Michigan
(14-5, 6-0Big Ten)
Stanford
(8-7, 4-1NorPac)
Wolverines Return to Winning Ways with Rout of Stanford
10/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Site: Palo Alto, Calif. (Maxwell Family Field)
Score: #4 Michigan 6, Stanford 0
Records: U-M (14-5), Stanford (8-7)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Nov. 2 -- at Big Ten Tournament Semifinals (Columbus, Ohio), Noon
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- After having its 11-game win streak halted Saturday (Oct. 27), the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team got back to its winning ways, thumping Stanford by a 6-0 margin Sunday (Oct. 28) on Maxwell Family Field in U-M's regular-season finale. Sophomore Kelly Fitzpatrick (Hummelstown, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) scored a pair of goals to pace the Wolverine offensive effort, while junior/sophomore goalkeeper Paige Pickett (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas) notched her fourth shutout of the year with a five-save performance in the cage.
The Wolverines were a little slow to get going in the first half, but, after converting their third penalty-corner opportunity of the contest to gain the only lead they would need, U-M established its dominance on offense with three more goals in the first frame and two in the second.
After U-M drove three hard shots at Stanford goalkeeper Madison Bell, senior captain Lucia Belassi (Paysandu, Uruguay/Liceo #1) got one past her at the 10:06 mark, using the direct shot on a Wolverine penalty corner to collect her fourth game-winning tally of the season. Senior Jillianne Whitfield (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) and junior Sarah Wilhite (Hummelstown, Pa./Hershey HS) earned assists on the stop and the push, respectively. Fitzpatrick scored her first of two markers at 18:51 despite the Wolverines being shorthanded with Whitfield off for a yellow card.
The Wolverines provided a cushion late in the first half with a pair of goals in the closing seven minutes of the frame to build up a four-goal advantage entering the halftime break. Fifth-year senior Kristen Tiner (Houston, Texas/The Kinkaid School) completed the Wolverines' second successful penalty-corner conversion of the contest and netted her first goal in eight games on a blast from the top of the circle at 28:09. Just a little more than four minutes later, Fitzpatrick claimed her second tally on Michigan's final shot of the frame, using a hard shot from the right side of the circle to beat Bell.
Michigan's onslaught continued early in the second half when junior Stephanie Hoyer (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) converted on the Wolverines' first shot of the frame at the 36:30. Michigan quickly stormed into the Stanford circle, where the U-M forward scooped up a loose ball in front of the cage and batted it past Bell.
Laytos capped the game's scoring midway through the half when she took advantage of the chaos following a U-M penalty corner to corral the rebound -- off of Belassi's initial direct shot -- and push it around Bell at 53:52.
Michigan boasted significant advantages in both statistical categories, outshooting the Cardinal 21-8, including a 9-0 differential in the second half, and outcornering them 14-4. Pickett stopped all five of Stanford's shots on goal, while Bell tallied 10 saves in the losing effort.
The top-seeded Wolverines will face the winner of the Penn State/Ohio State match at noon on Friday (Nov. 2) in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Columbus, Ohio. The second semifinal game will pit the winners of Michigan State/Northwestern and Iowa/Indiana. All games will be held at Ohio State's North Turf Field.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Stanford | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Lucia Belassi, 10:06 (Jillianne Whitfield, Sarah Wilhite)
1st -- U-M, Kelly Fitzpatrick, 18:51 (unassisted)
1st -- U-M, Kristen Tiner, 28:09 (Whitfield, Wilhite)
1st -- U-M, Fitzpatrick, 32:17 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Stephanie Hoyer, 36:30 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Paige Laytos, 53:52 (unassisted)
Shots: U-M 21, Stanford 8
Saves: U-M 5 (Paige Pickett), Stanford 8 (Madison Bell)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, Stanford 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 14, Stanford 4
Penalty Strokes: None
Team Stats
Belassi, Lucia (11)
Assisted By: Wilhite, Sarah , Whitfield, Jillianne
textbook penalty corner with two assists
10:06
Fitzpatrick, Kelly (9)
GOAL by MICH Fitzpatrick, Kelly, goal number 9 for season.
18:51
Tiner, Kristen (3)
Assisted By: Wilhite, Sarah , Whitfield, Jillianne
scored following penalty corner
28:09
Fitzpatrick, Kelly (10)
fired shot from right wing of the circle
32:17
Hoyer, Stephanie (6)
collected loose ball and fired past keep
36:30
Laytos, Paige (4)
inside box, gathered rebound and found n
53:52
