Wolverines Set to Host Kent State at Ocker Field

» No. 9 Michigan will host Kent State at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 22) at Ocker Field.
» The Wolverines have claimed each of their last three games and four of their last five since they dropped the season opener; U-M owns a pair of ranked wins, including a 3-2 decision over No. 3 UConn last weekend.
» Meg Dowthwaite, who leads Michigan with four goals this season, moved into the top 10 among U-M's all-time scoring leaders with 38 markers in her career.

THIS WEEK
Sun., Sept. 22 -- vs. Kent State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 1 p.m.
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PROMOTIONS
• Sept. 22: Cardiac Awareness Game, Heart Stress Ball giveaway
• Full Promotions Schedule

The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (4-2) will remain home this weekend for a non-conference game against Kent State. The Wolverines will host the Golden Flashes (4-3) at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 22) at Phyllis Ocker Field. U-M also will host a neutral-site content between KSU and Iowa at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 21).

Wolverine Bites

• The Wolverines have won four of their last five games since dropping the season opener against No. 1 North Carolina (Aug. 30), including each of the last three contests. U-M already has picked up a pair of ranked wins, 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 Huskies since 2005.

• Senior Meg Dowthwaite leads the Wolverines with four goals on the season. Dowthwaite has posted double-digit goals in each of the last two seasons, including a team-best 19 en route to second team All-America honors in 2017. She boasts 38 career goals, which moved her into a tie with Meredith Way (2007-10) for 10th 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).

• Sophomore Kathryn Peterson has had a hand in nearly half of the Wolverines' 15 goals this season with three goals and four assists. As Michigan's new penalty-corner insert, she already boasts a career high in assists and is just one shy of her 2018 goal total.

• Senior Fay Keijer netted the Wolverines' first goal in both of their wins last weekend, using a corner tip to break through at the 20:07 mark against UConn and a corner rebound to strike at 28:05 vs. Central Michigan. Keijer added an assist in Michigan's win at CMU.

• Sophomore goalkeeper Anna Spieker has contributed to a pair of Wolverine shutout wins this season, most recently earning two saves through 51:27 played at Central Michigan (Sept. 15). She also earned a complete-game shutout against No. 10 Wake Forest (Sept. 1). Perhaps her best performance came in the loss at Stanford (Sept. 6), but she earned a penalty-stroke save in the first overtime, stopping a Cardinal breakaway in the second and saved each of Stanford's first three attempts in the shootout.

• Freshman Sarah Pyrtek scored her first collegiate goal at the most opportune time, as she netted the late game-winning goal in the Wolverines' 2-1 victory over California (Sept. 8) with a rebound in front of the cage at the 52-minute mark. She followed with a late insurance goal that proved to be the game-winner at the 55:45 mark against UConn in the Wolverines' next game. She owns two goals and an assist over the Michigan's first six games.

• Pyrtek is one of three Wolverine rookies to make their collegiate debuts this season. Freshmen Nina Apoola and Cece Duran also have seen time off the bench, including significant minutes in U-M's most recent game at Central Michigan.

• Since 2010, the Wolverines have posted a stout 76-17 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

Kent State -- The Golden Flashes carry a 4-3 record into the weekend after a 5-0 win against Saint Louis (Sept. 15) in their last outing. Clara Rodriguez Seto and Laila Richter lead the team with five and two goals, respectively, while goalkeeper Azure Fernsler maintains a 1.43 goals-against average and a .773 save percentage. Michigan leads the all-time series against Kent State, 12-4, and earned a 3-1 win at their last meeting in 2015.

Last Time Out

The Wolverines swept a pair of non-conference opponents last weekend, with a 3-2 win over No. 3 Connecticut and a 3-0 victory over Central Michigan. Senior Fay Keijer scored the first goal in both matches. Over the weekend, the Wolverines tallied 26 total shots on goal with senior Meg Dowthwaite contributing 11 against CMU; she posted U-M's third goal on the day. Sophomore goalkeeper Anna Spieker posted seven saves on the weekend. [ Recaps: Connecticut | Central Michigan ]

Up Next

Fri., Sept. 27 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 3 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 29 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), noon CDT