Weekly Release #11

2006 Big Ten Tournament Schedule
Friday-Sunday, Nov. 3-5
Phyllis Ocker Field Ann Arbor, Michigan

Friday, Nov. 3 First Round
Game 1 -- #2 seed Indiana vs. #7 seed Michigan State, 10 a.m.
Game 2 -- #4 seed Michigan vs. #5 seed Iowa, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3 -- #3 seed Penn State vs. #6 seed Northwestern, 3 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 4 Semifinals
Game 4 -- #1 seed Ohio State vs. Game 2 winner, 11 a.m.
Game 5 -- Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 5 Championship Game
Game 6 -- Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.

CSTV will broadcast the championship game on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 5:30 p.m. EST.

This Week's Lineup -- Hosting the Big Ten Tournament
No. 4-seeded Michigan (11-8, 4-2 Big Ten) will host fifth-seeded Iowa on Friday (Nov. 3) at 12:30 p.m. in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at Phyllis Ocker Field. If the Wolverines win, they will face No. 1 seed Ohio State on Saturday (Nov. 4) at 11 a.m. The winner of the tournament will earn an automatic birth into the NCAA Tournament.

Tournament Notes
Looking for Another Trophy -- Michigan will look to defend its Big Ten Tournament championship from last season and capture its fifth in school history. The Wolverines won back to-back tournament crowns in 1999 and 2000, and again in 2004 and 2005. The Wolverines are tied with Penn State for the most conference tournament titles since its inception in 1994. Both teams boast a 14-8 mark (.636), tied for the best winning percentage in the Big Ten Tournament. U-M has advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game in seven of the last eight seasons.

Awards Week -- The Big Ten will announce its award winners for the 2006 season on Thursday (Nov. 2) at its annual awards banquet. The Wolverines have won 13 individual awards over the previous five seasons and have boasted at least two individuals on the All-Big Ten First Team in the each of the last seven seasons, including four selections in 2002.

Host with the Most -- The University of Michigan has previously hosted just one Big Ten Tournament -- the 2000 event -- when the Wolverines captured their second straight conference tournament crown with a 3-2 victory over Penn State. Michigan held the No. 1 seed after claiming the regular-season title and defeated Ohio State in the semifinals.

Home Sweet Home -- The Wolverines own an impressive 57-10 record at Phyllis Ocker Field since 2000, including a perfect 10-0 mark during the 2002 campaign and a pair of 12-game winning streaks. This season, the Wolverines completed the home portion of their regular-season schedule with a 7-1 mark in Ann Arbor, outscoring its opponents 29-11 at Ocker Field.

A Senior Moment -- This weekend's Big Ten Tournament will mark the final conference appearance by members of Michigan's five-player senior class: Jill Civic, Mary Fox, Kara Lentz, Eleanor Martin and Beth Riley. All five have played significant roles in the Wolverines' back-to-back championship performances. Each of the field players has tallied at least one goal in Big Ten Tournament action and boasted a combined six roles and four assists. In the U-M cage, Riley has claimed a 5-1 record in conference tournament games, registering a 0.99 goals-against average, .760 save percentage and two shutouts. Riley was selected to the 2005 Big Ten All-Tournament team.

Michigan vs. the Big Ten Tournament Field ...
Penn State: Michigan owns an all-time record of 9-21 against Penn State but has won seven of the last 10 meetings. In the regular-season match, the Nittany Lions scored a pair of goals in each half en route to a 4-0 victory in State College, Pa. PSU owns a slim 4-3 advantage against Michigan in Big Ten Tournament play. U-M upset the sixth-ranked Nittany Lions in last season's conference tournament semifinal.

Iowa: The Wolverines trail 13- 32 in the all-time series against Iowa but have been dominant of late, winning 12 of the last 15 contests between the storied programs. The Wolverines battled to a 2-1 overtime win over the Hawkeyes when the two teams met for the regular- season affair in Iowa City. Michigan is a perfect 3-0 against Iowa in Big Ten Tournament action -- the first two matches were closely-fought, one-goal championship games (1999, 2004) while in last season's meeting, U-M squeezed past the Hawkeyes 3-2 in the opening round.

