Michigan
Rutgers
Week #4: Wolverines to End Homestand Against No. 17 Rutgers, Central Michigan
9/11/2018 2:46:00 PM | Field Hockey
» No. 10 Michigan will remain at home this weekend, hosting Rutgers at 7 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 14) and Central Michigan at 2 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 16) at Ocker Field.
» With Friday's conference opener, Michigan will kick off its defense of its Big Ten regular-season crown and seek its 10th title in program history.
» Emma Way has scored in each of the last five games, netting the overtime game-winner in both of last weekend's home wins, and leads the Wolverines with seven goals this season.
THIS WEEK
Fri., Sept. 14 -- vs. Rutgers (Phyllis Ocker Field), 7 p.m.
Free Admission | Live Stats | Live Video
Sun., Sept. 16 -- vs. Central Michigan (Phyllis Ocker Field), 2 p.m.
Free Admission | Live Stats | Live Video
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
• Game Day Information: Phyllis Ocker Field Information | Free Admission
The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (3-3, 0-0 Big Ten) will remain at home this weekend for a pair of games at Phyllis Ocker Field. The Wolverines will host No. 17 Rutgers (5-0, 0-0 Big Ten) at 7 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 14) and in-state foe Central Michigan (1-6) at 2 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 16). U-M will also host a Sunday neutral slate between Rutgers and Longwood at 11 a.m. at Ocker Field. Admission is free to all three games.
PROMOTIONS
• Rutgers: National Field Hockey Day, Dollar Dog Day | More Promotions
• Central Michigan: Youth Day, Kid's Zone, Postgame Autographs | More Promotions
Wolverine Bites
• Friday's matchup against Rutgers marks the start of U-M's 2018 Big Ten Conference schedule. The Wolverines will seek their second straight Big Ten title and 10th in program history. Michigan captured the regular-season crown outright last season with a perfect 8-0 league record. With its nine regular-season crowns -- eight under head coach Marcia Pankratz -- U-M boasts the second most of any Big Ten school behind Iowa (11).
• Michigan is 2-0 at home this season after claiming wins last weekend over Pacific and Monmouth by 2-1 overtime finals. The Wolverines boast an impressive 172-53 record at their home facility since its 1995 inauguration, including a 67-16 mark over the last seven seasons. U-M posted an 11-2 record at Ocker Field last season, outscoring its home opposition, 43-5.
• The Wolverines claimed both wins last weekend in overtime -- with the game-winning goal coming from senior Emma Way at the 71:43 mark in each. Michigan has had significant success in seven-on-seven play of late, with wins in eight of its last nine overtime games stretching back to the 2015 season.
• Way has scored in each of the last five games and leads the Wolverines with seven goals on the season -- more than halfway to her 2017 goal total. She has tallied two multi-goal efforts and owns three game-winning goals, including each of last weekend's overtime markers against Pacific and Monmouth.
• Sophomore Halle O'Neill also is more than halfway to a career-best mark in goals. She has scored in three of the Wolverines' six games this season and more than halfway to her 2017 goal total (four). O'Neill, who moved to the center back position this season, is a key player on Michigan's offensive and defensive corner units.
• Eight Wolverines have made their collegiate debuts this season: sophomore/freshmen Maya Gompper, Abbey Hutton and Emma Tamer, and freshmen Katie Anderson, Tina D'Anjolell, Kathryn Peterson, Sofia Southam and Anna Spieker.
Scouting the Opposition
Rutgers -- The Scarlet Knights boast a perfect 5-0 record on the season and own a pair of wins over ranked opponents, including a 1-0 decision over then-No. 6 Princeton in their last outing (Sept. 9). Austyn Cuneo leads Rutgers with four goals on the season, while Daphne Groothuis owns three goals and six assists. Goalkeeper Gianna Glatz carries a 0.43 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. Michigan is a perfect 7-0 in the all-time series against Rutgers since 1992 and earned a 5-0 win in last season's meeting in Ann Arbor.
Central Michigan -- The Chippewas are 1-6 on the season with their lone win coming against Saint Louis (1-0, Aug. 26); they fell to Saint Francis (4-3 OT, Sept. 7) and Stanford (8-0, Sept. 9) last weekend. Five different CMU players have scored one goal on the season, while Imogen West and Cara Satre both own three points. Goalkeeper Lily Amadio carries a 3.28 goals-against average and .667 save percentage. Michigan owns a 36-15-2 advantage in the all-time series against Central Michigan and has won the last eight series meetings, including a 4-0 decision last season in Mount Pleasant.
Last Time Out
The Wolverines swept a pair of non-conference home slates last weekend, defeating Pacific and Monmouth in overtime by identical 2-1 scores. Senior Emma Way netted both overtime game-winners -- both at the 71:43 mark -- while goalkeepers Anna Spieker and Sidonie LaPlante earned a win apiece in goal. [ Recaps: Pacific | Monmouth ]
Up Next
Fri., Sept. 21 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 6 p.m.Sun., Sept. 23 -- at Maryland (College Park, Md.), noon
