Michigan
5-2-210-5-2 < B1G>
Minnesota
6-2-111-3-3 < B1G>
Wolverines Play to Scoreless Draw with 11th-Ranked Gophers
10/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
» Michigan and Minnesota went to overtime for the third straight meeting, but today marked the first time during that stretch that the game ended in a tie.
» Michigan held Minnesota to just one shot in the final 60 minutes of play.
» The Wolverines are now 1-1-2 against ranked opponents this season, with shutouts in two of those (No. 22 Northwestern; W, 1-0).
» Michigan goalkeeper Megan Hinz made six saves -- her second most of the season -- to notch the seventh shutout for U-M this season and fourth of her own.
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium)
Score: Michigan 0, #11 Minnesota 0 (2OT)
Records: U-M (10-5-2, 5-2-2 Big Ten), Minnesota (11-3-3, 6-2-1 Big Ten)
Attendance: 918
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Oct. 24 -- vs. Purdue (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The University of Michigan women's soccer team held No. 11 Minnesota scoreless for 110 minutes, finishing with a 0-0 double-overtime tie against the Gophers on Sunday (Oct. 18) at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
Wolverine goalkeeper Megan Hinz made six stops in the match, her second most of the season, to secure U-M's seventh shutout of the season and fourth of her own. Michigan is the second straight team and fifth this season to hold Minnesota without a goal.
The Wolverines dominated the majority of possession in the match and held an 11-6 advantage in shots. Four of the Gophers' shots came in the first half and Michigan held Minnesota to just one shot in the final 60 minutes of play.
"It was a fantastic team effort today," said head coach Greg Ryan. "We were missing three key players in our lineup so we were shorthanded, but I thought the girls executed the game plan as well as could be done, giving Minnesota very few good looks at goal."
Minnesota was pressuring Michigan's goal early and Hinz was tested three times in the first 10 minutes of play, but she was up to the task and made all three saves.
Michigan's first quality look came in the 15th minute, when junior Nicky Waldeck's header sailed just over the crossbar on a Wolverine corner kick from senior Christina Murillo. In the 37th minute, Waldeck nearly broke through, as she found herself on a breakaway to goal with a Gopher defender on her back, but Minnesota goalkeeper Tarah Hobbs came off her line and beat Waldeck to the ball.
After a scoreless first half, junior Melissa Kreutz registered Michigan's first dangerous chance of the second half in the 59th minute, as she fired a hard left-footed shot from the right side of the penalty box, but the ball went just high.
Sophomore Emma Groffsky entered the match for the first time in the 66th minute and in the 72nd minute, she put a hard left-footed attempt on target from 10 yards out, but Hobbs was there with the diving save.
With under eight minutes to play in regulation, Hinz made her best save of the day as she denied a Gopher breakaway goal, diving to her right and pushing the ball wide left and over the end line. Minnesota's ensuing corner kick was cleared away by U-M's defense.
"Stu (Megan Hinz) came through with a huge save at a critical time -- she just had an outstanding game today," expressed Ryan.
Despite tough, physical play in the final minutes of regulation, neither team could break the stalemate, and the Wolverines went to overtime for the second time this season.
Michigan produced one shot in each of the two 10-minute overtime periods, including a left-footed opportunity in the 107th minute by Waldeck, but Hobbs made her third and final save of the day to keep the game even, 0-0.
Michigan is now 1-1-2 against ranked opponents this season, with both ties against top-25 teams coming in Big Ten play (No. 11 Minnesota and No. 25 Rutgers).
"This is a fantastic result for us in terms of the Big Ten standings," said Ryan. "You need every point you can get going forward to give yourself a chance. There's only one team with one loss in the Big Ten and that's Wisconsin, so things are very close. It's going to be about who can come through with wins in these last two games so we have to focus on Purdue, who is a very good team this year."
The Wolverines will return home to host the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. at U-M Soccer Stadium. Prior to the match, Michigan will honor its seven seniors in a special pregame ceremony.
