Michigan
Connecticut
Pankratz Gets 100th Win as U-M Rallies Past UConn in OT
9/15/2002 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ocker Field)
Score: #3 Michigan 2, Connecticut 1 (OT)
Records: U-M (5-1), UConn (1-5)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, Sept. 21 -- vs. Temple (Ocker Field), 10 a.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 3 University of Michigan field hockey team found itself behind 1-0 for the third consecutive game on Sunday (Sept. 15) at Ocker Field, giving up the first goal to Connecticut on the final day of the Big East/Big Ten Challenge. However, just as they had in the previous two contests, the Wolverines found a way to overcome the deficit, eventually winning on an overtime goal by senior forward Molly Powers (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest HS) 7:32 into the extra stanza.
With the win, head coach Marcia Pankratz picked up her 100th career victory -- all earned at Michigan -- while the Wolverines posted their fourth straight win. The Wolverines are now 4-0 this season at Ocker Field.
The Wolverines forced the play for the majority of the match, outshooting the Huskies 25-4 while holding Connecticut to only four scoring chances.
It was the Huskies who struck first, however, as forward Lauren Henderson broke in on sophomore goalkeeper Molly Maloney (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest HS) after beating senior defenseman Krista Meckley (Hanover, Pa./Southwestern HS) at the midfield stripe. Henderson raced down the field with Michigan defenders attempting to catch her. Maloney came out to cut off the angle and force the play, but Henderson was able to squeeze the ball past Maloney and finish the play with a diving push-in just moments before back-checking Wolverines could make a play on the ball. Henderson's fifth goal of the season came at the 56:54 mark of the game.
After a UConn timeout, the Wolverines continued to force the play, earning three consecutive penalty corners in an attempt to draw the game even. On the third corner, senior defenseman Stephanie Johnson's (Houston, Texas/The Kinkaid School) blast from just inside the circle found its way to the top of the cage as it ricocheted off a UConn defender with 6:01 left in the contest.
Regulation ended as Michigan continued to pour on the offense heading into the overtime period. Just over seven minutes into the first overtime, Powers received a long through pass from senior midfielder Jessica Rose (Lititz, Pa./Warwick HS) just outside the shooting circle. Powers corralled the ball and cut back toward the middle of the field, losing her defender and forcing UConn goalie Maureen Butler to commit and drop down. Powers let go a backhand shot that found the top side of the cage and gave the Wolverines their first overtime victory of the season.
Maloney was forced to make only one save in the contest to earn her 12th career victory.
Michigan continues its nine-game homestand next weekend with contests against Temple on Saturday (Sept. 21) at 10 a.m. and Northeastern on Sunday (Sept. 22) at 2 p.m.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT | F |
| Connecticut | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Michigan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- UConn, Lauren Henderson, 56:54 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Stephanie Johnson, 63:59 (Adrienne Hortillosa, Katy Moyneur)
OT -- U-M, Molly Powers, 77:32 (Jessica Rose)
Shots: U-M 25, UConn 4
Saves: U-M 1 (Molly Maloney), UConn 13 (Maureen Butler)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, UConn 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 8, UConn 1
Penalty Strokes: U-M 0, UConn 0
Other Big East/Big Ten Challenge Games
Boston College 1, Northwestern 0 (OT) -- Kim French scored 5:20 into overtime to give the Eagles (5-1) the victory. BC enjoyed a 14-8 edge in shots over the Wildcats (3-3), including 9-3 in the second half. Lauren Hill made five stops in the shutout win.
Iowa 3, Providence 0 -- Tiffany Leister scored two goals in a two-minute span in the second half as the Hawkeyes (4-2) broke open a scoreless game with three goals in the final seven minutes of play. Barbara Weinberg stopped all four shots she faced to earn the shutout against the Friars (4-4).
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On the contest ... "It was an exciting game and Connecticut played very well. They played great defense against us, especially their low tackles and their goalkeeper was incredibly strong. We had a ton of chances, we missed some on our own but she also made some great saves. It was just one of those games that was going to be nip and tuck."
On falling behind 1-0 for the third consecutive game ... "Its just one of those things. The game works like that sometimes, but I was proud of the way we stayed poised and remained in the game plan and never gave up."
On the team's success in overtime ... "We have great team speed and with seven-on-seven that helps a lot. As you can see with Molly's (Powers) goal we have some fabulous, world-class goal scorers."
U-M Senior Forward Molly Powers
On her goals ... "(Jessica) Rose did a great job of cutting the ball angle and forcing the defender to commit so I just went to the open passing lane and she knew where I was going and she read me the whole way. The pass was at a perfect pace so I could just take it on the move. I took a lot of face stick shots today and none of them went in so I thought I'd go reverse for once and it seemed to be the trick."
On Michigan's numerous chances ... "It was frustrating because your exert so much effort just to get the ball down there, especially the entire team. To go down there and just miss near side or far side or just in front is upsetting. It's tiring and you just wish it would get over already and you could score a goal. But we were always confident that we were going to score and win because we were knocking on the door the entire game."
NOTES
• Michigan has won four straight and is 4-0 at Ocker Field this season.
• The Wolverines have given up the first goal in each of their last three contests but have come back to win each by scoring two or more unanswered goals.
• Head coach Marcia Pankratz picked up her 100th career victory with the win against the Huskies. Pankratz, in her seventh season at U-M, has a 100-40 career record.
• Molly Powers has netted five goals in her last three games, including three in her last two appearances. Powers now has 34 career goals, giving her sole possession of eighth place on U-M's career goal-scoring chart. Entering today's game, she was tied with Michelle Smulders (1993-96).
• Powers also notched her 75th career point, moving her into sole possession of ninth place on U-M's career points list. She entered the day tied at 73 points with Lisa Schofield (1981-84) and Judy Burinskas (1986-89).
• Powers' overtime game-winning goal was the first of her career.
• Stephanie Johnson has netted five goals in her last four games, scoring at least once in each contest.
• Freshman forward/midfielder Adrienne Hortillosa (Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) has recorded an assist in four straight games.
• Freshman midfielder Katy Moyneur (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS) has notched three assists in her last two games.
