Michigan Rallies Past Miami, Extends Win Streak to Six

Sunday, September 30

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

(4-7)

Miami (Ohio)

(8-4)

Miami

Michigan

Michigan Rallies Past Miami, Extends Win Streak to Six

9/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Boxscore | Photos

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team extended its win streak to six games with a 4-2 victory against Miami (Ohio) on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 30) at Phyllis Ocker Field. Four Wolverine players registered goals as U-M rallied from an early deficit for the fifth time this season.

Michigan (8-4) trailed for much of the first half after the RedHawks opened scoring at the 19:47 mark on a rebound tally by Teja Kammler. The goal came out of the chaos in front of the U-M cage following Miami's first penalty-corner opportunity of the match. The direct shot was blocked, but the Wolverines could not clear the ball as Kammler corralled it and pushed it past junior/sophomore goalkeeper Paige Pickett (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas).

Miami continued to pressure immediately after its goal, but the Wolverines stepped up in the final 10 minutes of the half to earn a number of scoring opportunities. After a couple missed penalty corners and wide shots, junior Stephanie Hoyer (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) made one count on a solo effort at the 33:04 mark, equalizing the score just before the end of the half. Hoyer controlled the ball on the left side of the circle, lost it momentarily, but got it back and ripped a low reverse shot to the back of the Miami cage.

The Wolverines maintained their momentum out of the halftime break as senior Ashley Lennington (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle HS) gave her team its first lead and put the Wolverines ahead for good less than two minutes into the second frame. Play quickly moved into the RedHawk circle with the start of the half and set up directly in front of goalkeeper Megan Stengel. The ball was batted around several times before Lennington got a piece of it and slammed it into the goal.

Senior captain Lucia Belassi (Paysandu, Uruguay/Liceo #1) extended Michigan's lead and scored the eventual game-winning goal on a Wolverine penalty corner at 44:38. She received the ball on the top left side of the circle and rocketed a low shot to the near corner, around the outstretched pads of Stengel. Senior Jillianne Whitfield (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) and junior Michaela McDermott (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights HS) earned assists on the stop and the push, respectively. It was Belassi's second game-winning goal of the weekend.

Just seconds after failing to convert on a penalty stroke, Miami made it a one-goal game at the 46:26 mark with a successful tip in front of the U-M cage. Danielle Gaynor fired the initial shot from the top of the circle, and Alyssa Nye got her stick on it to redirect it low past Pickett.

The Wolverines responded quickly, reestablishing their two-goal advantage less than three minutes later as sophomore Kelly Fitzpatrick (Hummelstown, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) collected her second goal in as many games with a redirection at the 49:19 mark. Hoyer controlled the ball at the top right side of the Miami circle and rifled a pass to Fitzpatrick, who was camped out on the far post. Fitzpatrick connected and, with the RedHawk goalkeeper out of position, tipped the ball into the left side of the cage.

Michigan owned the overall advantage in shots and penalty corners in the contest by 16-9 and 5-4 advantages, respectively. Pickett earned four saves for the Wolverines, upping her season total to 54, while Stengel and Kelsey Dean shared time in the Miami cage and each collected a save.

The Wolverines will continue Big Ten play next weekend with a road contest against intrastate rival Michigan State. U-M will travel to East Lansing, Mich., on Friday (Oct. 5) for a 4 p.m. meeting in the MSU Field Hockey Complex.

MATCH SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Miami (Ohio)	1	1	2
Michigan	1	3	4

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- Miami, Teja Kammler, 19:47 (unassisted)
1st -- U-M, Stephanie Hoyer, 33:04 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Ashley Lennington, 36:46 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Lucia Belassi, 44:38 (Jillianne Whitfield, Michaela McDermott)
2nd -- Miami, Aylssa Nye, 46:26 (Danielle Gaynor)
2nd -- U-M, Kelly Fitzpatrick, 49:19 (Hoyer)

Shots: U-M 16, Miami 9
Saves: U-M 4 (Paige Pickett), Miami 2 (Megan Stengel 1, Kelsey Dean 1)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, Miami 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 5, Miami 4
Penalty Strokes: U-M 0, Miami 1

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423