Michigan to Hit the Road for Two-Game Series at Rival Michigan State

» Michigan will travel to in-state rival Michigan State this weekend, facing the Spartans at 3 p.m. on Friday (April 2) and 1 p.m. on Sunday (April 4) at Ralph Young Field in East Lansing, Mich.
» Kathryn Peterson and Anna Spieker were named both NFHCA and Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, after U-M's sweep over No. 10 Rutgers last weekend.
» U-M has won six straight meetings against Michigan State.

THIS WEEK
Friday, April 2 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 3 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Stats | Live Video
Sunday, April 4 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 1 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Stats | Live Video

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The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (5-2, 4-0 Big Ten) will hit the road for a two-game set against in-state rival Michigan State (1-8, 1-4 Big Ten) this weekend at Ralph Young Field in East Lansing. The series kicks off with the Big Ten Conference slate at 3 p.m. on Friday (April 2) and wraps with a non-conference game at 1 p.m. on Sunday (April 4). Both games will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+.

Wolverine Bites

• Michigan owns a 4-0 record in Big Ten play, with wins against Indiana (2-1, March 5), Iowa (1-0, March 12), Northwestern (3-2, March 20) and Rutgers (1-0, March 26). The Big Ten is playing a conference-only schedule in 2020-21; in all two-game series this season, only the first contest counts toward the conference standings. U-M is the only unbeaten program in the current Big Ten standings.

• The Wolverines moved up to No. 4 in the second NFHCA coaches poll of the season, released Tuesday (March 30), and boast wins over current No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Northwestern and No. 12 Rutgers. U-M and Iowa played before the first set of rankings this season, while Northwestern and Rutgers were listed at No. 4 and No. 10 when U-M won. The Big Ten makes up three of the top four teams and six of the top 15.

• Junior Kathryn Peterson and junior Anna Spieker were named both the NFHCA and Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, after U-M's weekend sweep of Rutgers. Peterson scored both clinching goals against the Scarlet Knights -- in the fourth round of shootout attempts on Friday (March 26) and on a second-quarter penalty corner on Sunday (March 28). For her part, Spieker made eight saves on the weekend, including six in the series finale, as well as three consecutive stops in Friday's shootout. It was the first weekly accolade for both Wolverine players.

• Spieker leads the Big Ten conference -- and ranks third nationally -- with a sterling .900 save percentage, boasting 36 saves over just four goals allowed. She also ranks sixth nationally with a 0.59 goals-against average. Spieker boasts three shutout wins in her six appearances this season.

• Sophomore Sarah Pyrtek owns Michigan's lead in scoring, with two goals, an assist and five points. She scored the late game-winning goal in the opener against Iowa on a sweep to the left side of the cage at the 53:44 mark. She also tallied the go-ahead marker in the fourth quarter against Northwestern (March 20).

• The Wolverines have claimed two of the last three Big Ten regular-season titles and seek their 11th in program history. Michigan shared the regular-season crown in 2018 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 (12).

• Pankratz owns a 309-135 career record over her 21 seasons at the helm of the Michigan program (1996-2004, '09-19). She ranks 12th all-time among NCAA Division I coaches with a .696 win percentage -- eighth among active coaches -- and lists 18th in total wins.

Scouting the Opposition

Michigan State -- The Spartans are 1-8 on the season and 1-4 in conference games after dropping a pair of shutout losses (5-0, 2-0) at Iowa last weekend. Their lone win came against Indiana, 2-0, in the first weekend of play (March 7). Isa van der Weji leads MSU with two goals on the season, while goalkeeper Jade Arundell carries a 2.71 goals-against average and .652 save percentage. Michigan leads the all-time series against Michigan State, 43-25-6, and has won the last six meetings, including an 8-0 rout last season in Ann Arbor.

Last Time Out

Michigan swept its home series against No. 10 Rutgers with a pair of 1-0 wins last Friday (March 26) and Sunday (March 28). The series opener went to a shootout, which junior Kathryn Peterson clinched in the fourth round of attempts after junior goalkeeper Anna Spieker earned three consecutive stops. Peterson also scored the game-winner off a second-quarter penalty corner on Sunday. Spieker made eight total saves on the weekend en route to two complete-game shutouts. [ Recaps: Game 1 | Game 2 ]

Up Next

Saturday, April 10 -- at Maryland (College Park, Md.), Noon
Sunday, April 11 -- at Maryland (College Park, Md.), Noon