Michigan
Michigan State
Back to the Final Four: Michigan Topples Michigan State
11/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (MSU Field Hockey Complex)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Second Round)
Score: #6 Michigan 2, #5 Michigan State 1
Records: U-M (17-5), MSU (17-5)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Nov. 21 -- vs. Wake Forest at NCAA Semifinals (Amherst, Mass.), 5 p.m.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Behind two goals in the first 15 minutes of play, the University of Michigan field hockey team downed fifth-ranked Michigan State 2-1 Sunday (Nov. 16) to advance to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship. The Wolverines received scores from juniors Adrienne Hortillosa (Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) and Jessica Blake (Perth, Western Australia/St. Mary's Anglican School) to advance to the national semifinals for the third time in the last five years.
Michigan will play top seed and defending national champion Wake Forest, a 3-0 quarterfinal winner over Connecticut, on Friday, Nov. 21, at Garber Field in Amherst, Mass. Game time is 5 p.m. The University of Massachusetts is the host school for the event.
Michigan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half, scoring twice in the first 15 minutes of the stanza. The Wolverines took a 1-0 lead at 11:40 on their first penalty corner of the game when Hortillosa lifted a shot from the top of the circle that deflected off a State defender in front of MSU keeper Christina Kirkaldy and into the cage. Junior Laura Woitkewitsch (Colgne, Germany/Friedrich Wilhelm) and Blake were credited with the assists.
Blake made it 2-0 just over three minutes later at 14:39 when she tipped a pass from senior April Fronzoni (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West HS) into an empty net on the right side of the cage. The Spartans threatened on a couple of occasions, but the majority of the first 35 minutes was played between the 25-yard lines.
The Spartans cut U-M's lead in half when Veerle Goudswaard walked in to the circle on the left side and pushed the ball past freshman goalkeeper Beth Riley (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) with 31:22 on the second-half clock. Michigan almost regained a two-goal advantage 33 seconds later on an apparent tip-in by freshman Jill Civic (Wescosville, Pa./Emmaus HS), but the shot from outside the circle, taken by senior Kristi Gannon (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS), was ruled untouched before it entered the cage.
State applied some fierce pressure with about 19 minutes remaining when Michelle Huynh-Ba hit the post, then Jennifer Beeuwkes fired the rebound into Riley. MSU was awarded its first corner of the game, then after a shot that was stopped by Riley, the Spartans got another corner chance, but the U-M defense kept State out of the cage, with Riley making a save and sophomore Lori Hillman (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern Regional HS) helping out with a defensive save on the rebound shot. MSU earned a third straight corner opportunity, but U-M snuffed it out and cleared the ball from its zone.
Michigan State outshot the Wolverines 12-3 and managed four shots on goal, three of which were stopped by Riley. U-M scored on two of its three shots on goal, with Kirkaldy making one save. MSU also held the advantage in penalty corners, 3-1.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
U-M -- Adrienne Hortillosa, 11:40 (Laura Woitkewitsch, Jessica Blake)
U-M -- Blake, 14:39 (April Fronzoni)
MSU -- Veerle Goudswaard, 38:38 (unassisted)
Shots: U-M 3, MSU 12
Saves: U-M 3 (Beth Riley), MSU 1 (Christina Kirkaldy)
Defensive Saves: U-M 1 (Lori Hillman)
Penalty Corners: U-M 1, MSU 3
Penalty Strokes: None
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On the game ... "It was a very exciting game and I want to congratulate Michigan State on a fabulous season. They represent the Big Ten so well in competition outside the conference, and to play them before the semifinals is a shame. And I'm sorry we had to knock out one of the Michigan teams to be able to go. I think it was an excellent game, well-fought, well-played on both sides and we're thrilled to be representing the Big Ten in the semifinals."
NOTES
• Michigan advances to the semifinals of the NCAA Field Hockey Championship for the third time in the last five years. U-M is 2-0 in the semifinals and has advanced to the championship game in each of its previous semifinal appearances.
• The Wolverines have won the last six matches at MSU's home turf and own a 3-0 record at the MSU Field Hockey Complex.
• Ten of Michigan's 13 NCAA Tournament games have been decided by one goal. U-M is 8-2 in those contests.
• U-M is 7-2 during the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, including a 3-1 mark in the second round.
• The Wolverines defeated Michigan State for the second time this season in East Lansing and are the only team to down the Spartans on their new home facility.
• During Michigan's 2001 NCAA title run, it defeated North Carolina and Michigan State in the first and second rounds en route to the championship.
