Michigan
Central Michigan
Michigan to Return to Road to Face In-State Foe Central Michigan
9/1/2021 4:25:00 PM | Field Hockey
» The Wolverines will travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich., to face in-state foe Central Michigan at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 5) at Cristy Freese Field.
» The Wolverines enter the weekend with a 2-0 record after sweeping the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the second time since 2017 with wins against No. 1 North Carolina and No. 11 Wake Forest last weekend.
» Halle O'Neill was named the National and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after U-M allowed just two goals, seven shots on goal and five corners at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
THIS WEEK
Sunday, Sept. 5 -- at Central Michigan (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), 1 p.m.
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The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (2-0) will return to the road this Sunday (Sept. 5) when it heads to Mount Pleasant, Mich., to face in-state foe Central Michigan (0-2) at 1 p.m. at Cristy Freese Field. The contest will be streamed live on Chippewas All-Access.
Wolverine Bites
• The Wolverines claimed both of their ACC/Big Ten Challenge games for the second time in 19 appearances -- and second time since 2017 -- at the annual kickoff event, defeating No. 1 North Carolina (3-2) and No. 11 Wake Forest (2-0) last weekend (Aug. 27-29). It was Michigan's third season-opening win over a top-ranked Tar Heels team since 2016. The game also pitted the nation's top-ranked programs in a rematch of the 2020 NCAA championship game, which UNC claimed 4-3 in overtime.
• Fifth-year senior Halle O'Neill claimed NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for her part in Michigan's ACC/Big Ten Challenge sweep. U-M held its ranked opposition to just two goals, 18 total shots -- seven on goal -- and five penalty corners and picked up its first shutout of the season against the Demon Deacons. As the Wolverines' center midfielder, O'Neill neutralized UNC's Erin Matson, the two-time NFHCA National Player of the Year, in the season opener. She also posted a goal in the third quarter against Wake Forest.
• Senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker picked up her first shutout of the season, earning three saves in U-M's 2-0 win against Wake Forest. Spieker ranked among the nation's leaders with a career-best 10 shutouts last season. With 19 career shutouts, Spieker is one shy of the second spot on Michigan's career leaders list, currently held by Laure Pieri (20, 1976-79). Sam Swenson (2014-17) owns the program record with 23 career shutouts.
• Senior Tina D'Anjolell posted two goals and an assist to lead the Wolverine offense last weekend. She scored on a rebound in the second quarter against UNC before having a hand in both Michigan tallies against Wake Forest, netting the first and game-winning goal late in the first quarter before assisting on O'Neill's third-quarter marker off the penalty corner. She is more than halfway to her career-best points total; she previously posted eight points (three goals, two assists, eight points) in 2018 and 2019.
• Freshman Alana Richardson tallied Michigan's first goal of the 2021 campaign and the first of her collegiate career on a reverse chip late in the first quarter against UNC for the game-winning marker. Richardson, freshman Emmy Tran and junior/sophomore Bailey Bowman all made their collegiate debuts over the weekend with appearances in both games.
• Michigan's four representatives at the Junior Pan American Championship claimed medals as sophomore Pilar Oliveros took silver with Uruguay and freshman Abby Tamer and seniors Kathryn Peterson and Sofia Southam claimed bronze with the United States last Saturday (Aug. 28) in Santiago, Chile. With their top-three finishes, both countries qualified for the prestigious Junior World Cup. Southam ranked among the event's leading scorers with three goals, including the game-winner in the opener against host Chile.
Scouting the Opposition
Central Michigan -- The Chippewas are 0-2 on the early season after narrowly falling to Indiana (3-2, Aug. 27) and Davidson (2-1, Aug. 29) last weekend in Mount Pleasant. Rachel Ruttenberg leads CMU with two goals, while Kate Biglin has assisted on all three markers to date. Goalkeeper Katie Maxim owns a 2.68 goals-against average and .750 save percentage. Michigan leads the all-time series with Central Michigan 38-15-2 with the Wolverines securing 10 straight shutout wins since 2010. U-M earned a 3-0 win in the last series meeting against CMU in 2019, with goals from Fay Keijer, Kathryn Peterson and Meg Dowthwaite and a pair of saves from goalkeeper Anna Spieker.
Last Time Out
The Wolverines knocked off a pair of ranked opponents at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last weekend, defeating No. 1 North Carolina 3-2 and No. 11 Wake Forest 2-0 to kick off their 2021 campaign. Michigan built a 2-0 lead against the Tar Heels, scoring late in the first and second quarters, and withstood a late fourth-quarter rally as UNC pulled its goalkeeper for an extra attacker with 11 minutes remaining. U-M shook off a sluggish start and converted twice on its penalty-corner attack -- in the first and third quarters -- two days later to stave off an upset-minded Wake Forest team. [ Recaps: North Carolina | Wake Forest ]
Up Next
Friday, Sept. 10 -- vs. Ball State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 7 p.m.