Michigan State: Michigan leads the all-time series with Michigan State 32-21-6 and has won 12 of the last 14 meetings against the Spartans. In this years regular-season match, the Wolverines scored a pair of second-half tallies and held on for a 2-1 victory in Ann Arbor. Michigan and MSU have faced each other on just one occasion at the Big Ten Tournament with the Spartans taking a 3-0 win in 2002.

Ohio State: The Wolverines own a 28-21-1 record against Ohio State and have won 14 of the last 18 meetings. OSU narrowly edged the Wolverines in overtime during the regular season, halting the Michigan comeback just 1:51 in the extra frame for a 3-2 decision. Michigan has squared off against Ohio State eight times at the Big Ten Tournament -- more than any other school -- and owns a 5-3 record.

Northwestern: Michigan trails 17-28 in the all-time series with Northwestern but has won each of the last 15 meetings dating back to the 1997 campaign. In the regular-season meeting between the two teams just last weekend, U-M scored a pair of second-half tallies en route to a 3-1 victory in Ann Arbor. Junior Lucia Belassi paced the Wolverine effort with two goals, including the gamewinner at the 62:05 mark. Michigan has twice faced Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament and owns a perfect 2-0 record.

Indiana: Michigan owns a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series against Indiana, and the Wolverines have won seven of eight meetings since the Hoosiers reinstituted their program in 2000. U-M claimed the regular-season match in Bloomington, Ind., using a first-half goal off the penalty corner to secure a 1-0 win and deal the Hoosiers their first Big Ten loss of the year. Michigan cruised to a 3-0 victory in last season's Big Ten Tournament championship game -- the only previous meeting between the two programs at the conference tournament. U-M built up an early three-goal cushion in the first half, while goalkeeper Beth Riley was perfect in the U-M cage with seven saves for the shut-out effort.

STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll
With their 3-1 victory over Northwestern in the regular-season final (Oct. 29), the Wolverines jumped into the No. 15 spot in the most recent STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, released on Tuesday (Oct. 31). The STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll can be found by visiting the NFHCA's site.

STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll (10/31/06)

Rank, Team (first-place votes) Points 1. Maryland (33) 698 2. Wake Forest (1) 678 3. Old Dominion (1) 656 4. Duke 593 5. Ohio State 581 6. Penn State 502 7. Boston College 480 8. North Carolina 461 9. Connecticut 424 10. Virginia 361 11. Providence 336 12. Indiana 314 13. California 294 14. Louisville 293 15. MICHIGAN 219 16. Richmond 160 17. James Madison 105 18. Hofstra 80 19. American 68 20. Villanova 67

Lighting the Lamp Early
The Wolverines have scored the first goal to take the initial lead in eight contests this season and own a perfect 8-0 record in such scenario. U-M is similarly a perfect 5-0 when taking a lead into the halftime intermission. On the other side of the coin, Michigan owns a 3-8 record when the opposing team scores first and is 1-5 when trailing at halftime.

Youre A Super Star
Seniors Mary Fox and Kara Lentz have been selected to participate in the 2006 NFHCA Senior All-Star Game, scheduled to take place on Saturday, Nov. 18, in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Wolverines have posted a strong 60-28 record over the last four years with Fox and Lentz on the roster. Fox was a NFHCA All-West Region selection in 2005 and has twice earned All-Big Ten accolades. Lentz has been a four-year fixture among the U-M backfield, and, as a primary striker on the Wolverines' penalty corner over the last two seasons, has compiled career stats of nine goals and 13 assists. The U-M pair were among 38 players selected, including nine representatives from the Big Ten.

Fantastic Freshmen
A pair of U-M newcomers rank among the Michigan's top five in scoring this season as freshman Kelly Fitzpatrick and Paige Laytos possess a combined 28 points. Fitzpatrick ranks second in goals and third in points with 7-1-15 totals, while Laytos shares the fifth spot with 4-5-13 stats.

A First Time for Everything
Three Wolverines earned their first collegiate goal during the 2006 regular season -- freshmen Kelly Fitzpatrick, Jenner Johnson and Paige Laytos. Fitzpatrick and Laytos as well as juniors Ashley Lennington and Jillianne Whitfield and sophomore Michaela McDermott picked up their first collegiate assists.

