Michigan Scores Early, Adds Insurance Late in Rivalry Win at Michigan State

Friday, October 7

East Lansing, Mich.

5:00 PM

Michigan

(7-4, 2-2B1G)

Michigan State

(5-6, 0-5B1G)

Michigan

Michigan State

Erin Reilly (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Scores Early, Adds Insurance Late in Rivalry Win at Michigan State

10/7/2022 7:58:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 10 Michigan scored twice in the first quarter and added another in the fourth to defeat Michigan State 3-1 in East Lansing.
» Lora Clarke, Erin Reilly and Sarah Pyrtek scored for U-M; Clarke, who owns seven goals this season, netted the first goal at 1:57.
» Anna Spieker posted one save, while MSU spoiled the shutout bid with a corner deflection in the fourth quarter.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team struck early, scoring twice in the first quarter, and added insurance late to earn a 3-1 rivalry win against Michigan State on Friday evening (Oct. 7) at the Spartans' Ralph Young Field.

Michigan (7-4, 2-2 Big Ten) earned goals from three different players, and for the second time in three games, U-M scored in the opening three minutes of play with a rebound goal from junior Lora Clarke at the 1:57 mark. Sophomore Abby Tamer put the initial shot on goal, lifting it high from the right side, and the rebound kicked in front to Clarke, who banged in a hard shot to the nearside corner. It was her seventh marker of the season.

The Wolverines struck again eight minutes later, at 10:23, out of another scrum in front of the MSU cage. Michigan went crashing into the circle and onto the cage. The Spartans made a goal-line defensive save, but the ball kicked to the middle, where junior Erin Reilly corralled and bounced in a reverse chip for her second goal in as many games.

Senior Sarah Pyrtek added an insurance tally in the fourth quarter off the corner attack for her third goal of the season. Tamer sent in a hard sweep from the top of the circle, and Pyrtek got her stick on it in front, ramping it high into the MSU cage at the 49:55 mark.

Michigan State (5-5, 0-5 Big Ten) spoiled the shutout bid with a corner goal of its own just a minute later, at 51:04, earning a deflection to the lower-right corner of the cage.

Michigan outshot the Spartans 22-3 and outcornered them 8-2. Fifth-year senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker earned one save, while MSU's Monique Jardell posted 10 stops in addition to her team's first-quarter defensive save.

The Wolverines will host a pair of Big Ten games next weekend at Phyllis Ocker Field, welcoming Indiana on Friday (Oct. 14) at 4:30 p.m. and Iowa on Sunday (Oct. 16) at noon. Admission is free to both games, and both will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.