Weekly Release #12
11/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Upcoming Schedule
Sat-Sun., Nov. 10-11 -- NCAA First and Second Rounds (Ocker Field)
Nov. 10 -- Michigan vs. North Carolina, 11 a.m.
Nov. 10 -- Michigan State vs. Kent State, 2 p.m.
Nov. 11 -- U-M/UNC winner vs. MSU/KSU winner, 2 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 16 -- at NCAA Semifinals (Kent, Ohio), 4:30/7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 18 -- at NCAA Championship (Kent, Ohio), 2 p.m.
This Week
The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (14-5 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 10-11), serving as one of four first- and second-round sites for the 16-team event. The Wolverines will face No. 4 North Carolina (14-6) at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the first round, while No. 7 Michigan State (15-5) will take on No. 11 Kent State (13-7) in the region's other first-round matchup at 2 p.m. The winners will meet on Sunday at 2 p.m., with a trip to Kent, Ohio, for the NCAA Field Hockey Championship at stake. All games are slated to be held at Ocker Field on the campus of U-M.
Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
Marcia Pankratz (Iowa, 1987) is in her sixth season on the Michigan sideline and owns an 91-39 (.700) mark entering this weekend's action. The winningest field hockey coach in U-M history, Pankratz has averaged over 15 wins a season in her coaching career and has guided the Wolverines to 15 or more wins in each of the last four campaigns. In 1999 the team set a school record with 20 wins while reaching the NCAA title game. A two-time winner of the NFHCA's West Region Coach of the Year Award, Pankratz has also been named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year on two occasions (1997, 2000). Under Pankratz's guidance, Michigan has claimed two Big Ten regular-season titles (1997, 2000) as well as a pair of Big Ten Tournament crowns (1999, 2000) and has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons.
A Look at the North Carolina Series
Michigan and North Carolina will meet for the sixth time on Saturday (Nov. 10) in a series that began in 1997. The Tar Heels own a 5-0 advantage in the series, including a 2-1 victory over the Wolverines earlier this season in the semifinals of the Temple Invitational (Sept. 8). UNC will be visiting Ocker Field for the first time since the inaugural meeting between the two schools on Sept. 6, 1997, when it posted a 6-3 win over U-M.
Scouting the Tar Heels
North Carolina is making its 19th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and enters the weekend as the bracket's No. 4 seed. The Tar Heels are ranked fourth in the latest STX/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll and sport a record of 14-6, including a 2-2 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference to tie for third. UNC owns a 1-0 record in the postseason, falling to No. 3 Wake Forest by a 3-2 (ot) margin in the first round of the ACC Tournament ... The Tar Heels are coached by Karen Shelton (West Chester State, 1979), who owns a 351-89-9 mark in her 21st season on the UNC sideline ... North Carolina is led offensively by senior midfielder/back Abby Martin's 13-13C39, while senior forward/midfielder Abbey Wooley (11-8C30) and freshman forward Kerry Falgowski (13-1C27) are also offensive threats. In the cage, junior Amy Tran has seen action in all 20 games and owns a 14-6 mark to go along with a 1.37 goals-against average and a .775 saves percentage. UNC on the Internet: www.tarheelblue.com.
A Look at the Michigan State Series
Michigan and Michigan State may do battle for the 52nd time on Sunday (Nov. 11) in a series that began during the 1973 campaign. The Wolverines hold a slim 25-20-6 edge in the all-time series and have won seven straight, including a 2-1 (ot) victory in the two schools' only meeting this season in East Lansing (Oct. 4). The Spartans' last win over U-M came in 1997 with a 3-2 (ot) win in East Lansing.
Scouting the Spartans
Michigan State, tied with Michigan for seventh in the latest STX/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll, is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history after compiling a 15-5 mark in 2001, including a 5-1 record in Big Ten Conference play to finish tied for first in the regular-season standings. In their only postseason appearance, the Spartans fell to No. 12 Iowa, 3-2 (ot) in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament ... MSU is coached by Michele Madison (Rutgers, 1982), who has an 84-95-2 mark in her ninth season with the Spartans. In 12-plus years as a head coach, Madison is 137-122-8 ... Senior forward Bridget Cooper leads the Spartans offense with 31 points on 15 goals and one assist, and is tied for 13 nationally with .75 goals per game. Freshman midfielder Annebet Beerman (10-7C27) and senior forward Maureen Halstead (11-2C24) rank second and third, respectively, in points, while sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Hess has logged the majority of minutes in the cage for MSU, and owns a 15-5-0 mark to go along with a 1.26 goals-against average, good for 12th in the nation, and a .698 saves percentage. MSU on the Internet: www.msuspartans.com.
A Look at the Kent State Series
Michigan and Kent State could meet for the 12th time on Sunday (Nov. 11) with the Wolverines holding a 6-2-3 advantage in the all-time series. U-M is unbeaten in its last seven outings with the Golden Flashes, sporting a 5-0-2 record during that time, and has won four straight, including a 3-2 (ot) triumph in the last meeting between the two schools on Sept. 12, 1997.
