Michigan
Iowa
Michigan Tramples No. 16 Iowa, Stays Perfect in Big Ten
9/28/2001 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Four different members of the University of Michigan field hockey team scored goals on Friday afternoon (Sept. 28) as the Wolverines defeated Iowa 4-1 at Ocker Field. The win improves No. 4-ranked U-M to 7-2 on the year and 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference, while the No. 16 Hawkeyes fall to 6-3 and 0-2.
Sophomores Kristi Gannon (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS) and Stephanie Johnson (Houston, Texas/The Kinkaid School) and junior Molly Powers (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest HS) all netted goals in their third consecutive game. Michigan has outscored its opponents 20-2 in the last three games.
Starting the scoring for the Wolverines was sophomore April Fronzoni (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West HS), who tallied her second goal in as many games. With 2:04 left in the first half, Fronzoni took the ball on the top left of the circle and beat her defender one-on-one before placing it into the right corner of the cage past Iowa goalkeeper Saleema Rogers.
"It's always a huge boost to get a lead, especially heading into halftime," said Fronzoni. "Our team is really starting to gain a lot of confidence in one another and it is the perfect time to start putting things together."
Just 2:17 into the second half, Johnson gave Michigan a 2-0 advantage by remaining perfect on penalty stroke conversions with her third of the year. The goal is her fifth in the last three games and sixth overall on the year, which ranks second on the team to Adrienne Hortillosa's (Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) seven.
Freshman Jessica Blake (Perth, W. Australia/St. Mary's Anglican Girls School) set up the next two goals for U-M. The third goal came when Blake fired a shot that was redirected by Powers into the right corner of the cage at the 42:02 mark. After Iowa netted its lone goal, Gannon was able to push the lead back to three when Blake fed her on top of the circle and she fired it into the goal with 6:21 remaining in the game.
Defensively the Wolverines held Iowa to three shots, marking the fourth straight game they have allowed their opponent four shots or fewer. On the flip side, Michigan posted 23 shots, including 15 in the second half.
"This is one of the best games we've played all year," said Michigan head coach Marcia Pankratz. "Iowa is a very good team so it is a real attribute that our team came out ready to play today. This is a game that will give us a lot of confidence."
Michigan's next game will be Sunday (Sept. 30) when it travels to Muncie, Ind., to take on Ball State at 2:30 p.m. EST/CDT.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Iowa | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, April Fronzoni (2), 32:56 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Stephanie Johnson (6), 36:17 (Penalty Shot)
2nd -- U-M, Molly Powers (5), 42:02 (Jessica Blake)
2nd -- Iowa, Tiffany Leister (3), 48:34 (Lauren Edwards, Maria Merluzzi)
2nd -- U-M, Kristi Gannon (4), 63:39 (Blake)
Shots: U-M 23, Iowa 3
Saves: U-M 2 (Maureen Tasch), Iowa 5 (Saleema Rogers)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, Iowa 1 (Lauren Stiver)
Penalty Corners: U-M 9, Iowa 2
Penalty Strokes: U-M 1, Iowa 0
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
