U-M Claims B1G Tourney Title after Defeating No. 4 Wildcats

Sunday, November 6

Columbus, Ohio

Noon

Michigan

(14-5)

Northwestern

(17-4)

Michigan

Northwestern

(Big Ten Conference)

U-M Claims B1G Tourney Title after Defeating No. 4 Wildcats

11/6/2022 1:41:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 6 Michigan defeated No. 4 Northwestern, 2-1, in the Big Ten Tournament championship game to claim the conference's NCAA automatic qualifier.
» U-M earned goals from Kate McLaughlin and Brynn Zorilla late in the first quarter and early in the second, respectively.
» Michigan captured its eighth Big Ten Tournament title in program history and for the second time in three seasons.
» Kathryn Peterson was named the Big Ten Tournament MVP, while Katie Anderson joined her on the All-Tournament Team.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team secured its eighth Big Ten Tournament title in program history with a 2-1 win over No. 4 Northwestern on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 6) at Ohio State's Buckeye Varsity Field.

Michigan defeated three top-10 teams -- No. 9 Iowa (3-1) and No. 3 Penn State (2-1) -- en route to claiming the title.

It is U-M's eighth Big Ten Tournament title in program history, breaking a tie with Penn State for the most in conference history. U-M has also advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for three straight years -- and 16 times in 25 seasons.

The Wolverines got on the board in the closing minutes of the first quarter with a tip goal from junior Kate McLaughlin at the 12:04 mark. Michigan swung the ball to the right, where fifth-year senior Katie Anderson carried it in to the circle and blasted a shot from the arc. McLaughlin got her stick on it near the nearside right post and redirected through the Wildcat goalkeeper's legs for her sixth goal of the season.

Graduate student Brynn Zorilla doubled the Michigan lead with her first goal as a Wolverine off a penalty corner at 34:55, early in the third quarter. Junior Lora Clarke put the initial shot on goal and it rebound high off the Northwestern goalkeeper. Crashing in to the middle of the circle, Zorilla batted it out of the air and between a Wildcat defender and the goalie into the cage.

Northwestern cut the deficit late in the fourth quarter, scoring on a penalty corner to the lower right corner of the Michigan cage at the 54:55 mark. U-M went down a player on a green card and the Wildcats pulled their goalie for an extra attack, but NU did not get another shot on goal for the remainder of the game.

Michigan outshot the Wildcats, 17-10, while corners were even at 4-4. Fifth-year senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker did not record a save -- Northwestern posted just one shot on goal -- while NU goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz stopped eight of 10 U-M shots on goal.

Fifth-year senior Kathryn Peterson was named the Big Ten Tournament MVP, while Anderson joined her on the All-Tournament Team.

With today's win, Michigan earned the Big Ten's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show is slated for 10 p.m. tonight on NCAA.com. The 2022 championship field will consist of 18 teams with the tournament running from Nov. 9 through Nov. 20. The semifinals and finals will be held in Storrs, Conn.

Go Crazy! ?? #B1GFH #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/80UVIq8VGO
— Michigan Field Hockey (@umichfldhockey) November 6, 2022

Field Hockey Tournament titles (8) - 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2017, 2020+, 2022
+ Season moved from fall 2020 until early 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.