Michigan Downs Cornell to Sweep Empire State Weekend

Sunday, September 19

Ithaca, N.Y

11:00 AM

Michigan

(6-0)

Cornell

(2-2)

Michigan

Cornell

Sofia Southam (Michigan Photograpy)

9/19/2021 1:51:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 1 Michigan scored early, including twice in the first quarter, and held on late to defeat Cornell, 3-2, and complete its weekend road sweep in Ithaca, N.Y.
» Sofia Southam scored twice off the Wolverine penalty corner, while Sarah Pyrtek netted the game-winner late in the first quarter.
» U-M led in shots (22-7) and penalty corners (13-6); Anna Spieker earned two saves in goal.

Site: Ithaca, N.Y. (Dodson Field)
Score: #1 Michigan 3, Cornell 2
Records: U-M (6-0), CU (2-2)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 24 -- vs. Michigan State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 6 p.m.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team struck early and held on late to defeat Cornell, 3-2, on Sunday (Sept. 19) at Dodson Field. The Wolverines swept their weekend set in the Empire State and improved to 6-0 on the season.

Senior Sofia Southam, the national leader in goals per game, added two more today off the Michigan penalty-corner attack, including one just 28 seconds into the contest -- U-M has scored in the opening five minutes in each of its last four games. The initial corner shot was blocked and kicked back to the top of the circle, where senior Katie Anderson wound up and rocketed a shot. Southam got her stick on it near the right post and tipped it in.

Cornell answered with a goal off its first penalty corner at the 5:25 mark, but Michigan responded quickly itself as junior Sarah Pyrtek netted the go-ahead and game-winning goal less than four minutes later, at 9:18. Junior Nina Apoola fed her the ball from just outside the top of the circle, and Pyrtek spun and fired through the five-hole for her second goal of the season.

Southam tacked on her second goal late in the second quarter, at 25:19, in similar fashion to her first, tipping in fifth-year senior Halle O'Neill's corner shot from the right post. Southam has tallied a goal in every appearance this season, boasting 10 goals over the last four games.

After a scoreless third quarter, Cornell cut its deficit to one with another penalty-corner goal at 46:40 early in the fourth. Both teams registered multiple chances over the final quarter, with Michigan denying two more Big Red corner chances, while failing to convert on four of its own.

Michigan outshot the Big Red 22-7 and outcornered them 13-6. Senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker earned two saves in the Wolverine cage, while Cornell's Aerin Park stopped five of eight U-M shots on goal.

The Wolverines (6-0) return home for a pair of games at Phyllis Ocker Field next weekend. U-M will kick off Big Ten Conference play against in-state rival Michigan State at 6 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 24) before taking on Kent State on Sunday (Sept. 26) at 1 p.m. Both contests will be streamed live on B1G+. Admission is free for all regular-season home games.