Wolverines Unable to Overcome Early Deficit at No. 6 PSU

Sunday, September 23

State College, Pa.

Noon

Michigan

(6-4, 0-1)

Penn State

(10-2, 2-0)

Michigan

Penn State

Wolverines Unable to Overcome Early Deficit at No. 6 PSU

9/23/2012 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Leah Howard

Site: State College, Pa. (Penn State Field Hockey Complex)
Score: #6 Penn State 4, #17 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (6-4, 0-1 Big Ten), PSU (10-2, 2-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Sept. 28 -- vs. Pacific (Phyllis Ocker Field), 4 p.m.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team rallied with goals late in each half but could not overcome a sizable early deficit against No. 6 Penn State, falling 4-3 in its Big Ten Conference opener on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 23) at the PSU Field Hockey Complex.

Rachael Mack

Penn State, which boasted significant advantages in shots (30-14) and penalty corners (13-3), surged to an early three-goal lead over the game's opening 19 minutes of play. Ashtin Klingler recorded the Nittany Lions' first two markers, deflecting a shot at the 3:57 mark before taking advantage of a scramble in front of the U-M cage to score against at 13:40. Kelsey Amy converted off a PSU penalty-corner opportunity five minutes later, at 18:40, to pad her team's advantage.

Junior Rachael Mack (Bromsgrove, England/Bromsgrove School) put the Wolverines on the board late in the half, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes to secure her third multi-goal effort of the season. Her first goal culminated an offensive onslaught after U-M's first corner opportunity. PSU goalkeeper Ayla Halus stopped a pair of initial shots, before Mack corralled the ball at the top of the box and sent a bouncing shot to the corner of the cage at 20:36.

After Penn State scored on an unassisted effort from Jenna Chrismer, Michigan converted again on a penalty corner at the 27:36 mark to narrow PSU's lead to two goals at halftime. Senior Liesl Morris (Lafayette, N.J./The Taft School) stopped the insertion from senior/junior Leslie Smith (Hummelstown, Pa./Hershey HS) at the top of the circle and passed the ball to Mack, who rocketed it low past a sprawling Halus.

Despite getting outshot 17-6 and outcornered 7-1 in the second half, the Wolverines scored the lone goal of the frame on a successful penalty stroke from Smith with just 15 seconds remaining in the contest. Michigan pulled senior/junior goalkeeper Haley Jones (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) for another attacker but could not get another shot off.

Jones registered a career-best 14 saves in the Wolverine cage, including nine in the second half, while Halus stopped nine of U-M's 12 shots on goal to earn the win for Penn State.

Michigan (6-4, 0-1 Big Ten) return home next Friday (Sept. 28), hosting Pacific at 4 p.m. at Phyllis Ocker Field.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Michigan	2	1	3
Penn State	4	0	4

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- PSU, Ashtin Klingler, 3:57 (Hannah Allison)
1st -- PSU, Klingler, 13:40 (Kelsey Amy)
1st -- PSU, Amy, 18:40 (Whitney Reddig)
1st -- U-M, Rachael Mack, 20:36 (unassisted)
1st -- PSU, Jenna Chrismer, 22:13 (unassisted)
1st -- Mack, 27:36 (Liesl Morris, Leslie Smith)
2nd -- U-M, Smith, 69:45 (penalty stroke)

Shots: U-M 14, Penn State 30
Saves: U-M 14 (Haley Jones), Penn State 9 (Ayla Halus)
Defensive Saves: None
Penalty Corners: U-M 3, Penn State 13

NOTES

• Michigan fell to 15-24 in the all-time series against Penn State.

• Junior Rachael Mack upped her career goal total to 43 and needs just one more to reach the fifth spot, currently held by Molly Powers (44, 1999-2002). April Fronzoni (2000-03) owns the U-M record with 68 career goals.

• Mack extended her scoring streak to six straight games, boasting 10 goals over the stretch. Adding two assists, she has registered a point in each of the last eight games.

• Mack boasts 11 multi-goal games in her career.

• Junior/sophomore Leslie Smith is 2-for-2 on penalty stroke opportunities this season. She also scored one in U-M's preseason exhibition contest vs. Michigan State.

• Senior/junior Haley Jones has surpassed 10 saves in three games this season. Her previous best was 11 saves, which she recorded in back-to-back games against Albany and Connecticut (Sept. 7-8).

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On Michigan battling after a slow start ... "I think it's indicative of having so many freshmen in the match. They just didn't know what to expect. Penn State is fast and talented, and they play a very high-energy transition game. So, you can say it in practice over and over, but until they actually see it for themselves, they don't really quite get how fast it's going to be. But as those younger players got adjusted, they sure did dig their heels in and play with so much heart, match their speed and quite frankly outplay them over the last 20 minutes of the game. That's called gaining experience. We had a couple key players out today, so the younger kids got a lot of playing time. Penn State is talented, and they were a little bit better than us today. But we will be ready to see them again in the tournament."

On holding PSU scoreless in the second half ... "That was huge. Haley [Jones] played great. The younger kids matched Penn State's tempo, played them toe to toe and had a really good second half. I think if we can string back-to-back halves together down the stretch, then we're going to have some really good results."