Michigan
Northwestern
Week #10: Wolverines to Host No. 22 Northwestern in Postseason Opener
10/24/2018 12:54:00 PM | Field Hockey
» No. 8 Michigan will host No. 22 Northwestern in the Big Ten quarterfinals at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 28) at Phyllis Ocker Field. U-M is the tournament's No. 2 seed.
» The Wolverines, who claimed a share of the 2018 Big Ten championship, will look to sweep the regular-season and tournament titles for the second straight season and fifth time in program history.
» Michigan is 8-0 at Ocker Field this season, outscoring its home opposition, 33-7.
This Week: Big Ten Quarterfinal
Sunday, Oct. 28 -- vs. Northwestern (Phyllis Ocker Field), 1 p.m.
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The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (12-5, 7-1 Big Ten) will begin the postseason portion of its 2018 schedule as the No. 2 seed at the Big Ten Conference Tournament. The Wolverines will host a quarterfinal slate against No. 22 Northwestern (9-9, 3-5 Big Ten), the No. 7 seed, at 1 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 28) at Phyllis Ocker Field.
The winners of the four quarterfinal sites will advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, to be hosted by Northwestern next Friday, Nov. 2, at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Illinois. The championship game is slated for Sunday, Nov. 4, in Evanston.
Wolverine Bites
• Michigan clinched a share of the 2018 Big Ten regular-season title with its 2-1 double-overtime win against Ohio State last Sunday (Oct. 21). The Wolverines wrapped up their Big Ten schedule with a near-perfect 7-1 record, with their only loss coming to Maryland (2-1), with whom they share the championship.
• With its 10 regular-season crowns -- nine under head coach Marcia Pankratz -- Michigan boasts the second most of any Big Ten school behind Iowa (11). The Wolverines previously won regular-season titles in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2011.
• U-M will look to repeat as Big Ten Tournament champion and capture its seventh tournament crown in school history. The Wolverines won back to-back tournament crowns in 1999 and 2000, again in 2004 and 2005 and most recently won titles in 2010 and 2017. Michigan has swept the regular-season and tournament titles on four previous occasions (2000, '04, '10, '17) and has advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game in 13 of the last 20 seasons.
• Michigan is 8-0 at Ocker Field this season, outscoring its home opposition 33-7. The perfect home record is highlighted by ranked wins over No. 17 Rutgers (3-1, Sept. 14), No. 10 Northwestern (3-2, Sept. 28) and No. 21 Ohio State (2-1, Oct. 21). The Wolverines boast an impressive 178-53 record at their home facility since its 1995 inauguration, including a 73-16 mark over the last seven seasons.
• Michigan is 3-0 in overtime contests this season -- with all three wins coming at Ocker Field. U-M has had significant success in seven-on-seven play of late, with wins its last nine overtime games and 13 of its last 14 stretching back to the 2015 season.
• Sophomore Kayla Reed was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after contributing to both Michigan goals in its 2-1 win against Ohio State on Sunday (Oct. 21). She scored the game-winner off a baseline carry at the 87:37 mark in double overtime and assisted on the game-tying goal late in regulation, at 63:28, with a hard pass from outside the circle. It is the first Big Ten weekly award of Reed's career.
• Senior Emma Way leads the Big Ten and ranks ninth nationally with 0.94 goals per game. She also ranks 11th nationally with 2.06 points per game. She has scored in 12 of the last 16 games and leads the Wolverines with a career-best 16 goals on the season. Her previous best was 13 goals, which she tallied last season. Way owns four multi-goal games on the season and four game-winners.
• Way has had a propensity for clutch goals throughout her collegiate career. She boasts 12 career game-winners, including five in overtime and another with time expired in the second half against No. 1 North Carolina in the 2016 season opener. Also of note, she scored with one second remaining in double overtime last season against Maryland, scored in double overtime against Iowa in the 2015 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals and, a day later, assisted on Katie Trombetta's overtime goal against Penn State in the semifinals. Earlier this season, Way scored back-to-back overtime game-winners in home contests against Pacific (Sept. 7) and Monmouth (Sept. 9).
• Junior Meg Dowthwaite has also tallied several big goals this season, scoring seven goals over the last 10 games, including the game's first goal in the first half against No. 10 Northwestern and the late game-tying marker against Ohio State. Dowthwaite also netted the game-winner on a late penalty stroke at No. 6 Penn State last month. She owns eight goals this season.
• Michigan has allowed just one goal over its last three games. The Wolverines own five shutouts on the season, with freshman goalkeeper Anna Spieker posting three complete-game shutout efforts. Spieker owns a 1.43 goals-against average and a .740 save percentage on the season but has been even stronger in Big Ten play, ranking second in the conference with a 0.97 goals-against average and .810 save percentage.
• Fifteen different Wolverines have scored at least one goal this season, including six -- Kathryn Peterson, Kate Burney, Sofia Southam, Tina D'Anjolell, Katie Anderson and Maya Gompper -- who have tallied the first of their careers. Of recent note, Gompper netted her first collegiate goal in the first half against Ball State, while junior Kate Walker scored her first of the season in the second half.
Scouting the Opposition
Northwestern -- The Wildcats are 9-9 this season and completed the Big Ten regular season with a 3-5 conference record. Puck Pentega leads the team with 11 goals, while goalkeeper Annie Kalfas owns a 1.65 goals-against average and a .676 save percentage. Michigan trails in the all-time series against the Wildcats, 32-28, but has claimed six of the last eight meetings, including a 3-2 win at Ocker Field earlier this season.
Last Time Out
The Wolverines claimed a share of the Big Ten regular-season title with a 2-1 double-overtime victory in their regular-season finale over Ohio State last Sunday (Oct. 21). Sophomore Kayla Reed scored the game-winning goal at the 87:37 mark and contributed to junior Meg Dowthwaite's game-tying marker at 63:28 late in regulation. Freshman goalkeeper Anna Spieker earned four saves. » Full Recap
Up Next
Fri-Sun., Nov. 2-4 -- Big Ten Tournament (Evanston, Ill.)
