Wolverines Sacrifice Second-Half Lead in Loss to No. 14 Wake Forest

Sunday, August 26

Chapel Hill, N.C.

11:30 AM

Michigan

(0-2)

Wake Forest

(1-1)

Wake Forest

Michigan

Wolverines Sacrifice Second-Half Lead in Loss to No. 14 Wake Forest

8/26/2018 2:11:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 5 Michigan sacrificed a second-half lead in a 3-2 loss to No. 14 Wake Forest at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
» The Wolverines outshot the Demon Deacons, 23-7, and outcornered them, 13-2.
» Emma Way and Halle O'Neill scored goals for U-M.

Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Carolina Field Hockey Stadium)
Event: ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Day 2 of 2)
Score: #14 Wake Forest 3, #5 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (0-2), WFU (1-1)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Aug. 31 -- at Massachusetts (Amherst, Mass.), 6 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team sacrificed a second-half lead to fall to Wake Forest, 3-2, at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Sunday (Aug. 26) at Carolina Field Hockey Stadium.

The Wolverines led for nearly the entire first half and again in the second before Wake Forest scored twice over the last 19 minutes of the contest, including the game-winner after a long up-field pass created a one-on-one in the circle with just 7:56 remaining.

Michigan dominated the first half, outshooting the Demon Deacons, 8-2, and outcornering them, 2-0. Senior Emma Way opened scoring at the 4:43 mark, getting the ball near the right post and banging it into the cage for her first marker of the season. U-M also posted several near-misses, most notably a diving goal-line defensive save on a point-blank shot from Way.

Wake Forest got on the board at the 39:41 mark early in the second half on a drag flick on its first penalty-corner opportunity, but the Wolverines responded just 87 seconds later, at 42:08, on a corner of their own. Sophomore Halle O'Neill netted her second goal of the weekend on a tip from the right post off a junior Meg Dowthwaite's corner sweep.

The Demon Deacons took advantage of a defensive breakdown to even the game again at 51:39 on a lifted shot from the right post before pulling ahead on the one-on-one opportunity in the final eight minutes.

The Wolverines poured on the pressure late in the game, drawing seven corners over the final two minutes, but could not convert. The best chance came on a lifted rebound shot from Way, but Wake Forest earned its second defensive save of the contest to keep it from the cage.

In all, Michigan outshot the Demon Deacons, 23-7, and outcornered them, 13-2. Sophomore goalkeeper Sidonie LaPlante made two saves, while Wake Forest's Isla Bint earned 10 stops in addition to the two defensive saves.

The Wolverines (0-2) will return to the road next weekend, heading back east for non-conference games at Massachusetts and Connecticut. Michigan will travel to Amherst, Massachusetts, to take on UMass at 6 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 31) before facing defending NCAA champion UConn at noon on Sunday (Sept. 2) in Storrs, Connecticut.