Michigan
Massachusetts
U-M Returns to Road for Non-Conference Slates at UMass, UConn
8/29/2018 11:48:00 AM | Field Hockey
» No. 5 Michigan returns to the road this weekend, facing UMass at 6 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 31) and No. 1 UConn at noon on Sunday (Sept. 2).
» Halle O'Neill leads the Wolverines in scoring with two goals, already half of her 2017 total.
» Maggie Bettez and Leah Cardarelli, natives of Acton, Massachusetts, are slated to play in their home state for the first time in their collegiate careers on Friday.
THIS WEEK
Friday, Aug. 31 -- at Massachusetts (Amherst, Mass.), 6 p.m.
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Sunday, Sept. 2 -- at Connecticut (Storrs, Conn.), noon
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• Game Day Information: Phyllis Ocker Field Information | Free Admission
The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (0-2) will return to the road this weekend, heading east for non-conference games at Massachusetts and No. 1 Connecticut. Michigan will travel to Amherst, Massachusetts, to take on UMass (1-1) at 6 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 31) before facing defending NCAA champion UConn (2-0) at noon on Sunday (Sept. 2) in Storrs, Connecticut.
WOLVERINE BITES
• With U-M's Friday game at UMass, seniors Maggie Bettez and Leah Cardarelli will play in their home state for the first time in their collegiate careers, approximately 70 miles from their hometown Acton, Massachusetts. Head coach Marcia Pankratz is also a Wakefield, Massachusetts, native.
• Sophomore Halle O'Neill leads the Wolverines in scoring with two goals -- one in each of U-M's games this season -- and is already halfway to her 2017 goal total when she tallied four goals and one assist. O'Neill, who moved to the center back position this season, is a key player on Michigan's offensive and defensive corner units.
• Three Michigan newcomers earned their first collegiate playing time over the Wolverines' opening weekend: Katie Anderson, Kathryn Peterson and Anna Spieker. Peterson started both contests in the midfield, while Spieker started in goal vs. North Carolina.
• Michigan earned the No. 5 ranking in the 2018 Penn Monto/NFHCA Preseason Poll, released last Tuesday (Aug. 21), and lists second among Big Ten teams. The Wolverines will face nine teams featured among the top 20 in the preseason poll this season, most notably No. 1 UConn and No. 2 North Carolina. The first regular-season poll will be released Tuesday, Sept. 4. [ Full NFHCA Rankings ]
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Massachusetts -- The Minutewomen are 1-1 this season after splitting their opening-weekend slate, falling to New Hampshire (3-2) before defeating Northeastern (2-1). Antonet Louw has scored all four of UMass' goals on the season, while goalkeeper Johanna von dem Borne carries a 2.05 goals-against average and .714 save percentage. UMass leads the all-time series against Michigan, 4-1, and took the most recent meeting, 3-2, in 2013.
Connecticut -- The Huskies enter the weekend with a 2-0 season record after knocking off two ranked opponents over the opening weekend in No. 12 Northwestern (4-2) and No. 15 Stanford (3-0). Karo Kueskes leads UConn with three goals and one assist, while goalkeeper Cheyenne Sprecher owns a 1.00 goals-against average and .714 save percentage. UConn owns a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series against Michigan and has claimed each of the last seven meetings dating back to 2005. The Huskies claimed a 2-1 decision in last season's meeting in Ann Arbor.
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines dropped their two games at the season-opening ACC/Big Ten Challenge, falling to No. 2 North Carolina, 5-1, before losing a 3-2 heartbreaker to No. 14 Wake Forest. Michigan held the initial lead in the both contests and led Wake until midway through the second half; U-M outshot the Demon Deacons, 23-7, and outcornered them, 13-2, but struggled to finish on scoring opportunities. [ Recaps: North Carolina | Wake Forest ]
UP NEXT
Fri., Sept. 7 -- vs. Pacific (Phyllis Ocker Field), 7 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 9 -- vs. Monmouth (Phyllis Ocker Field), Noon
