Michigan
UC Davis
Richardson, Palde Net Two Apiece, Wolverines Rout UC Davis in Home Opener
9/1/2023 9:32:00 PM | Field Hockey
» No. 4 Michigan posted a 5-1 win over UC Davis in its home opener to earn its first win of the 2023 season.
» Alana Richardson and Isabella Palde scored two goals apiece; Esmée de Willigen posted her first collegiate goal.
» UCD spoiled the shutout bid with a goal in the final minute; goalkeeper Caylie McMahon tallied one save on four total Aggie shots.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team scored early and kept scoring to cruise to a 5-1 decision over UC Davis in its 2023 home opener on Friday night (Sept. 1) in front of 452 fans at Phyllis Ocker Field.
Michigan (1-2) earned two goals apiece from junior Alana Richardson and graduate Isbella Palde, but it was freshman Esmée de Willigen, who got the Wolverines on the board early, at 9:38, with her first collegiate goal. Senior Rosie Hope stole the ball from a UCD defender at the 25 and sent a roller toward the right post, where de Willigen swooped in from the left to get a stick on it right in front of the goalkeeper and redirect it in.
Michigan used another break into Aggie territory to add another goal just two minutes later, at the 11:33 mark, with Ricahrdson's first of the game. Freshman Kelsey Reviello carried the ball past the UCD 25, passed to senior Kate McLaughlin, who one-timed a pass up and into the circle, and Richardson swept it cross cage to the lower left corner.
Richardson's second goal came just 14 seconds into the second half, at 30:14, after she intercepted an errant pass outside the UC Davis circle, took two steps inside and ripped a reverse chip to the lower-right corner of the cage.
Palde scored her first of two goals just four minutes later, at 34:30, using a baseline carry from the right side to maneuver around a couple UCD defenders and depositing the ball into the near-side corner. She added her second at 49:24 in the fourth quarter. Richardson again intercepted a pass inside the UCD 25, fed it into the circle to freshman Natalie Millman, who pushed to Palde right in front of the goalkeeper. Palde went one-on-one with the Aggie keeper and converted to the left post. It was first and second goals in Maize and Blue and her third career multi-goal game.
UC Davis (0-4) spoiled the shutout bid late with a lob goal from the arc at 59:39 with a shot that went over the head of junior/sophomore goalkeeper Caylie McMahon. In all, Michigan outshot the Aggies 31-4 and outcornered them 10-1 in the contest. McMahon earned one save, while UCD goalkeeper Sarah Lopez stopped 11 of 16 Wolverine shots on goal.
The Wolverines close out the home weekend with a noon matchup against No. 18 Old Dominion on Sunday (Sept. 3) at Ocker Field. Admission is free to all regular-season home games. The game will be streamed live on B1G+ with MLB Network's Jon Morosi and former U.S. National Team member Maren Langford on the call.
