Wolverines Surge Past Stanford in Home Opener

Friday, September 5

Ann Arbor, Mich.

5:00 PM

Michigan

(1-2)

Stanford

(0-3)

Team	1	2	Final F
Stanford	1	0	1
Michigan	2	3	5

9/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Leah Howard

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ocker Field)
Event: Michigan/Cardinal Invitational
Score: #9 Michigan 5, Stanford 1
Records: U-M (1-2), Stanford (0-3)
Next U-M Match: Sunday, Sept. 7 -- vs. No. 2 Maryland at Michigan/Cardinal Invitational (Phyllis Ocker Field), 1 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team picked up its first win of the 2008 campaign in its home opener, cruising past Stanford 5-1 on Friday evening (Sept. 5) in front of 492 fans at Phyllis Ocker Field. Four different Wolverine players tallied goals in the effort, including three players that claimed first career markers.

Junior forward Kelly Fitzpatrick (Hummelstown, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) headlined Michigan's offense with a pair of goals -- one in each half -- to net her fourth career multi-goal performance. Sophomore forward Alicia Mayer (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove HS) and senior back Sarah Wilhite (Hummelstown, Pa./Hershey HS) also posted multiple points as Mayer contributed to the Wolverines' first two tallies with a goal and an assist and Wilhite recorded a pair of helpers.

Michigan controlled the early portion of the game but could not capitalize in the Cardinal defensive third until late in the opening half. Mayer created her own opportunity to put the Wolverines on the board at the 23:38 mark. Wilhite threaded a pass through the legs of a Stanford defender to Mayer who carried it into the circle down the right side of the field. As Cardinal goalkeeper Beth Ridley stepped out to challenge, Mayer knocked the ball into the far opposite corner to earn her first collegiate goal.

Mayer did a fair share of the work on Michigan's next goal less than five minutes later, chasing down a long forward pass in the Stanford circle before dishing a goal-mouth feed to Fitzpatrick who dove to get her stick on it and redirect the ball past Ridley.

Stanford scored on its first significant opportunity of the game to cut the U-M lead to one at halftime. Rachel Monzentar gained control of the ball deep in the Wolverine circle and passed it to Stephanie Byrne camped out on the right post. Bryne then redirected the ball through the legs of senior/junior goalkeeper Paige Pickett (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas).

The Wolverines responded early in the second half, wasting little time before cushioning their lead with a pair of goals within the opening eight minutes of the frame. Fitzpatrick registered her second marker of the contest on a solo effort in the Stanford circle. With possession of the ball in front of the cage, Fitzpatrick's feet became tangled and as she started to fall, she pushed the ball past Ridley.

Senior back Michaela McDermott (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights HS) posted her first collegiate tally just two minutes later, successfully converting on the Wolverines' first penalty-corner opportunity of the half. The U-M captain accepted the push on the right side of the circle and blasted a shot that skipped on the turf and found the board in the back of the cage.

Sophomore/freshman midfielder Katie Adams (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson HS) wrapped up the Wolverines' scoring with her first collegiate goal at the 60:42 mark. With a Stanford player running alongside her, senior forward Stephanie Hoyer (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) carried the ball into the circle and laid a perfect drop pass to Adams at the top of the circle. Adams then fired a shot off the stick of a Cardinal defender and past Ridley.

U-M outshot the Cardinal 12-6 and outcornered its opponent 5-2. Pickett earned one save in the U-M cage, sprawling out to stop a point-blank penalty-corner chance in the second half, while Ridley stopped five of Michigan's 10 shots on goal.

Michigan will return to action on Sunday (Sept. 7) with a non-conference slate against No. 2 Maryland. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at Ocker Field.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Stanford	1	0	1
Michigan	2	3	5

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Alicia Mayer, 23:38 (Sarah Wilhite)
1st -- U-M, Kelly Fitzpatrick, 28:18 (Mayer)
1st -- STAN, Stephanie Byrne, 30:42 (Rachel Mozenter)
2nd -- U-M, Fitzpatrick, 40:13 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Michala McDermott, 42:25 (Wilhite)
2nd -- U-M, Katie Adams, 60:42 (Stephanie Hoyer)

Shots: U-M 12, STAN 6
Saves: U-M 1 (Paige Pickett), STAN 5 (Beth Ridley 5, Alessandra Moss 0)
Defensive Saves: U-M 1, STAN 5
Penalty Corners: U-M 5, STAN 2

NOTES

• With today's victory, Michigan improved to 6-0 in the all-time series against Stanford. In those contests, U-M has outscored the Cardinal 20-1.