Lending a Helping Hand
Senior Mary Fox assisted on both Michigan goals against Ohio State (Oct. 22), bringing her four-year total to 28 career helpers. She climbed to the fifth spot among U-Ms all-time assists leaders, where she is tied with three-time All-American Kelli Gannon (1997-2000). Fox needs three more assists to reach the fourth position, held by Jennifer Lupinski (31, 1992-95).

A Year to Remember
Leading the Wolverines in scoring at the completion of the regular season, junior forward Lucia Belassi has registered career highs in every scoring category with 10-5-25 totals. Belassi's previous bests had been seven goals, which she recorded last season, and four assists, a stat from her freshman year.

Eight is Great
Junior Lucia Belassis eight points against Central Michigan (Oct. 10) were the most in a single game by a U-M player since Jessica Blake scored four goals against CMU on Sept. 17, 2004 -- a contest in which Belassi, as a freshman, recorded six points on two goals and two assists.

A Career Year
Junior Ashley Lennington, who moved to the forward line from the midfield this season, has netted a career-high five goals this year. Lennington, who ranks fourth on the team with 5-5-15 totals in 19 appearances this season, previously notched just one goal in 38 games through her first two years.

Saving the Best for Last
With seven saves in the regular-season finale against Northwestern (Oct. 29), senior Beth Riley continued to inch her way up Michigan's career saves list, bringing her total to 350 stops during her U-M tenure. The Wolverine goalkeeper ranks sixth in the category in the programs 33-year history and needs just three more saves to reach the fifth position, currently held by Joanne Green (353, 1985-89). Jonnie Terry (1981-84) owns the school record in career saves with 462.

Shutting Down the Competition
Senior goalkeeper Beth Riley picked up her 16th career shutout in the Wolverines 1-0 win at Indiana (Oct. 15). Riley owns the fourth spot among Michigans all-time leaders in the category, needing just one more to reach the third position, currently held by Rachael Geisthardt (17, 1992-95).

Feeling Week(ly) in the Knees
Three Wolverine players netted Big Ten Player of the Week accolades during the 2006
season -- a pair of offensive nods and one defensive citation:

Junior Lucia Belassi claimed the first Big Ten weekly honor of her career on Oct. 16,
when she received the offensive nod for her eight-point effort in Michigans explosive
7-2 win against Central Michigan (Oct. 10). Belassi contributed to all but one of the UM
tallies in its 7-2 victory over CMU, registering two goals and four assists.

Freshman Paige Laytos also nabbed the first Big Ten weekly honor of her career
on Oct. 9, when she received the offensive nod for her standout performance in
Michigans weekend sweep against Michigan State and Miami (Ohio). Laytos scored
her first collegiate goal -- the eventual gamewinner -- midway through the second
half against the Spartans after earlier assisting on the first tally of the game. The U-M
rookie wasted little time before securing her second marker of the season, capping the
Wolverines 5-3 comeback win at Miami with a goal in the final minute of regulation.

Senior goalkeeper Beth Riley claimed the Wolverines first Big Ten weekly honor
of the 2006 season on Sept. 18, when she received the defensive nod for her standout
performance in Michigans weekend sweep at home against Ball State and No. 11
Louisville. Riley registered a perfect 105 minutes of playing time, stopping all six shots
faced, including several point-blank opportunities by Louisville. It was the third career
weekly award for the Wolverine goalkeeper.

Free Hits
With a 4-2 record against Big Ten schools this season, Michigan improved its all-time conference mark to 92-114-9 (.449). The Wolverines are 33-9 against Big Ten competition since 2000 ... Nine different Wolverine players scored at least one goal this season ... Senior/junior Kristen Tiner owns four goals this season, three of which are gamewinners. Junior Lucia Belassi leads the team with four game-winning tallies.

On the Horizon
The Wolverines will await selection to the 2006 NCAA Tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Nov. 11, at four campus sites around the country. Should Michigan win the Big Ten Tournament, it will be awarded the conferences automatic bid, one of six automatic qualifiers determined by the NCAA. The NCAA Tournament field is 16 teams and will be unveiled at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7.