Michigan
(4-3)
Central Michigan
(2-3)
Riley Perfect in Goal as Michigan Shuts Out Chippewas
9/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- A pair of first-half goals were all the No. 8-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team needed to roll to its fourth straight win, a 2-0 decision over intrastate rival Central Michigan on Tuesday (Sept. 10) at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Junior goalkeeper Beth Riley (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) was perfect in the Wolverine cage, stopping all six CMU shots on goal to earn her first shutout of the season.
Michigan struck early in the contest as junior Jill Civic (Wescosville, Pa./Emmaus HS) took advantage of a Wolverine penalty corner opportunity, tipping in the direct shot from junior striker Kara Lentz (Manchester, Mass./St. Paul's School) for her first marker of the season. From her spot at the top of the circle, Lentz sent a hard, low shot to the right side of the cage, where Civic got a piece of it, redirecting the ball into the board behind Chippewa goalkeeper Danielle Frank.
Senior/junior captain Katie Morris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) continued her recent offensive tear, scoring an insurance goal with just 43 seconds remaining in the opening frame to earn her fifth tally in three games. The goal came off of a broken U-M corner as freshman Erin Dallas (Marlow, N.H./Keene HS) corralled the short push in the middle of the circle and carried the ball outside the circle before dishing a pass to Morris, who sent a shot into the lower left corner.
Michigan held a narrow 10-8 advantage in shots, and penalty corners were an even 11-11 in the contest. Riley picked up the shutout win -- the 10th of her U-M career -- with six saves, while Frank made four stops on Michigan's six shots on goal.
The Wolverines will return to Ann Arbor on Sunday (Sept. 18) to host a one-game homestand against Vermont. The non-conference match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at Phyllis Ocker Field.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Central Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Jill Civic, 9:37 (Kara Lentz)
1st -- U-M, Katie Morris, 34:17 (unassisted)
Shots: U-M 10, CMU 8
Saves: U-M 6 (Beth Riley), CMU 4 (Danielle Frank)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, CMU 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 11, CMU 11
Penalty Strokes: None
Q U O T E S
Senior/Junior Forward Katie Morris
On her scoring streak ... "The team is working really hard, and I feel like I'm just taking advantage of my opportunities. I approach every game the same way; I'm getting a lot of chances and making the most of them. Scoring goals is my job as a forward, so I'm just playing my role."
On the team's momentum ... "We're always happy to get the wins, but at the same time, we know we still have a lot to work on. It's definitely nice that the wins are finally coming after starting the season with three losses. We're not where we want to be yet, but we'll keep taking the wins as they come."
Junior Goalkeeper Beth Riley
On earning the shutout ..."It's always nice to have a shutout, and I think it's really good for the team. We've had goals scored against us in every game this season, so it's good for the defense, and for the offense, to keep the ball out of the cage. It's exciting to get the first one under our belt, and it's a confidence builder to know that we can do it and we've done it before.
On a goalkeeper's mentality ..."I always want to focus on communicating with my team and directing the defense to keep myself mentally into the game even when I'm not facing a lot of shots. When I am facing a lot shots, and if I give up a goal, I work on resetting my mental attitude and just take every shot as it is, put those goals in the past and refocus."
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Civic, Jill (1)
Assisted By: Lentz, Kara
GOAL by MICH Civic, Jill (FIRST GOAL), Assist by Lentz, Kara, goal number 1 for season.
9:37
Morris, Katie (6)
GOAL by MICH Morris, Katie, goal number 6 for season.
34:17