• Michigan's five goals against Stanford are the most scored in a game since last season's regular-season finale when the Wolverines notched six -- against Stanford.

• Junior Kelly Fitzpatrick has tallied two goals in each of the Wolverines' last two meeting against Stanford. Her markers against the Cardinal account for 20 percent of her career total.

• Senior Sarah Wilhite has recorded a pair of assists in each of the last two U-M games, and, with four assists on the year, she has already matched her previous career total. Wilhite entered the 2008 season with three career goals and four helpers.

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Nancy Cox
On the Wolverines' goal-scoring improvements from last weekend ... "Certainly, we hope the productivity in our attack penalty-corner unit improves. Technically, we have a number of improvements to make before we play Maryland on Sunday. But the more people we have that can put the ball in the back of the net, the more people the opposing team has to worry about. Finishing is a real skill. Statistically, we'd like to put the ball in the net more frequently, but I think the motion that our forwards and midfielders demonstrated today was marked improvement from last weekend.

"Structurally, our forwards played as well as I've seen them play this year. So, I was very pleased with that. We were really playing to have interchanges from forward to forward and forward to midfield, and I think our players demonstrated tremendous growth today in that match. They're becoming more comfortable, across the forward line, with intermixing and working with different units. That's something you have to have across your forward line -- whoever is out there with me, I'm working off of her, because I'm mindful of where she is and she's mindful of where I am, and we're doing the job we need to do."

On the impact of Michigan's forward-line speed ... "Well, speed kills. Today you saw our players work very hard and possess awareness off of one another. They're becoming more confident within their respective units and in knowing where their teammates are on the field. They're also being more decisive within their units -- I'm going to the ball, everyone respond. Being decisive, in our sport and on this team, is critically important to our success. Today you saw a group of young women who were decisive, made their decisions and then played what they created off of their runs."

On the play of sophomore Alicia Mayer ... "Anyone who possesses the foot speed that she has Now as a sophomore, she is starting to gain some confidence and is starting to improve technically over the ball -- although she still has a way to go. I think what we're seeing in Alicia Mayer is her confidence with in terms of the structure for the forwards, whether it be in our press or whether it be starting narrow and working to the sidelines or starting wider and working back toward the middle of the field. What we saw today is just a young woman who is gaining confidence with every match."

U-M Junior Forward Kelly Fitzpatrick
On the Michigan victory today ... "It feels good, especially after last weekend when I wasn't able to tally any points. Our team just played awesome today. Our forward line was on. Everything we did was textbook just as it should be."

On Michigan's numerous scoring opportunities ... "I think everyone is stepping up -- forwards, midfield and defense. I don't think we're going to have a go-to player like Lucia Belassi, and, honestly, I don't necessarily think we need one. As long as everyone knows how to finish, which I think we demonstrated today, we'll be fine. We had a lot more opportunities today than we did last weekend. This past week, the forward line really worked on recycling, movement and just finishing the ball hard. In this game, we didn't let any ball leave the circle until we got a shot or a corner. We were a lot more aggressive today; we played Big Ten hockey."

U-M Senior Back Michaela McDermott
On netting her first collegiate goal ... "I was actually working yesterday with our volunteer coach Lauren Ehrlichman on corners, and I told her, 'I've got to get on the corner unit; it's the only way I'm going to score a goal.' Sure enough, Tracey [Fuchs] gave the nod on the one today, and I did it."

On building on current momentum ... "Nancy [Cox] always talks about the process, and it's true. Every game, we're going to get better. We have really made strides -- from game one to game two and now to game three. We still have a lot of things to do, but we know that it's not about where we've been but where we're going."

On Michigan finishing its chances today ... "We just need to keep knocking. In the first half, we were right there, and, finally, the wall broke and we were able to finish. In practice this past week, we worked on passing from the back to the midfields to the forwards, and we were doing great; we were connecting. We brought it back to the basics of see a pass, give a pass and threading the needle."

On the Wolverine backfield's performance ... "We always say, 'We're in the Big Ten, and we're not going to let anyone push us around.' We need to own our position and stay on our feet. I thought, for the most part, we communicated well and organized today. They were moving around, and we just stayed in our zones and really just kept the ball in front. 'Ball or the girl, but never both,' as Nancy says."