Michigan
Maryland
Michigan to Head to No. 11 Maryland for Final Regular-Season Road Trip
4/7/2021 1:41:00 PM | Field Hockey
» No. 5 Michigan will wrap up the road portion of its regular season with a two-game set against No. 11 Maryland at noon on Saturday and Sunday (April 10-11) at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park, Md.
» The Wolverines are 5-0 in Big Ten games and remain the only unbeaten team in the conference standings; U-M has won two of the last three Big Ten regular-season titles.
» Anna Spieker ranks among the nation's leaders with a 0.45 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage; U-M has earned shutouts in each of its last four games.
THIS WEEK
Saturday, April 10 -- at #11 Maryland (College Park, Md.), Noon
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Stats | Live Video
Sunday, April 11 -- at #11 Maryland (College Park, Md.), Noon
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Stats | Live Video
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The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (7-2, 5-0 Big Ten) will hit the road this weekend for its last two-game series of the regular season, taking on No. 11 Maryland (6-4, 4-2 Big Ten) this Saturday and Sunday (April 10-11) in College Park, Md. Both games are slated to start at noon at the Terrapins' Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex and will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+.
Wolverine Bites
• Michigan owns a 5-0 record in Big Ten play, with wins against Indiana (2-1, March 5), Iowa (1-0, March 12), Northwestern (3-2, March 20), Rutgers (1-0, March 26) and Michigan State (3-0, April 2). 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 conference standings.
• 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).
• Michigan has posted four straight shutout wins, sweeping its weekend series against Rutgers and Michigan State, and ranks fifth nationally with a 0.51 team goals-against average, while junior goalkeeper Anna Spieker listed fourth nationally with her 0.45 goals-against average. The Wolverine defense allowed just one shot -- and none on goal -- over its two games at MSU and are averaging just 9.4 shots allowed per game this season.
• Spieker also leads the Big Ten Conference -- and ranks third nationally -- with a sterling .900 save percentage, boasting 36 saves over just four total goals allowed.
• Sophomore Sarah Pyrtek owns Michigan's scoring lead this season with four goals, an assist and nine points. She boasts three game-winning goals, including both against MSU with markers in the opening five minutes of each contest. Pyrtek also scored the late game-winning goal in the opener against Iowa and tallied the go-ahead marker in the fourth quarter against Northwestern (March 20).
• Senior Halle O'Neill and senior/junior Emma Tamer both scored their first goals of the season in the second half of the series finale at Michigan State. O'Neill, who moved to the midfield after three seasons in the backfield, also has matched her career high with three assists this season. Eight different Wolverines have scored at least one goal this season.
• Freshmen Erin Reilly and Serena Brimacombe earned their first collegiate playing time in the second half against MSU last Sunday (April 4). Eight members of the Wolverines' large 10-person freshman class have made their collegiate debuts this season, notably Rosie Hope, Anouk Veen and Lora Clarke, who have started at least seven games apiece.
• Marcia Pankratz owns a 311-135 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 .697 win percentage --- eighth among active coaches -- and lists 18th in total wins.
Scouting the Opposition
Maryland -- The Terrapins carry a 6-4 record into the weekend and are 4-2 in Big Ten games, most recently splitting a pair at Iowa last weekend -- winning the opener 1-0 before falling 3-0 in the non-conference slate. Riley Donnelly leads the Terps with five goals and three assists, while goalkeeper Noelle Frost owns a 1.26 goals-against average and .797 save percentage. Maryland holds an 18-2 advantage in the all-time series against Michigan. The Wolverines defeated Maryland for in 2001 NCAA Championship but did not win again for 16 years; U-M has claimed two of the last four meetings, winning 3-2 in double overtime in the 2017 regular-season meeting and 1-0 last year en route to Marcia Pankratz's 300th career win.
Last Time Out
The Wolverines earned a pair of 3-0 shutout wins to sweep their weekend series at Michigan State last Friday and Sunday (April 2-4) in East Lansing. Sophomore Sarah Pyrtek scored the first and game-winning goals early in the first quarter in both contests before Michigan padded their lead with two second-half tallies in each game. Senior Halle O'Neill notched a goal and an assist on the weekend, while junior Kathryn Peterson posted a pair of assists. Junior goalkeeper Anna Spieker did not face a save opportunity in the series as the Wolverines held MSU to just one total shot through two games. [ Recaps: Game 1 | Game 2 ]
Up Next
Saturday, April 17 -- vs. Indiana (Phyllis Ocker Field), Noon
