U-M to Host No. 25 Michigan State, No. 23 Kent State at Ocker Field

» No. 1 Michigan will face a pair of ranked opponents this weekend, hosting No. 25 Michigan State in its Big Ten opener at 6 p.m. Friday and No. 23 Kent State at 1 p.m. Sunday at Ocker Field.
» The Wolverines are the reigning Big Ten champion and have claimed three of the last four regular-season titles; U-M swept the conference regular-season and tournament titles last season.
» Michigan leads the nation in scoring average (5.36) and scoring margin (4.52), while Sofia Southam shares the national lead with 10 goals already on the season.

THIS WEEK
Fri., Sept. 24 -- vs. Michigan State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 6 p.m.
TV: B1G+ | Live Stats | Live Video
Sun., Sept. 26 -- vs. Kent State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 1 p.m.
TV: B1G+ | Live Stats | Live Video

PROMOTIONS
• Sept. 24: Cardiac Awareness Game, Heart Stress Ball Giveaway
• Sept. 26: Alumni Weekend Recognition, Postgame Shots on Goal
• Full Promotions Schedule

• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
• Game Day Information: Phyllis Ocker Field Information | Free Admission

The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (6-0, 0-0 Big Ten), which has been on the road for five of its first six games this season, will remain home for a pair of contests this weekend at Phyllis Ocker Field. The Wolverines will open Big Ten Conference play against in-state rival No. 25 Michigan State (6-1, 0-1 Big Ten) at 6 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 24) before facing No. 23 Kent State (5-2) at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 26). Both contests will be streamed live on B1G+.

Friday will mark the Wolverines' third annual Cardiac Awareness Game, with the aim to focus on and raise awareness around cardiac health. Michigan field hockey embraced the cause after the passing of alum Rachael [Geisthardt] Townsend from mitral valve prolapse -- a cause for sudden cardiac death -- in 2003 and the fellow alum and All-American Courtney Reid's cardiac arrest in 2013. Reid survived her experience and will be part of the Cardiac Awareness Game events on Friday.

U-M will recognize its field hockey alumnae in conjunction with Sunday's game, including several members of the 2001 NCAA championship team, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its title run -- the first for a women's program in Michigan Athletics history.

Wolverine Bites

• The Wolverines are the defending Big Ten champions, have claimed three of the last four Big Ten regular-season titles and now seek their 12th in program history. Michigan posted a 6-0 conference record last season -- with the first meeting against each Big Ten opponent designated as the conference matchup -- and followed it with the Big Ten Tournament crown, sweeping the league's titles for the second time since 2017. With its 11 regular-season crowns -- 10 under head coach Marcia Pankratz -- U-M boasts the second most of any Big Ten school behind Iowa (12).

• Michigan leads the nation in several offensive categories, including scoring average (5.36), scoring margin (4.52), goals per game (5.33) and points per game (13.67). Thirteen different Wolverines have already scored goals this season -- more than half of U-M's field players. Michigan has outscored its opposition 32-5 through four games.

• Senior Sofia Southam shares the national lead with 10 goals already on the season, adding three more over the Wolverines' weekend wins against Albany and Cornell (Sept. 18-19), and boasts the top scoring average with 2.5 goals per game. She has tallied at least one goal in all four appearance this season.

• Southam and senior Tina D'Anjolell, U-M's top-two scorers, already boast career highs in goals after just six games this season. Southam has scored 10 through four appearances, including five in the first half against Ball State (Sept. 10), while D'Anjolell owns four goals. Southam's previous best was five goals, which she posted as a freshman (2018). D'Anjolell tallied three goals in each of her previous three seasons. Sophomore Lora Clarke scored twice in U-M's win at Albany to up her season goal total to a career-high three; her previous best was two.

• Michigan ranks fifth nationally with a 0.84 goals-against average, while senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker individually lists eighth with a 1.01 GAA. The Wolverines have earned shutouts in three of their six games this season. With 19 career complete-game shutouts, Spieker is just 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.

• The Wolverines remain the nation's No. 1-ranked team for the third week in a row after claiming the top spot in the NFHCA national rankings for the first time in program history. U-M owns a 6-0 record with ranked wins over previous No. 1 North Carolina (3-2, Aug. 27) and No. 11 Wake Forest (2-0, Aug. 29). The Big Ten Conference boasts six teams in the top 10, including the top spots, while UNC, which held the top position every week since Sept. 11, 2018, has now dropped to seventh in the poll. [ NFHCA Coaches Poll ]

Scouting the Opposition

Michigan State -- The Spartans are 6-1 on the season and 0-1 in Big Ten play after dropping their conference opener 4-3 at home against Ohio State (Sept. 17). MSU earned a 6-0 win against Central Michigan in its most recent outing last Sunday (Sept. 19). Merel Hanssen leads Michigan State with five goals and 13 points, while goalkeeper Monique Jardell, who leads in minutes, carries a 1.11 goals-against average and .815 save percentage. Michigan leads the all-time series against Michigan State 46-25-6 and has won the last nine meetings, including three meetings last season -- the most recent, a 3-1 decision in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

Kent State -- The Golden Flashes carry a 5-2 record into the weekend after earning back-to-back wins in double overtime against Maine (4-3, Sept. 11) and Ohio (3-2, Sept. 17). Four different players own three goals for KSU, while Luisa Knapp leads the team with eight points. Goalkeeper Azure Fernsler owns a 2.11 goals-against average and .750 save percentage. Michigan leads the all-time series against Kent State 13-4 and earned a 4-0 win at their last meeting in 2019.

Last Time Out

The Wolverines claimed a pair of Empire State wins last weekend in Ithaca, N.Y, defeating Albany (4-1, Sept. 18) and host Cornell (3-2, Sept. 19) to stay unbeaten on the season. Sophomore Lora Clarke netted a pair of goals against Albany, while senior Sofia Southam posted two goals against Cornell and three on the weekend. Southam scored less than three minutes into both contests. Senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker tallied six saves on the weekend. [ Recaps: Albany | Cornell ]

Up Next

Sun., Oct. 3 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), Noon