Scouting the Golden Flashes
Kent State is in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year and will serve as the host school for the 2001 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship, scheduled for next weekend in Kent, Ohio. The Golden Flashes, ranked 11th in the latest STX/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll, enter the weekend with a 13-7 mark, including an 8-2 record in Mid-American Conference play to finish second in the league's regular-season standings. KSU is 1-1 in the 2001 postseason after falling to No. 9 Ohio, 3-2, in the MAC Tournament Championship ... Kerry De Vries (Iowa, 1992) is in her fifth season on the Kent State sideline, where she owns a record of 81-30 ...Sophomore midfielder Arlette van Cleeff is the Golden Flashes' leading scorer and ranks second nationally with 55 points (2.75 per game) on 21 goals and 13 assists. Cleeff is also second in the nation for goals per game (1.05) and tied for fifth with 0.65 assists per game. In net, senior goalkeeper Jodi Lume has seen most of the action, recording a 10-7 mark in her 17 appearances to go along with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .720 saves percentage. KSU on the Internet: www.kent.edu/athletics.
Big Ten Standings (through 11/4/01)
Big Ten | Overall Place, Team W-L Pct. GF GA | W-L Pct. GF GA 1. Michigan State 5-1 .833 16 8 | 15-5 .750 58 28 Ohio State 5-1 .833 15 6 | 15-4 .789 53 24 3. MICHIGAN 4-2 .667 20 7 | 14-5 .737 53 19 4. Iowa 3-3 .500 15 13 | 13-5 .722 46 27 Penn State 3-3 .500 14 9 | 12-7 .632 46 23 6. Northwestern 1-5 .167 7 18 | 2-13 .133 16 45 7. Indiana 0-6 .000 5 31 | 1-16 .059 14 59
2001 STX/NFHCA National Coaches Poll (11/6/01)
Team (1st-place votes) Record Points Prev 1. Maryland (10) 17-3 352 T1 2. Old Dominion (8) 17-4 350 T1 3. Wake Forest 14-4 324 3 4. North Carolina 14-6 295 4 5. Ohio State 15-4 278 9 6. Princeton 15-2 258 7 7. MICHIGAN 14-5 247 5 Michigan State 15-5 247 6 9. Ohio 16-4 209 10 10. Virginia 13-7 208 8 11. Kent State 13-7 166 12 12. Iowa 13-5 155 16 13. William & Mary 14-5 127 11 14. Penn State 12-7 122 13 15. Louisville 16-5 107 14 16. James Madison 12-9 97 17 17. Duke 9-9 79 15 18. Syracuse 15-3 65 18 19. Northeastern 15-9 56 19 20. California 13-4 30 20
U-M Week-By-Week in the Rankings
Date Rank Sept. 11 4th Sept. 25 4th Oct. 2 3rd Oct. 9 2nd Oct. 16 4th Oct. 23 5th Oct. 30 5th Nov. 6 7th (tie)
Gone Dancin'
Michigan is making its third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where it holds an all-time record of 4-2. The Wolverines, who made their first-ever trip to the NCAAs in 1999, have advanced past the first round of play in each of their previous two showings, including a trip to the NCAA title game in 1999.
Home Sweet Home
The Wolverines are hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, and will stage a championship at Ocker Field for just the second time in the seven-year history of the venue. Michigan hosted the Big Ten Tournament last season and posted a 2-0 mark en route to its second consecutive Big Ten Tournament title. The Wolverines own an all-time mark of 51-16 at home since the field was opened in 1995 and are 7-2 in their nine appearances in Ann Arbor this season.
More for Your Money
Three of U-M's six NCAA Tournament games have gone into overtime, including two that have gone into a second extra stanza. Michigan posted a 3-2 (2 ot) win over William & Mary in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament before falling to host Wake Forest by a 3-2 margin in overtime of the quarterfinals.
And the Winner is ...
Freshman forward Adrienne Hortillosa (Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) copped the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year Award after leading all newcomers with three goals and an assist for seven points in conference play. Hortillosa is the second straight Wolverine to earn the league's top rookie honor, joining sophomore defender Kristi Gannon (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS), who received the award in 2000.
Accolades
Seven Wolverines earned All-Big Ten honors, including three selections -- senior defender Catherine Foreman (Happy Valley, South Australia/Westminster School), Kristi Gannon and sophomore defender Stephanie Johnson (Houston, Texas/The Kinkaid School) -- to the All-Big Ten first team. Gannon was a repeat selection to the squad after earning the honor in 2000, while Foreman, a member of the All-Big Ten second team last season, was named to the squad for the first time in her career. Johnson, who recieved first team honors for the first time in her career, was one of three unanimous selections to the team. Adrienne Hortillosa, sophomore forward April Fronzoni (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West HS), junior midfielder Jessica Rose (Lititz, Pa./Warwick HS) and senior goalkeeper Maureen Tasch (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) were all named to the league's second team.
