Michigan
Maryland
Silverstein Blanks No. 5 Maryland in Shootout, U-M Advances to B1G Tourney Final
11/8/2024 7:55:00 PM | Field Hockey
» No. 9 Michigan rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat No. 5 Maryland 4-3 in an overtime shootout of the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
» Goalkeeper Hala Silverston made four stops in the shootout, while Lora Clarke and Kate McLaughlin converted on their attempts in the first and third rounds.
» Juliette Manzur tied the game with just :04 remaining in regulation to force overtime; McLaughlin and Pilar Oliveros also scored in regulation.
» Michigan advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the fourth time in five years; U-M leads the conference with nine conference tournament titles.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Sophomore/freshman goalkeeper Hala Silverstein stopped 4-of-4 attempts in the overtime shootout to lead the No. 9-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team to a 4-3 win against No. 5 Maryland in the Big Ten Conference Tournament semifinals on Friday evening (Nov. 8) at the Terrapins' Lacrosse and Field Hockey Complex.
With the win, Michigan (14-4) advances to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the fourth time in five years -- and 17th time in 26 seasons. The Wolverines, who are seeking their ninth tournament title in program history, will face No. 1 Northwestern -- which defeated Rutgers 2-0 in today's other semifinal game -- at 11 a.m. on Sunday (Nov. 10), live on the Big Ten Network.
The Wolverines earned shootout goals from graduate students Lora Clarke and Kate McLaughlin in the first and third turns, while Silverstein stopped Maryland (13-6) in all four, earning saves in the first two turns and forcing wide shots in the latter two. It was U-M's first shootout of the season and its second straight overtime win.
Michigan largely controlled both overtime periods after overcoming a two-goal deficit in the second half and tying the game with just :04 left on the clock in regulation.
The Wolverines pulled Silverstein with 4:28 to play and quickly put the ball in the Terps' cage on the penalty corner, but McLaughlin's goal was overturned on review on a back-stick call. But Michigan made its next chance count after earning an upgraded corner with just 14 seconds left. Clarke carried the ball to the right side of the arc and swept an initial shot toward the goal, and sophomore Juliette Manzur got her stick on it to tip it over the Terrapin goalkeeper for the equalizer and her fifth goal of the season.
Michigan, which scored all three goals on its attack corner, also converted in the final minute of the third quarter, at 44:01, to pull within one. Clarke inserted the ball, and fifth-year senior Pilar Oliveros' reverse shot from the arc rebounded right back to her on the baseline, and Clarke banged it in behind the goalie for her third marker this season.
U-M outshot the Terrapins 7-1 in the third quarter, but Maryland scored at the 42:30 mark on a fast break up the left sideline and deflection on a U-M defender's stick inside the circle to establish a short-lived two-goal lead.
The Terrapins led for most of the game after capitalizing on some confusion in front of the Michigan cage to break through at 13:41 late in the first quarter. Oliveros evened the score with a sweep shot to the Maryland goalkeeper's five-hole from the left side of the arc on a penalty corner at 27:20, but the Terrapins converted on a corner of their own just 49 seconds later -- at 28:09 -- to retake the lead before halftime.
In all, Michigan outshot the Terps 19-11 and outcornered them 8-3. Silverstein posted three saves -- all in the second quarter -- while Maryland goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko stopped seven of 10 shots on goals before UMD brought in Paige Kieft to handle the shootout.
It was the Wolverines' second straight reversal of a regular-season loss following yesterday's 2-1 overtime win against Indiana. U-M fell to Maryland, 2-0, on Oct. 20 at the Lacrosse and Field Hockey Complex. Michigan will have a chance to flip its only other conference loss -- a 2-1 overtime defeat against Northwestern on Oct. 25 -- on Sunday.
