Weekly Release #10

Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Oct. 28 -- vs. Iowa (Ocker Field), 3 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 30 -- vs. Lousiville (Ocker Field), 1 p.m.
Fri-Sun., Nov. 4-6 -- at Big Ten Tournament (Iowa City, Iowa)

This Week's Lineup -- vs. Iowa, Louisville
The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team wrap up the regular-season portion of its 2005 slate, hosting Iowa and Louisville this weekend at Phyllis Ocker Field in Ann Arbor, Mich. On Friday (Oct. 28), the Wolverines will face the No. 10 Hawkeyes in a Big Ten Conference match scheduled for 3 p.m. Michigan will play its regular-season finale on Sunday (Oct. 30) against No. 16 Lousville at 1 p.m. (please note the start time; this game was listed at 2 p.m. on some schedules).

Wolverines to Collect Donations for Maria Whitehead
In support of Saint Louis Univerisity head coach Maria Whitehead, who is currently receiving therapy for malignant melanoma, the Michigan field hockey program will have donation buckets at its final two contests of the season, scheduled for Friday and Sunday (Oct. 28-30). The donation drive, organized by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, took effect on Saturday, Oct. 15 at numerous participating schools. To kickstart the drive, the NFHCA also donated $1 for every goal scored on Oct. 15. All funds collected will go to aiding coach Whitehead and her family.

A Senior Moment
Michigan will honor its five-member senior class on Sunday (Oct. 30) before squaring off against Louisville. Senior Lori Hillman will have exhausted her eligibility after this season, while the other four -- Nicole Lonsway, Lauren MacMillan, Katie Morris and Catherine Pickard -- are graduating from the University in the spring.

Scouting the Hawkeyes
Michigan trails 10-32 in the all-time series with Iowa but has won nine of the last 12 meetings. The two programs split a pair of contests last season with Iowa claiming the regular-season affair and U-M winning in the Big Ten Tournament final. The Hawkeyes rallied from a three-goal halftime deficit to clinch a 4-3 overtime victory when the teams faced each other on Oct. 10 in Iowa City. Michigan got the final say, however, a month later when junior/sophomore Katie Morris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS), sophomore Mary Fox (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy) and senior Jessica Blake combined to give the Wolverines a 3-0 victory en route to the program's third conference tournament crown. The Hawkeyes are 10-5 this season and 3-2 in Big Ten competition. In its last outing, Iowa defeated streaking Indiana 2-1 in overtime. For more information on Iowa, visit www.hawkeyesports.com.

Scouting the Cardinals
The Wolverines own a 5-0 advantage in the all-time series with Louisville with four wins coming by virtue of a shutout. In the last meeting between the two programs -- on Oct. 6, 2003 -- Michigan needed double overtime to defeat the Cardinals 3-2. Freshman Jill Civic (Wescosville, Pa./Emmaus HS) scored the gamewinner at the 92:40 mark of the contest. Junior Jessica Blake and senior Stephanie Johnson also tallied goals for the Wolverines. Louisville is 12-6 this season and wrapped up the home portion of its schedule last weekend with wins over Rutgers and Radford. For information on Louisville field hockey, visit www.uoflsports.com.

STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll
Despite wins over California and Pacific last weekend (Oct. 22-23), the Wolverines dropped a spot to the No. 11 position in the most recent STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, released on Tuesday (Oct. 25). Demonstrating the strength of the Big Ten Conference this season, six Big Ten schools are listed among the top 15 in this week's national rankings, including four in the top 10. The STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll can be found by visiting the NFHCA's site.

STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll (10/25/05)

Rank, Team (record) Points Previous 1. Wake Forest (16-0) 440 1 
2. Duke (12-3) 402 2 
3. Maryland (16-2) 401 3 
4. North Carolina (12-4) 361 4 
5. American (15-0) 347 5 
6. Penn State (16-1) 342 6 
7. Old Dominion (13-5) 322 7 
8. Ohio State (15-4) 267 9 
9. Indiana (13-2) 265 8 
10. Iowa (10-5) 248 11 
11. MICHIGAN (11-6) 224 10 
12. Connecticut (13-4) 192 12 
13. Northeastern (14-4) 157 13 
14. Boston College (12-4) 152 14 
15. Michigan State (10-7) 132 15 
16. Louisville (12-6) 110 16 
17. Villanova (14-4) 108 17 
18. Boston University (11-5) 40 18 
19. James Madison (10-7) 39 19 
20. Virginia (8-8) 34 20

Statistically Speaking ...
National statistics, compiled by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), are released every Tuesday during the season. Junior goalkeeper Beth Riley holds down the 20th spot on the nation's saves list with 98 stops.

Among the Big Ten Conference, senior/junior Katie Morris clings to a share of the 10th spot in goals (9), while junior Mary Fox holds the 10th position in assists per game (0.38). On the defensive end, senior Lori Hillman ranks second with three defensive saves and junior Beth Riley sits second in saves (98) and shutouts (4) and listed third in both saves per game (5.76) and save percentage (.748). Throughout the 2005 season, the latest standings and statistics from the Big Ten can be found by visiting the Big Ten's website.

You're An All Star
Senior Lori Hillman and senior/junior Katie Morris were selected to participate in the 2005 NFHCA North/South Senior All-Star Game, scheduled to take place on Saturday, Nov. 19, in Louisville, Ky. The Wolverines have posted a strong 61-22 record over the last four years with Hillman and Morris on the roster. Hillman was a NFHCA All-America third team selection in 2004 and earned both Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Tournament MVP honors. Morris experienced breakout success last season, setting the U-M record for goals by a sophomore and ranking third overall in scoring. The U-M pair were named to the 19-player North squad, which boasts nine representatives from the Big Ten Conference.

The Life of Riley
With Michigan's 4-3 win at Kent State (Sept. 25), junior Beth Riley earned her 36th career win to take sole possession of Michigan's all-time wins record. With five straight U-M wins, she improved her own mark to 41 career victories. Riley also climbed to sixth on Michigan's career shutouts list with the Wolverines' 1-0 victory at Michigan State (Oct. 6).
After her 3-0 shutout against Pacific last Sunday (Oct. 23), Riley moved to fifth on Michigan's all-time shutouts list with the 13th perfect game of her career. She shares the position with Maureen Tasch (13, 1998-2001) and needs two more to climb to fourth, currently held by Molly Maloney (2000-2004).
Finally , Riley also claimed sole possession of the third spot on Michigan's career games played rankings with her 55th slate. She needs just two more second spot, currently held by Jonnie Terry (56, 1981-84).

Free Hits
With their weekend wins, the Wolverines improved to 5-0 in the all-time series against California and 6-0 against Pacific. The Wolverines also own an impressive 29-2-1 record against teams from the NorPac Conference.

Michigan owns a 6-2 mark this season against teams from the NCAA West Region. The Wolverines will square off against a tough pair of regional foes this weekend in Iowa and Lousiville.

With two assists against California, senior captain moved to the ninth spot on Michigan's career assists list. She is tied with Gia Biagi (1992-95) and needs just two more markers to reach the eight position, currently held by Shelley Johnson (23, 1996-97).

Hillman, Fuchs Earn Seventh-Place USA Finish at Junior Worlds
Behind the play of senior captain Lori Hillman and guidance of assistant coach Tracey Fuchs, the USA Under-21 team posted a 4-2-2 mark en route seventh place -- its best finish in four appearances -- at the Junior World Cup, held Sept. 14-25, in Santiago, Chile. Hillman started every game in the U.S. backfield and contributed to just 14 goals allowed against the toughest junior teams in the world. Team USA wrapped up the competition with a 4-2 victory over South Africa in the seventh/eighth-place contest.

On the Horizon
The Wolverines will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, next weekend for the Big Ten Tournament, hosted by Iowa. The first round is slated for Friday, Nov. 4, while the semifinals will take place on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Big Ten championship game and the automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament will be contested on Sunday, Nov. 6. All matches will take place at Grant Field on the campus of UI.