Michigan
(13-7)
Louisville
(16-5)
Wolverines Fall to No. 4 Seed Louisville in Double-OT Heartbreaker
11/15/2019 3:28:00 PM | Field Hockey
Site: Louisville, Ky. (Trager Stadium)
Event: NCAA Tournament (First Round)
Score: #5 Louisville 2, #11 Michigan 2 (2OT)
Records: U-M (13-7), UL (16-5)
Next U-M Event: Season Completed
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team could not hang on to an initial lead in its NCAA Tournament opener, falling to No. 4 seed Louisville, 2-1, in a double-overtime heartbreaker on Friday (Nov. 15) at the Cardinals' Trager Stadium.
Louisville scored the game-winning goal at the 78:14 mark -- with less than two minutes remaining in the second-overtime frame -- after a turnover inside the Michigan defensive 25. Bethany Russ, the Cardinals' leading scorer who notched both goals on the day, carried the ball into the circle on the left side and converted on a reverse-chip attempt just inside the scoring arc.
» Michigan scored first but could not hold its initial lead, falling to No. 4 seed Louisville, 2-1, in double overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
» Meg Dowthwaite notched U-M's goal late in the first quarter, at 12:41, on the game's first shot -- a hard low liner to the left corner.
» Bethany Russ scored both of Louisville's goals, capitalizing on a broken corner to score the equalizer at 43:03 and a turnover to net the game-winner at 78:14 in the second overtime.
Despite Louisville largely controlling possession -- mostly in the midfield -- the Wolverines were not without their chances in overtime. Freshman Sarah Pyrtek, who returned from injury just two weeks ago, put two shots on goal -- first on a tight-angle shot from the right side that Cardinal goalkeeper Hollyn Barr just got her stick on and later on a point-blank attempt after getting free in front; Barr charged out to break up the Wolverine rookie's shot attempt.
The Wolverines struck first on the first shot of the game, at the 12:41 mark later in the first quarter. Senior Meg Dowthwaite received a pass from sophomore Katie Anderson near the top of the circle and buried a hard shot to the lower left corner of the cage for her team-best eighth marker of the season.
Michigan held its lead until late in the third quarter, at 43:03, when Louisville capitalized on a broken penalty corner to even the score off a 50-50 ball inside the circle. After the initial shot was blocked, Russ corralled the loose ball and knocked it into the left corner of the cage.
Louisville narrowly outshot the Wolverines, 10-8, while penalty corners were an even 5-5. Sophomore goalkeeper Anna Spieker earned two saves, while the Cardinals' Barr stopped six of seven U-M shots on goal.
The Wolverines wrapped their season with a 13-7 record and a fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Team Stats
Dowthwaite, Meg (8)
Assisted By: Anderson, Katie
pass at top of circle
12:41
Bethany Russ (11)
off of rebound after a corner
43:03
Bethany Russ (12)
Assisted By: Emilia Kaczmarczyk
cross from top of circle to left side re
78:14
