Michigan
Northwestern
Foreman Sets Assist Record as U-M Blanks Wildcats
10/27/2001 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Lakeside Field)
Score: #5 Michigan 2, Northwestern 0
Records: U-M (13-4, 4-2 Big Ten), NU (2-12, 1-5 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Nov. 2 -- at Northwestern in Big Ten Tournament First Round (Evanston, Ill.), 2 p.m. CST
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The University of Michigan field hockey team ended the 2001 regular season on a positive note Saturday afternoon (Oct. 27), downing the Northwestern Wildcats by a 2-0 margin to secure third place in the final Big Ten Conference standings.
The win not only marked the end of a two-game Big Ten losing streak for the No. 5-ranked Wolverines (13-4, 4-2 Big Ten), but it also saw senior defender Catherine Foreman (Happy Valley, South Australia/Westminster School) set the Michigan record for career assists, tallying her 57th and 58th helpers to break a tie with Courtney Reid (56, 1997-2000).
The Wolverines scored both goals in the second half on penalty corner opportunities, with both coming off the stick of sophomore defender Kristi Gannon (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS). Gannon, who has four goals in the last three contests, was assisted by Foreman and senior midfielder Ali Balmer (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata HS) on both markers, scoring with 19:10 and 38 seconds remaining.
Northwestern (2-12, 1-5 Big Ten) outshot the Wolverines 2-0 in the first half but was blanked in the final stanza as U-M posted nine shots to the Wildcats' none. Senior goalkeeper Maureen Tasch (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) made two stops while posting her seventh shutout of the season, while Northwestern's Kendra Mesa halted three of Michigan's five shots on net.
The Wolverines will return to Evanston, Ill., on Friday, Nov. 2, to participate in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament, hosted by Northwestern. Michigan will be seeded third in the event and will face No. 6-seed Northwestern at 2 p.m. CST. Other first-round matchups include No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Indiana (10 a.m.) and No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 5 Penn State (noon). Michigan State, which tied Ohio State for the regular-season title, is the No. 1 seed, and will receive a bye into the semifinals.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Northwestern | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- U-M, Kristi Gannon, 19:10 (Catherine Foreman, Ali Balmer)
2nd -- U-M, Gannon, 0:38 (Foreman, Balmer)
Shots: U-M 9, NU 2
Saves: U-M 2 (Maureen Tasch), NU 3 (Kendra Mesa)
Defensive Saves: None
Penalty Corners: U-M 8, NU 3
Penalty Strokes: None
