Mack's Hat Trick Gives Michigan OT Win over Northwestern

Friday, October 15

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

(10-5, 4-0Big Ten)

Northwestern

(10-5, 2-1Big Ten)

OT 1

Northwestern

Michigan

Mack's Hat Trick Gives Michigan OT Win over Northwestern

10/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Kent Reichert

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ocker Field)
Score: #12 Michigan 4, Northwestern 3 (OT)
Records: U-M (10-5, 4-0 Big Ten), Northwestern (10-5, 2-1 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Oct. 22 -- vs. Ohio State (Ocker Field), 3 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Freshman Rachael Mack (Bromsgrove, England/Bromsgrove School) completed the hat trick 10:20 in overtime off a feed from senior Alicia Mayer (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) to give the No. 12-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team a 4-3 victory over Northwestern on Friday afternoon (Oct. 15) at Ocker Field. Mack and redshirt senior Paige Laytos (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) headlined the Wolverine offense with six (3 g) and four points (1g, 2 a), respectively, as U-M improved to 4-0 in both Big Ten play and overtime action in 2010.

Paige Laytos

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Haley Jones (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) was tested early in the contest. After Jones blocked one shot and senior Meredith Way (Litiz, Pa./Warwick) made a defensive save, the Wildcats capitalized at 3:09 in the first half.

The Maize and Blue were quick to respond, scoring just 1:04 later. Laytos controlled the ball just outside the circle and threaded the ball through defensive traffic to Mack, who netted one in the lower left corner to tie the score at one apiece.

The Wolverine duo struck again in similar fashion at 27:01. Laytos centered another ball toward the goal from the right side of the field and Mack was on the goal line to tip in the pass, putting the Maize and Blue on top, 2-1.

Before the first half expired, Northwestern evened the score. Jones blocked a shot from a Wildcat forward, but a second shot was fired in off the deflection at 31:49 as the teams entered intermission locked at two goals apiece.

The Wolverines controlled much of the second-half play in Northwestern's defensive third before breaking the score on a penalty corner at 49:39. Redshirt junior Katie Adams (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) pushed the ball into play to junior Bryn Bain (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional), who passed to Laytos for the score -- her first of the season -- to make it 3-2 in favor of the Wolverines. However, Northwestern forced overtime action with an unassisted goal -- Marnie Robbins's third of the game -- at 62:57.

In overtime, Jones stopped two big shots on a Northwestern corner to keep the game deadlocked. Mack then countered by tallying a hat trick of her own. Laytos carried the ball down the field, beating a Wildcat defender before passing to Mayer, who sent the ball from the right side of the field past the Wildcat keeper to Mack for a one-timed game-winner.

Michigan will continue Big Ten play next Friday afternoon (Oct. 22) as the Maize and Blue host Ohio State at 3 p.m. at Ocker Field.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	OT	F
Northwestern	2	1	0	3
Michigan	2	1	1	4

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- NU, Marnie Robbins, 3:09 (unassisted)
1st -- U-M, Rachael Mack, 4:13 (Paige Laytos)
1st -- U-M, Mack, 27:01 (Laytos)
1st -- NU, Robbins, 31:49 (Nikki Parsley)
2nd -- U-M, Laytos, 49:39 (Bryn Bain)
2nd -- NU, Robbins, 62:57 (unassisted)
OT -- U-M, Mack, 80:20 (Alicia Mayer)

Shots: U-M 20, NU 9
Saves: U-M 3 (Haley Jones), NU 5 (Amanda Wirth)
Defensive Saves: U-M 1 (Meredith Way), NU 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 11, NU 5

NOTES

• All four of Michigan's overtime victories have been at home and all four have ended with a 4-3 result. The Wolverines defeated James Madison, Albany and Miami 4-3 in overtime.

• Rachael Mack's hat trick was the first by a Wolverine this season and the first since Meredith Way's hat trick in the 3-0 win against the Wildcats on Sept. 27, 2008.

• Mack now has 12 goals on the season. She is threatening the Michigan freshman goal scoring record of 17, which is held by former Wolverine and current Northwestern assistant April Fronzoni (2000-03).

• Laytos' goal was her first of the season and first since 2008.

• Laytos now has 26 career assists, which places her in a tie with Kristi Gannon (Fisher) (2000-03) for eighth place on the U-M all-time assists list.

• The 4-0 Big Ten start is the best by a U-M team since 2007. It also marks the fifth time the Maize and Blue has been 4-0 in Big Ten play.

• Michigan now has a one-game lead on Penn State (3-1 in the Big Ten) and a game-and-a-half lead on Ohio State and Northwestern (both 2-1 in the Big Ten) in the conference standings.

• The Michigan defense held the Big Ten's leading goal and point scorer, Chelsea Armstrong, scoreless in the game. Armstrong came into the game with 19 goals on the year.

• There were approximately 25 field hockey alumnae at the game for Homecoming weekend, including U-M assistant Lucia Belassi (White) and Fronzoni. They were introduced at halftime.

• Way's defensive save was her second of the season and also was U-M's second of 2010.

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On today's game ... "It's a big win. I think it's one of those wins for this team and these players, a big win to go out and feel that pressure and that competition. To still be able to perform and win it is a big milestone for these women and I'm proud of them."

On Paige Laytos' play ... "She's been playing really well down the stretch and really carrying the load when we've needed her to. She's the fittest player on the field. She's been running hard and not only playing hard for herself but also carrying the load for those around her. I'm really pleased with that and proud of her. She's playing like a real captain."

On Rachel Mack's goals ... "Mack-aroni with the hat trick! We knew she could finish. She has really nice, polished skills and she can do it under pressure, which is fun for us."

U-M Senior Forward Alicia Mayer
On the overtime goal ... "Well, Paige [Laytos] had a fabulous pass to the outside and Coach had been telling me all game to go around her to the outside so that's what I did. I was approaching the goalie and I see Paige and Rachael [Mack] both coming down so I knew there was no way I was shooting it with a three-on-one. So I just held it and made the goalie think I was going to shoot it and gave a nice, easy pass and she finished."

U-M Freshman Forward Rachael Mack
On competing with Alicia Mayer for goals ... "We're not really competing. It's just a friendly competition. But I think it's quite good because it makes you want to score more goals. Obviously on this last goal she just passed it to me so I put it in the back of the net. We had a 3v1 on the goalie so we had to score. We lost the ball, then got it back and attacked hard. We made open space and scored."