Michigan
Appalachian State
Week #6: Michigan Back at Home for Weekend Against App State, MSU
10/2/2019 4:12:00 PM | Field Hockey
» No. 9 Michigan will play a pair of weekend games at Phyllis Ocker Field, hosting Appalachian State at 2 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 5) and No. 24 Michigan State at 4 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 6).
» U-M saw its five-game winning streak snapped by a 1-0 shootout loss at No. 7 Northwestern last Sunday (Sept. 29). The Wolverines have won three straight home games.
» Fay Keijer contributed to four goals at Indiana last Friday (Sept. 27) and now leads the Wolverines with 11 points -- four goals, three assists -- this season.
THIS WEEK
Saturday, Oct. 5 -- vs. Appalachian State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 2 p.m.
Live Stats
Sunday, Oct. 6 -- vs. Michigan State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 4 p.m.
TV: BTN | Live Stats | Live Video
• Saturday Parking Notice
• Digital Program (PDF)
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
• Game Day Information: Phyllis Ocker Field Information | Free Admission
PROMOTIONS
• Oct. 5: Spirit card giveaway
• Oct. 6: MAIZE OUT, Dollar Dog Day, Kid's Zone, Maize poms giveaway
• Full Promotions Schedule
The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (6-3, 1-1 Big Ten) will return to Ann Arbor this weekend for a pair of games at Phyllis Ocker Field. On Saturday (Oct. 5), U-M will face Appalachian State (7-3) at 2 p.m., and on Sunday (Oct. 6), the Wolverines will host No. 24 in-state rival Michigan State (5-5, 0-3 Big Ten) at 4 p.m. on BTN.
Wolverine Bites
• The Wolverines saw their five-game winning streak halted in a shootout loss at No. 7 Northwestern last Sunday (Sept. 29). Over their win streak, Michigan outscored its opposition 17-3 and boasted three consecutive shutout victories. U-M has already picked up a pair of wins over ranked teams this season, defeating No. 10 Wake Forest, 3-0 (Sept. 1), and No. 3 UConn, 3-2 (Sept. 13). It was Michigan's first win against the UConn Huskies since 2005.
• Senior Fay Keijer contributed to four of the Wolverines' five goals at Indiana last Friday (Sept. 27), posting two goals -- her second career multi-goal game -- and two assists. She now leads Michigan with 11 points on the season -- four goals and three assists -- with all of her points coming over the last five games. She has already matched her career high in helpers and is just two goals shy of her best goal total (6), which she recorded as a sophomore (2017).
• Junior Kayla Reed added a third-quarter goal at Indiana to up her season total to a team-best five markers on the season, including three over a two-game stretch. She posted the first multi-goal effort of her collegiate career with two penalty corner tips against Kent State (Sept. 22). She is just one tally shy of her career-best goal tally (six, 2017).
• Senior Meg Dowthwaite owns four goals on the season and is climbing the Wolverines' career leaderboard. Dowthwaite, who has posted double-digit goals in each of the last two seasons, including a team-best 19 en route to All-America honors in 2017, boasts 38 career goals, putting her in a tie for 10th with Meredith Way (2007-10) among U-M's all-time leaders in the category. Dowthwaite also boasts 94 career points and ranks 11th among U-M's leaders, tied with Leslie Smith (2010-14).
• Michigan has boasted four shutout wins in its first nine games of the season, including three over its last four games. The fourth required a shootout to break a scoreless tie. Sophomore goalkeeper Anna Spieker, who earned a complete-game shutout against No. 10 Wake Forest (Sept. 1) and combined efforts against Central Michigan (Sept. 15), Kent State and Indiana, owns a career-best 1.12 goals-against average, while the Wolverines have allowed just 5.4 shots per game.
• Two of the Wolverines' three losses on the season have come in the shootout -- at No. 21 Stanford (3-2, Sept. 6) and at No. 7 Northwestern (1-0, Sept. 29) -- and both required a sixth round of attempts. They are U-M's first shootout games since the format replaced penalty strokes in 2012.
• The Wolverines are seeking their third straight Big Ten title and 11th in program history. Michigan shared the regular-season crown last season with a 7-1 mark a year after posting a perfect 8-0 mark en route to the outright title in 2017. With its 10 regular-season crowns -- nine under head coach Marcia Pankratz -- U-M boasts the second most of any Big Ten school behind Iowa (11).
• Since 2010, the Wolverines have posted a stout 77-17 record at Ocker Field, including a perfect 9-0 record last season -- the first time Michigan went unbeaten at home since 2013, the last year before a complete renovation of the field and stadium. The Wolverines again ranked among the nation's attendance leaders in 2018, listing fifth in total attendance (4,297) and sixth in average attendance (477).
Scouting the Opposition
Appalachian State -- The Mountaineers are 7-3 this season after snapping a three-game skid with a 1-0 decision over La Salle in their last outing (Sept. 29). Meghan Smart leads ASU with five goals, while Veerle Van Heertum owns four goals and an assist. Goalkeeper Rachel Gaines carries a 1.36 goals-against average and .797 save percentage. Saturday will mark the first meeting between Michigan and Appalachian State.
Michigan State -- The Spartans enter the weekend with a 5-5 overall record on the season and are 0-3 in Big Ten play after dropping road games at Northwestern (4-1, Sept. 27) and Iowa (5-0, Sept. 29) last weekend. Lia Sinisi leads MSU with six goals, while goalkeeper Jade Arundell owns a 3.28 goals-against average and .772 save percentage. Michigan leads the all-time series against Michigan State, 42-25-6, and has won the last five meetings, including a 1-0 shutout last season.
Last Time Out
The Wolverines split a pair of Big Ten matchups on the road last weekend, cruising past Indiana, 5-0, on Friday (Sept. 27) before falling to No. 7 Northwestern, 1-0, in a shootout on Sunday (Sept. 29). Senior Fay Keijer had a hand in four of U-M's five goals at IU, while sophomore goalkeeper Anna Spieker combined for two total saves on the weekend and earn a combined shutout against the Hoosiers. [ Recaps: Indiana | Northwestern ]
Up Next
Friday, Oct. 11 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 13 -- vs. Ball State (Columbus, Ohio), Noon
