Belassi, Wilhite Lead Wolverine Domination of Vermont

Sunday, September 18

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

(5-3)

Vermont

(2-6)

Vermont

Michigan

Belassi, Wilhite Lead Wolverine Domination of Vermont

9/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ocker Field)
Score: #8 Michigan 5, Vermont 0
Records: U-M (5-3), Vermont (2-6)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Sep. 23 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 4:00 p.m.

Belassi, Wilhite Lead Wolverine Domination of Vermont

Event Recap| Boxscore| Photos| Notes & Quotes

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Backstopping the No. 8-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team to a 5-0 victory over Vermont on Sunday (Sept. 18), junior goalkeeper Beth Riley (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) earned her 35th career victory and claimed a share of the Michigan career wins record. The shutout was the second straight for the streaking Wolverines, who have posted five consecutive non-conference wins.

U-M dominated the play throughout the game, registering season-high marks in both shots and penalty corners. Freshman Sarah Wilhite (Hummelstown, Pa./Hershey HS) and sophomore Lucia Belassi (Paysandu, Uruguay/Liceo #1) each registered a pair of goals to lead the Wolverine scoring effort, while senior/junior captain Katie Morris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) extended her scoring streak to four games with a goal and two assists.

Wilhite opened the game's scoring at the 10:50 mark, capitalizing on a give-and-go with Morris for her first collegiate goal. The Wolverine freshman pushed the ball into play from the goal line, feeding it to Morris at the top of the circle. Morris uncorked a hard shot to the left side of the Catamount cage, where Wilhite redirected it behind UVM goalkeeper Erin Hickey.

Less than three minutes later, Belassi tallied her first marker of the season as the Wolverines rallied after a missed penalty-corner opportunity. With the push-in soaring well past the top of the circle, senior/junior Nicole Lonsway (Rockville, Md./Thomas Wootton HS) corralled the ball, carried it back to the top of the circle and sent a hard low shot toward the UVM cage. Belassi got her stick on it from the middle of the circle, tipping the ball to the lower right corner of the goal.

The Wolverines scored another quick pair of goals late in the opening frame to give themselves a four-goal cushion at the halftime break. Morris scored her sixth goal in four games at the 24:04 mark. As the ball bounced across the middle of the circle, the U-M captain used her backhand to swat it into the lower right corner. Belassi tallied her second marker of the game just four minutes later, tipping a hard shot from junior striker Kara Lentz (Manchester, Mass./St. Paul's School) past a steadfast Hickey into the upper right corner.

Wilhite added a U-M insurance tally late in the second half, carrying a pass from Morris to the middle of the Catamount striking circle, where she sent a hard, sweeping shot past Hickey to the left side.

Michigan outshot the Catamounts 29-8, including a 16-2 differential in the first half, and outcornered them 13-5. Riley earned her second straight shutout win with six saves -- four in the second half -- while Hickey made 17 stops on Michigan's 22 shots on goal.

Michigan will head to the Buckeye State next weekend for contests against Ohio State and Kent State. The Wolverines kick off the Big Ten Conference portion of their 2005 slate against OSU at 4 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 23) in Columbus, Ohio, before traveling to Kent, Ohio, for a noon meeting against the Golden Flashes on Sunday (Sept. 25).

MATCH SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Vermont	0	0	0
Michigan	4	1	5

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Sarah Wilhite, 10:50 (Katie Morris)
1st -- U-M, Lucia Belassi, 13:30 (Nicole Lonsway)
1st -- U-M, Morris, 24:04 (Wilhite)
1st -- U-M, Belassi, 28:14 (Kara Lentz)
2nd -- U-M, Wilhite, 65:12 (Morris)

Shots: U-M 29, UVM 8
Saves: U-M 6 (Beth Riley), UVM 17 (Erin Hickey)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, UVM 2
Penalty Corners: U-M 13, UVM 5
Penalty Strokes: U-M 1, UVM 0

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423