kelli Gannon scored three goals and had two assists in victories over Iowa and Southwest Missouri to take her career point total to 112. Gannon surpassed Julie Flachs' (1994-97) total of 106 to move into second place on Michigan's all-time chart. Gannon is 24 points shy of Mary Callam's (1978-80) all-time record.
The Boss Turned 70
Head coach Marcia Pankratz earned her 70th coaching victory at Michigan with the two wins this past weekend. Pankratz is now four triumphs shy of tying Patti Smith (1989-95) for the U-M all-time victory mark. Pankratz has an overall record of 70-31.
Set-Up Queen Nabs 50th
Senior midfielder Courtney Reid (South Deerfield, Mass./Northfield Mt. Hermon HS) collected her 50th career assist in the victory over Iowa. Reid set up two goals on penalty corners for her 15 and 16 of the season. Reid already owns the U-M all-time assist record and has part of the single-season record of 22, with Catherine Foreman (Happy Valley, S. Australia/Westminister) and Shelly Johnson (1996-97).
Complete Player
Defender Ashley Thomas scored her first goal of the season and her second of her career in the 4-0 win over Iowa. Thomas is the only Wolverine to have a mark in every major statistical category this season. Thomas has started 12 of 13 games, taken five shots, scored one goal, one assist, made a defensive save and put in a gamewinner.
Co-Captain Comes Through
Senior co-captain Regan Wulfsberg scored two goals in the Wolverines' 4-1 victory over Iowa. The two-goal effort was the second time of her career. The first was a pair against Ohio last season.
Fronzoni's Fire
Freshman April Fronzoni leads the team in goals with 14. Her goal total is the ninth best output by a Wolverine in a single season. Julie Flachs (1994-97) holds the record with 29 in a season.
Unselfish Aussie
Defender Catherine Foreman hasn't taken a shot this season but has contributed eight assists. Foreman is second behind Courtney Reid on U-M's all-time assists list with 39.
Frosh Trio
Freshman goalkeeper Molly Maloney recorded her third career shutout of her young career at Iowa. Maloney has only allowed four goals in six appearances for a 0.67 GAA.
Wolverines Drop to Fifth in the NFHCA Poll
Despite winning both contests this past weekend, Michigan fell one spot to fifth in the NFHCA coaches poll. North Carolina bypassed U-M from fifth to third because of a 3-2 victory over then-No. 3 Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons dropped down to fourth, leaving the Maize and Blue in the No. 5 spot. Two Big Ten schools stayed the same -- Penn State (No. 6), Michigan State (No. 18) -- and Ohio State dropped one position to 17th.
STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll (10/3/00)
Team Record Pts Prev 1. Maryland (14) 9-1 390 1 2. Old Dominion (3) 11-1 380 2 3. North Carolina (1) 10-1 357 5 4. Wake Forest (2) 10-1 343 3 5. MICHIGAN 12-1 326 4 6. Penn State 8-2 289 6 7. Massachusetts 8-2 272 9 8. Princeton 5-1 256 8 9. Connecticut 9-3 222 7 10. Virginia 4-4 200 10 11. Northeastern 7-4 198 11 12. James Madison 8-3 191 12 13. William & Mary 7-4 145 13 14. Boston 7-3 134 15 15. Kent State 9-3 112 19 16. Boston College 7-4 110 14 17. Ohio State 8-4 94 16 18. Michigan State 6-5 30 18 Georgetown 8-0 30 NR 20. Harvard 5-3 26 20
Contact: Jason Binge (734) 763-4423
