Michigan
Northeastern
Late Goals Lift U-M to Comeback Win Over Northeastern
9/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ocker Field)
Score: #3 Michigan 2, #12 Northeastern 1 (OT)
Records: U-M (7-1), NU (6-1)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Sept. 27 -- vs. Ohio State (Ocker Field), 3 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at Ocker Field on a cold and windy Sunday afternoon (Sept. 22), tying the game on a goal by sophomore midfielder Jessica Blake (Perth, Western Australia) with 20 seconds remaining in regulation before junior defender Stephanie Johnson (Houston, Texas/The Kinkaid School) ended the game 8:16 into overtime for a 2-1 win over No. 12 Northeastern. With the win, the Wolverines extended their winning streak to six games and remained perfect at home (6-0) this season.
Johnson's goal, her third of the weekend, came on the Wolverines' second penalty corner attempt of overtime. Johnson faked a shot from the top of the circle and rolled to her left, where she was fed by junior midfielder Laura Woitkewitsch (Cologne, Germany). Johnson directed the shot to the right side of the cage, out of the reach of Northeastern goalkeeper Emily Roy.
With the temperature 20 degrees colder than the previous day and a strong wind mixed with light rain, the Wolverines had trouble getting their offense going, posting only six shots in the first half. Northeastern, which was undefeated entering the contest, had trouble as well, generating only one shot in the first 35 minutes before breaking the scoreless tie 5:57 into the second half.
Working off one of the Huskies' two penalty corners of the second half, Mari Creatini put Northeastern up 1-0 when she tapped in a loose ball that crept past sophomore goalkeeper Molly Maloney (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest HS) after a shot from the top of the circle.
The Wolverines applied pressure for the majority of the half and finally cracked the Northeastern defense as the stanza wound down. With the clock under a minute, U-M received a free hit just outside the circle. Sophomore midfielder Katy Moyneur (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS) fed the ball to the left side of the circle, where Blake fired a rising shot that went off a Huskies' defender and over Roy to tie the game with 20 seconds left.
Michigan carried the momentum into overtime but received a blow when sophomore forward/midfielder Adrienne Hortillosa (Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) was sent off 1:39 into the extra frame after receiving a yellow card. The Wolverines almost scored on a penalty corner attempt and withstood two Northeastern corners while shorthanded, and U-M survived the five minutes of play until Woitkewitsch entered the game seven minutes into overtime. Woitkewitsch set up Johnson's game-winner just over a minute later.
The Wolverines will remain home to continue their school-record nine-game homestand, opening Big Ten Conference play at 3 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 27) against No. 19 Ohio State, the defending Big Ten champion. Michigan will conclude the weekend on Saturday (Sept. 28), hosting Boston University at 2 p.m.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT | F |
| Northeastern | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Michigan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- NU, Mari Creatini, 40:57 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Jessica Blake, 69:40 (unassisted)
OT -- U-M, Stephanie Johnson, 78:16 (Laura Woitkewitsch)
Shots: U-M 15, NU 3
Saves: U-M 2 (Molly Maloney), NU 7 (Emily Roy)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, NU 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 10, NU 4
Penalty Strokes: None
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On the game ... "Well, I'm really proud of our team. They overcame a ton of adversity in many directions, especially with Kristi Gannon being out. We had to make some adjustments and I was really proud because they stayed poised and focused and they always felt like they were still in it and that's good to see."
On finding ways to win when behind ... "I think it is in the character of this team. It's the mark of a true champion to be able to overcome adversity, stay focused on what we're trying to do and always believe that we always have a chance to win. That was evident today."
On Northeastern's defensive focus ... "They're a good team. We knew that they were going to be very strong and we were ready for that. They just clogged the middle a lot and they made it difficult for us to move the ball quickly. They kept a lot of people back and I think they were concerned about our speed and they did neutralize it for a good part of the game. They played a nice game."
On getting into Big Ten play next week ... "We're ready. We're definitely ready. We're excited about it of course."
U-M Senior Defender Stephanie Johnson
On the call to change up the penalty corner plan in overtime ..."We had a bunch of different pushers in and a bunch of different stick-stoppers so the chemistry and the timing was a bit off. So we weren't really getting the stops done in overtime. The referees were calling us for not stopping the ball on the corners so when that was happening I decided to change things up and just finish it."
On finding dramatic ways to win and the confidence it gives the team ... "The thing I think that really shows a lot about this team is that anybody can come up big on any given day. Our team is so multi-pronged on the attack and we're so deep. The fact that we can stay in it until the last five or 10 seconds of the game will just give us so much confidence down the line, not even just next week but in the NCAA Tournament as well. No matter what team we see or where we are we'll be able to stick with it and have that mental toughness in the end."
U-M Sophomore Midfielder Jessica Blake
On her game-tying goal ... "It starts from down the field. We were told that whenever we get the ball outside the defense we want to hit it in on them because their goalie is kind of small and she's going to kick it out a bit. So I was out on the edge and the ball happened to come out my way and that's just what happens in the game sometimes."
On scoring a goal today after yesterday's mishap ... "I missed the goalie this time so that was good. Apparently she is okay so that's all right. It was a really great feeling and I'm glad I could put one in for the team and put us into overtime."
On the defensive pressure from Northeastern ... "They're a really good team. I think they were 6-0 coming into this game. They were a very good defensive side. I think it really took a lot of effort to really get past them. They were really strong low and we had to step it up to another level and I think we did that in the end. We really showed that we're a good team by the end."
NOTES
• Michigan has won six straight and is 6-0 at Ocker Field this season. Dating back to last year's NCAA Regional, U-M has won eight straight in front of a home crowd.
• U-M is 2-0 in overtime games this season. In each contest, the Wolverines had to overcome a 1-0 deficit en route to a 2-1 victory.
• Stephanie Johnson has netted a goal in each of her last six games, including a pair of two-goal efforts. After eight games, Johnson has eight markers, three shy of her goal total from 23 games last year.
• Johnson's overtime goal was the first of her career.
• Jessica Blake has netted two goals in her last two games after going scoreless in Michigan's first six contests. Blake scored two goals in 23 appearances last season.
