Michigan to Return to Road for Rivalry Slate at No. 18 Ohio State

» No. 2 Michigan hits the road for a rivalry matchup against No. 18 Ohio State at noon on Sunday (Oct. 3) at Buckeye Turf Field in Columbus, Ohio.
» The Wolverines' 8-0 start is the best in program history; U-M and Iowa are the only remaining unbeaten teams.
» Michigan leads the nation in scoring average (5.02) and scoring margin (4.14), while Sofia Southam leads the nation with 2.17 goals per game and 13 total goals.

THIS WEEK
Sun., Oct. 3 -- at #18 Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), Noon
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The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (8-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will return to the road this Sunday (Oct. 3), traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to face No. 18 Ohio State (6-3, 1-0 Big Ten) at noon at Buckeye Turf Field. It in the Wolverines' third straight game against a ranked opponent and their sixth road slate over the season's opening nine games.

Wolverine Bites

• Michigan's 8-0 start is the best in program history. U-M's previous best was a 7-0 start in 1987, before tying its eighth game that season. The Wolverines have outscored their opposition 40-6 over the win streak. Michigan and Iowa (10-0) are the only remaining undefeated teams this season.

• The Wolverines dropped to No. 2 in the latest NFHCA rankings, swapping positions with new No. 1 Iowa, after spending three weeks in the top spot. It was U-M's first No. 1 ranking in program history. U-M owns four wins over ranked teams: No. 1 North Carolina (3-2, Aug. 27), No. 11 Wake Forest (2-0, Aug. 29), No. 25 Michigan State (6-1, Sept. 24) and No. 23 Kent State (2-1, Sept. 26). The Big Ten Conference boasts six teams in the top 10, including three of the top four. [ NFHCA Coaches Poll ]

• Michigan leads the nation in several offensive categories, including scoring average (5.02), scoring margin (4.14), goals per game (5.00) and points per game (13.25). Fifteen different Wolverines have already scored goals this season -- more than 70 percent of field players who have appeared this season.

• Senior Sofia Southam was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week after posting three goals in U-M's weekend sweep against Michigan State and Kent State. She scored both of U-M's second-half tallies in its 2-1 win against KSU and also notched a second-half goal against MSU.

• Southam leads the nation with a 2.17 goals-per-game average this season and shares the top spot -- with North Carolina's two-time NFHCA National Player of the Year Erin Matson -- with 13 total goals. Southam has tallied at least one goal in all six of her appearance this season and boasts four multi-goal games. She entered the season with 11 career goals, while her previous season best was five as a freshman.

• Senior Tina D'Anjolell and sophomore Lora Clarke also own career highs in goals through just eight games this season. D'Anjolell owns five goals, including a pair of game-winners, while Clarke has scored four -- three over the Wolverines' last four games.

• Michigan ranks fifth nationally with a 0.88 goals-against average, while senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker individually lists eighth with a 1.00 GAA. The Wolverines have earned shutouts in three of their eight 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.

Scouting the Opposition

Ohio State -- The Buckeyes enter the weekend with a 6-3 record and are 1-0 in Big Ten play after defeating Michigan State, 4-3, in their conference opener (Sept. 17). More recently, OSU dropped non-conference games against Virginia (2-1, Sept. 19) and Louisville (2-1 2OT, Sept. 27) in its latest outings. Leanne Bough leads Ohio State with five goals, while goalkeeper Aaliyah Hernandez owns a 1.43 goals-against average and .776 save percentage. The Wolverines own a 41-26-2 advantage in the all-time series against the Buckeyes and have won each of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2012. Michigan and OSU did not face each other in the regular season last year, but U-M claimed a 4-0 decision over the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Tournament championship game.

Last Time Out

Michigan earned a pair of ranked wins at Ocker Field last weekend, defeating No. 25 Michigan State, 6-1, on Friday (Sept. 24) and No. 23 Kent State, 2-1, on Sunday (Sept. 26). Both contests featured second-half Wolverine surges; U-M scored four goals to pull away from the Spartans before breaking a scoreless tie with a pair of second-half markers against KSU. Senior Sofia Southam netted three goals on the weekend, including both against Kent State, while sophomore Anouk Veen scored twice against MSU. [ Recaps: Michigan State | Kent State ]

Up Next

Fri., Oct. 8 -- vs. Northwestern (Phyllis Ocker Field), 6 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 10 -- vs. Louisville (Phyllis Ocker Field), Noon