One-Goal Wonders
Ten of Michigan's 19 games have been decided by one goal this season, including five of the last nine outings. The Wolverines are 6-4 this season in games decided by a single marker.
Sunday School
Michigan is a perfect 8-0 on Sundays this season, outscoring opponents by a 26-4 margin.
Out of the Gates
Michigan has netted the first goal in 16 of its 19 contests this season, including 12 of the last 14. The Wolverines are 14-2 in games when they score first.
Shooting Gallery
U-M is holding opponents to just 5.2 shots per game this season and has kept foes to under 10 shots in the last 18 games. In addition, the Wolverines have posted an average of 16.9 shots per game and have outshot their foe in each of their 19 games.
You Can't Win if You Can't Score
The Wolverines are allowing just one goal per game and have posted seven shutouts this season, and have held opponents to two goals or less in 17 of the last 18 games, including seven shutouts. Michigan's defense leads the Big Ten for goals allowed in conference (1.2 goals per game) and overall (1.0) games and ranks third nationally.
Second-Half Surge
U-M is outscoring opponents by a 25-4 margin after intermission.
10
Kristi Gannon netted her ninth and 10th goals of the season in the 6-1 win at Northwestern (Nov. 2) in the Big Ten Tournament, becoming the first U-M player to reach the 10-goal plateau this season. The Wolverines have had a player register 10 or more goals in each of the last eight years.
George of the Jungle
Catherine Foreman enters the NCAA Tournament with one goal and nine assists in her last eight appearances and has recorded an assist in six of those contests. Foreman, who holds Michigan's career assist record with 60, has posted a pair of helpers in three of her last four outings and leads the team with 16, which ranks sixth all-time on the U-M single-season assists chart. Foreman's 16 helpers this season lead the nation and represent her highest total since she tallied a school-record 22 as a sophomore in 1999.
The Offensive Defender
Kristi Gannon has six goals, including three game-winners, in her last five appearances and has netted a pair of markers in two of her last three games. Gannon, who has 10-4C24 totals this season, leads the team in goals and points, and is two markers away from tying the 12 goals she scored as a freshman last season.
Hats Off
April Fronzoni posted her third career hat trick in the Wolverines' 6-1 win at Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, and is tied for second on the team with nine markers. Fronzoni, who ranks second on the team with 22 points, had netted one goal in her previous five appearances before going to the Big Ten Tournament.
Saving the Best for Last
Senior midfielder Ali Balmer (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata HS) has four assists in her last three outings, and tallied her fifth multi-assist game of the season in the 6-1 win at Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament (Nov. 2). Balmer, who has posted a pair of assists in two of her last three games, has established a career high for assists and points in a campaign with 10 and 14, respectively. Entering the 2001 campaign, Balmer had recorded 2-8C12 in her previous three seasons, two assists and points less than the 2-10C14 she has tallied in 19 games this year.
Don't Mess with Texas
Stephanie Johnson has nearly doubled her point output from her freshman campaign in 1999, and enters the NCAA Tournament tied for second on the team in scoring with 9-3C21 totals. Johnson, who missed the 2000 season with a back injury, posted six goals for 12 points as a rookie.
Saved by Zero
Maureen Tasch posted her seventh shutout of the season in the regular-season finale at Northwestern (Oct. 27), improving her career total to 10.5 blankings. Tasch is currently tied for third for most shutouts in a single season, and is 0.5 away from tying the U-M single-season mark of 7.5, shared by Rachael Geishardt (1995) and Katie Oakes (1998). In addition, Tasch's career total ties her for sixth on the U-M all-time shutout list.
Mo' Money
Maureen Tasch enters the NCAA Tournament three saves away from tying her career-high of 53 stops set a year ago. Tasch, who has posted a career-high 14 wins this season, ranks third in the nation with a 0.98 goals-against average.
It's All in the Name
For the fourth straight season, a Gannon is listed atop the Wolverines' scoring leaders. Kristi Gannon currently leads the team with 10-4C24, while her sister, Kelli, paced Michigan in points during the 1998, 1999 and 2000 campaigns.
Firsts
Freshman midfielder Katy Moyneur (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS) netted her first career goal for her first career point in the 6-1 victory over Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament (Nov. 2) ... Redshirt freshman Erin Kopelow (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest HS) was also credited with her first career point, an assist, in the win over the Wildcats.
Next Up
If the Wolverines advance past the second round of the NCAA Tournament, they will travel to Kent, Ohio, for the 2001 NCAA Field Hockey Championship, hosted by Kent State University. The semifinals are slated for 4:30 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, followed by the championship game at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18. All contests will be held at Dix Stadium on the campus of Kent State.
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
