Weekly Release #11
11/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Upcoming Schedule
Sat-Sun., Nov. 13-14 -- host NCAA First/Second Round (Campus Sites)
Fri-Sun., Nov. 19-21 -- at NCAA Championship (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
This Week's Lineup -- at NCAA First/Second Rounds
The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (16-5) will host one of four NCAA first- and second-round sites for the 2004 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 13-14) at Phyllis Ocker Field in An Arbor. The Wolverines, who are seeded fourth in the NCAA Championship, will open tournament play against Pacific (11-9) at 11 a.m. on Saturday while the other first-round match will pit No. 8 Michigan State (16-3) against No. 13 Boston College (17-5) at 2 p.m. The winners will advance to the second-round game, which is slated for a 2 p.m. start on Sunday.
Tournament Notes
The Road to the Final Four -- The Wolverines will compete in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight year, earning an automatic bid as the Big Ten Tournament champion -- it is the first time in four years that U-M did not have to wait out an at-large selection. Michigan is one of 16 teams vying for the national title, which will be decided next weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C., on the campus of the Wake Forest University.
The Host with the Most -- Michigan will serve as one of four NCAA first- and second-round host sites for the second time in four seasons. In Michigan's only other stint as a host site -- in 2001 -- the Wolverines defeated North Carolina and Michigan State in the regional games en route to capturing their first NCAA Championship in program history.
Haven't We Met Before -- U-M played two of the three teams in the regional field this season, earning shutout victories against both Pacific and Michigan State. The Wolverines held Pacific to just single shot on Oct. 9 in Iowa City, Iowa as senior captain Adrienne Hortillosa (Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) led U-M to a 3-0 win with a goal and an assist. Hortillosa also netted the overtime gamewinner against the Spartans on Oct. 16 in Ann Arbor, propelling U-M to a 1-0 victory against the then-ranked No. 3 Michigan State squad.
Opening Weekend Success -- Michigan is 4-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and is 7-2 during the first weekend of NCAA Tournament play. U-M's only loss in the first round came in 2002 with a 4-3 setback against Princeton at State College, Pa., while its only other opening-weekend loss occurred in 2000 with a 3-2 (ot) loss to Wake Forest in the quarterfinals.
Last Season at the Regional -- Michigan pulled out a pair of 2-1 victories in last season's first/second rounds to advance to the semifinals for the third time in five years, defeating North Carolina and host Michigan State. Senior April Fronzoni tallied both U-M goals against the Tar Heels, including the game-winner at the 38:32 mark. Juniors Adrienne Hortillosa and Jessica Blake each scored a first-half marker against the top-seeded Spartans as the Maize and Blue held on through a MSU barrage in the second half to claim victory.
A Nail-Biter Expected -- Eleven of Michigan's 14 NCAA Tournament games have been decided by one goal -- including all three of last season's contests -- with U-M sporting a 8-3 record in those contests. Four of the Wolverines' five first-round games have been decided by a single marker, while all four of U-M's quarterfinal matchups have been determined by a single goal.
Working Overtime -- The Wolverines are 3-1 in overtime games in the NCAA Tournament and have gone into an extra session in the first round on only one occasion, posting a 3-2 win in double overtime against William & Mary in 2000. U-M, which has advanced past the first round in three of its four tournament appearances, has played in overtime in each of its quarterfinal games.
Michigan vs. the NCAA Regional Field ...
Pacific -- Michigan owns a perfect 4-0 mark in the all-time series with Pacific, dating back to the 1989 campaign. When the two teams faced each other earlier in the season on Oct. 9, U-M outshot the Tigers 13-1 and held a 10-1 advantages in penalty corners as Adrienne Hortillosa, junior/sophomore Katie Morris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) and freshman Lauren Conforzi (Mississagua, Ontario/Gordon Grayson Secondary) tallied goals in a 3-0 victory. For more information on Pacific, visit www.pacifictigers.com.
Michigan State: Michigan leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 29-21-6 and has owns a three-game winning streak over the Spartans. Senior Adrienne Hortillosa tallied the overtime game-winner to lead the Wolverines to a 1-0 victory over MSU this season in Ann Arbor. In NCAA Tournament action, U-M is 2-0 against the Spartans with a pair of narrow 2-1 victories in the quarterfinal round to second the Wolverines to the NCAA Final Four (2001, '03). For more information on Michigan State field hockey, please visit www.msuspartans.com.
Boston College -- Michigan owns a 7-3 record against the Eagles, including three of the last four meetings. In the last contest between the two programs -- on Sept. 7, 2003 -- senior April Fronzoni tallied four goals to lead the Wolverines past Boston College 5-3 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. For more information on Boston College field hockey, please visit www.bceagles.com.
STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll
After capturing the Big Ten Tournament title and registering five consecutive wins, the Wolverines jumped three spots into the No. 5 position -- their highest ranking of the season -- in the final STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll of the 2004 campaign, released on Tuesday (Nov. 9). The STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll can be found by visiting the NFHCA's site.
STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll (11/9/04)
Rank, Team (Record) Points Previous 1. North Carolina (20-1) 440 2 2. Maryland (15-5) 399 4 3. Wake Forest (16-3) 393 1 4. Duke University (15-4) 347 3 5. MICHIGAN (16-5) 345 8 6. Connecticut (20-1) 336 6 7. American (18-2) 306 7 8. Michigan State (16-3) 295 5 9. Northeastern (17-3) 236 12 10. Richmond (17-2) 234 10 11. Iowa (13-7) 220 14 12. Old Dominion (13-7) 214 9 13. Boston College (17-5) 187 11 14. Delaware (15-6) 167 17 15. William & Mary (13-7) 124 13 16. Harvard (11-6) 70 20 17. California, Berkeley (17-5) 69 15 18. Virginia (10-10) 53 16 19. Boston University (13-7) 46 19 20. Penn State (10-10) 29 18
Wrapping Up the Big Ten Season
Bringing Home the Hardwear -- With its 3-2 victory over Iowa in the championship game, U-M captured its third conference tournament title in program history -- and first since back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000 -- and marks the second time that the Wolverines swept the regular-season and tournament crowns.
The Big Sweep -- For the third consecutive season, Michigan swept the Big Ten Player of the Year awards at the annual conference banquet as seniors Adrienne Hortillosa and Jessica Blake and junior Lori Hillman claimed Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, respectively.
A Valuable Commodity -- Junior Lori Hillman was named the Big Ten Tournament's Most Valuable Player for her contribution in the U-M backfield and joins fellow-Wolverine senior Adrienne Hortillosa as the Wolverines' Big Ten All-Tournament Team selections. Hillman is the third Wolverine to earn Big Ten Tournament Most Valuable Player honors, joining Kelli Gannon (1999) and Courtney Reid (2000).
A View From the Top -- Michigan captured its fifth Big Ten regular-season title with its 1-0 win against No. 19 Penn State in the season finale (Oct. 30), marking the fourth time in the last five years U-M has finished atop the conference standings. The Wolverines share the title this season with Michigan State and Iowa, marking the first time in conference history that three teams claimed the Big Ten crown. Michigan won the title outright in 2000 and 2002 and tied for the crown with Michigan State in 2003 and with Penn State in 1997 -- head coach Marcia Pankratz's second season as head coach.
Statistically Speaking -- Through the Big Ten Tournament, the Wolverines lead the conference in nearly every major statistical categories -- goals (73), goals per game (3.48), points (192), assists (46), assists per game (2.19), shots (17.76/game), shutouts (9) and penalty corners (166). Complete standings and statistics from the Big Ten can be found by visiting the Big Ten's website.
Big Ten Weekly Honors -- Junior Lori Hillman claimed the season's final Big Ten Conference Denfensive Player of the Week award after leading the U-M defensive corps in the 1-0 shutout against Penn State. It is Hillman's first career conference weekly honor and the fourth for the Wolverines during the 2004 season. Hillman joins senior Katy Moyneur (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS), who earned the defensive recognition last week, on the defensive side, while senior Jessica Blake (Perth, Western Australia/St. Mary's Anglican) nabbed back-to-back offensive weekly honors earlier in the season.
News and Notes ...
Shutdown and Shutout -- The Wolverines have boasted nine shutouts during the 2004 season, marking the fifth consecutive year that U-M has tallied at least eight shutouts. The Michigan school record for shutouts in a season is 10, set in 1992. On the other side of the coin, Michigan has not been held scoreless in any of its 23 games -- the first time since 1995 that the Wolverines entered the NCAA Tournament without having been shutout.
Marcia's Milestone -- The Wolverines' 3-2 victory over Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament final marked the 200th career game of head coach Marcia Pankratz's U-M career. During her nine seasons at Michigan, Pankratz has compiled a career mark 146-54 and stands as the Wolverines' all-time winningiest coach.
Career Year (Part I) -- Senior Jessica Blake leads U-M in goals and points with a career-high 19-7-45, representing over 26 percent of the Wolverines' goal total (72) and over 23 percent of Michigan's point total (192). Blake's 45 points eclipse her previous career high of 27, set during a 23-game span last season, and more than doubles the total points from her first three seasons combined (41). Similarily, her 19 markers doubles last season's career-high total and is three goals more than her first three-year total (14).
Career Year (Part II) -- Senior Adrienne Hortillosa leads the Wolverines in assists for the second straight season and ranks second in points with a career-high 13-11-37. Hortillosa has already bettered her previous point career high -- 23, which she registered as a freshman in 2001 and as a junior in 2003 -- by 14 points. The Wolverine senior has also posted a new personal best in goals this season, eclipsing her previous mark of 10, set in 2001.
On a Tear -- With three goals at the Big Ten Tournament, junior/sophomore Katie Morris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) tied the U-M record for goals by a sophomore, held for 24 years by Marty Maugh (1980) with 17. Morris has registered a point in 10 of the Wolverines' last 12 games (8-1-17) -- including eight goals during an eight-game span. After entering the season without a career point, Morris currently ranks second on the team in goals and third in points with 35. She sits just three points shy of the record for points by a sophomore, also held by Maugh (38, 1980).
