Michigan
(1-2)
Providence
(0-3)
Early Goal, Stout Defense Propel Wolverines over Providence
9/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
» Courtney Enge scored the game-winning goal at 7:14 on a redirection from the left post.
» Michigan held Providence to just four total shots -- two on goal -- and none in the final 25 minutes of the second half.
» Goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned two saves on a first-half Providence penalty corner to earn her fourth career shutout.
Site: Providence, R.I. (Lennon Family Field)
Score: #14 Michigan 1, Providence 0
Records: U-M (1-2), PC (0-3)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Sept. 6 -- at Fairfield (Fairfield, Conn.), Noon
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team used an early first-half goal and controlling play in the second to claim a 1-0 victory at Providence in its season road debut on Friday evening (Sept. 4) at the Friars' Lennon Family Field.
Junior Courtney Enge netted the game-winning goal at the 7:14 mark, taking advantage of an early Wolverine flurry to redirect a shot near the left post. After a pair of unsuccessful U-M penalty corners, junior/sophomore Carly Bennett regained possession on the Providence 25 and carried the ball into the circle from the right side. It was knocked off her stick to senior Shannon Scavelli, who fired a shot to the opposite lower corner, and Enge got her stick on it, tipping it into the nearside corner. It is Enge's first goal of the season and the first game-winner of her career.
"I thought we did a nice job tonight," said head coach Marcia Pankratz. "Providence came out incredibly aggressive. They play a style, from a different region of the country, that we're not used to, and sometimes it takes a little bit of time to adjust to that. But we kept the pressure on. I was impressed with our forwards pouring on an enormous amount of pressure at the beginning of the game and setting the tone."
Providence responded with two corners of its own just minutes later, but the Wolverines turned away both as sophomore goalkeeper Sam Swenson recorded two stops -- on the direct shot and the rebound -- on the first , while U-M held the Friars without a shot on the latter.
After denying another two penalty corners early in the second half, the Wolverines maintained pressure in the Providence half for the final 25 minutes of the game, allowing the Friars to cross midfield just three times and holding them without another shot.
"We did a nice job transferring the ball," said Pankratz. "When we had possession, we did a good job of playing the simple possession ball around the back. That's good tenacious team defense. We're fit, tenacious and focused, and we were able to really ratchet it up in the second half."
Michigan outshot the Friars, 10-4, and outcornered them, 6-4, in the contest. Swenson earned two saves -- both on the first-half penalty corner -- to earn her fourth career shutout, while Providence goalkeeper Deidra Clymer stopped four of five U-M shots on goal.
The Wolverines will wrap up the weekend road trip on Sunday (Sept. 6), heading to Fairfield, Connecticut, to face Fairfield at noon at University Field.
Team Stats
Enge, Courtney
Assisted By: Scavelli, Shannon
deflection at left post
7:14
