Michigan
Rutgers
Wolverines Fall to No. 3 Rutgers in Big Ten Tournament Final
11/7/2021 2:19:00 PM | Field Hockey
» No. 2 Michigan fell to No. 3 Rutgers 1-0 in the Big Ten Tournament championship game.
» Michigan outshot the Scarlet Knights 12-3 and outcornered them 4-1; Rutgers scored the only goal at 24:03 in the second quarter.
» Sofia Southam and Halle O'Neill were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
Site: Piscataway, N.J. (Bauer Track and Field Hockey Complex)
Event: Big Ten Tournament (championship game)
Score: #3 Rutgers 1, #2 Michigan 0
Records: U-M (15-4), RU (18-3)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Nov. 7 -- NCAA Selection Show (NCAA.com), 10 p.m.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team outshot and outcornered No. 3 Rutgers in the Big Ten Conference Tournament final but could not score, falling 1-0 to the host team on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 7) at the Bauer Track and Field Hockey Complex.
The Wolverines dominated play in the first quarter and did not allow a shot nor a penalty corner against in the second half, outshooting the Scarlet Knights 12-3 and outcornering them 4-1 in the contest.
Rutgers took advantage of a flurry both outside and inside of the Michigan circle to score the game's only goal at the 24:03 mark late in the second quarter. The Scarlet Knights intercepted a pass at midfield and worked the ball through traffic on the arc and to the front of the cage, where a Rutgers touch kicked the ball hard to the left and gave Tayla Parkes and wide-open look at the U-M cage.
Michigan's best scoring opportunities came early in the game, with a quality corner shot from senior Sofia Southam in the first quarter and back-to-back shots on goal off breaks into the circle from junior Sarah Pyrtek late in the frame. U-M also drew a pair of penalty corners in the third but could not put a shot on goal.
Rutgers goalkeeper Gianna Glatz, the Co-Big Ten Player of the Year, earned four saves for the shutout victory, while senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker posted one stop.
Southam and fifth-year senior Halle O'Neill were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
The Wolverines will require an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, and remain No. 2 in the updated RPI after the Rutgers loss. Seeds and the full NCAA Tournament bracket will be unveiled as part of the NCAA Selection Show at 10 p.m. tonight on NCAA.com.