Lending a Helping Hand -- Senior captain Adrienne Hortillosa has posted 11 assists this season, bringing her career total to 38 helpers during her four seasons at Michigan, giving her sole possession of the third spot on U-M's all-time assists list. Hortillosa needs 18 assists to reach the second position, currently held by Courtney Reid (1997-2000) with 56 career assists. Two-time NFHCA All-American Catherine Foreman (1998-2001) owns the U-M record for most career assists with 61.
U-M Career Assists
| 1. | Catherine Foreman (1998-2001) | 61 |
| 2. | Courtney Reid (1997-2000) | 56 |
| 3. | Adrienne Hortillosa (2001-04) | 38 |
Climbing the Charts -- With the game-winning goal against California (Oct. 22), senior captain Adrienne Hortillosa improved her career-point total to 102 and gained sole possession of fifth on Michigan's all-time points list. She needs five points to reach the fourth spot, currently held by Julie Flachs (107, 1994-97). Senior Jessica Blake has also cracked the top 10 on the list, tying Marty Maugh (1979-82) for the 10th spot with 87 career points. She needs five more to reach the ninth position, currently held by Kay McCarthy (1980-83).
U-M Career Points
| 1. | April Fronzoni (2000-02) | 155 |
| 2. | Mary Callam (1978-80) | 136 |
| 3. | Kelli Gannon (1997-2000) | 126 |
| 4. | Julie Flachs (1994-97) | 107 |
| 5. | Adrienne Hortillosa (2001-04) | 102 |
| 5 | Kristi Gannon (2000-03) | 100 |
| 7. | Molly Powers (1999-2002) | 97 |
| 8. | Courtney Reid (1997-2000) | 96 |
| 9. | Kay McCarthy (1980-83) | 92 |
| 10. | Marty Maugh (1979-82) | 87 |
| Jessica Blake (2001-04) | 87 |
Iron Women -- Senior captain Katy Moyneur has not missed a single game during her four seasons at Michigan, starting all 89 U-M contests during that time. Senior captain Adrienne Hortillosa has also seen action in the Wolverines' 89 games -- with 72 starts -- during her four years. Both seniors moved into the seventh spot on U-M's career games played list with their back-to-back starts against Ohio State and Iowa at the Big Ten Tournament, tied Courtney Reid (89, 1997-2000). On a similar track, junior Lori Hillman has started in 66 consecutive games in her third season at Michigan.
U-M Career Games Played
| 1. | Stephanie Johnson (2000-03) | 95 |
| 2. | Jessica Rose (1999-2002) | 93 |
| 3. | Kristi Gannon (2000-03) | 91 |
| | Molly Powers (1999-2002) | 91 |
| | Catherine Foreman (1998-2001) | 91 |
| 6. | April Fronzoni (2000-03) | 90 |
| 7. | Courtney Reid (1997-2000) | 89 |
| Katy Moyneur (2001-04) | 89 | |
| | Adrienne Hortillosa (2001-04) | 89 |
| 9. | Kelli Gannon (1997-2000) | 86 |
| | Erica Widder (1996-99) | 86 |
Knowing When it Counts -- Seniors Adrienne Hortillosa and Jessica Blake both lead the Big Ten in game-winning goals this season with six deciding tallies. It is a career-high mark for Blake -- who recorded four game-winners in 2003 -- and matches a career high for Hortillosa. Sophomore Jill Civic also has multiple game-winners this season with two -- covering 50 percent of her season goal total -- while sophomore Mary Fox and sophomore/freshman Eleanor Martin have each notched her first career game-winning goal within the Wolverines' last three contests -- Fox vs. Penn State (Oct. 30) and Martin vs. Ohio State (Nov. 6).
You're a Superstar -- Fifth-year senior Kate Dillon (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Central HS) was selected to participate in the 2004 NFHCA North/South Senior All-Star Game, scheduled to take place on Saturday, Nov. 20, in Winston-Salem, N.C. During Dillon's four seasons in the U-M lineup, the Wolverines have registered an impressive 66-20 record and advanced to the NCAA Championships three times, including claiming the NCAA title in 2001. The Wolverine senior has appeared in 77 contests in the Michigan backfield and has posted one goal and four assists during her career. Dillon was one of 19 players -- including five from the Big Ten -- named to the North squad.
Free Hits -- The Wolverines' 5-0 victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals equals their largest margin of victory at the Big Ten Tournament, matching a 6-1 win against Northwestern at the 2001 event ... The Wolverines completed the home portion of their schedule with a 8-2 mark in Ann Arbor this season, outscoring its opponents 34-11 at Ocker Field ... Michigan posted a 8-2 mark on road and was 1-1 in neutral-site games ... U-M also wrapped up its regular-season non-conference schedule with a 9-4 record against teams outside of the Big Ten.
On the Horizon
If the Wolverines advance past the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament, they will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., for the 2004 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship, hosted by the Wake Forest. The semifinals are slated for Friday, Nov. 19, while the championship game will take place on Sunday, Nov. 21. All matches will be staged at Kentner Arena on the Wake Forest campus.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
