U-M to Kick Off Big Ten Play Monday at Michigan State

ANN ARBOR, Mich.The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) will kick off Big Ten Conference play on Monday (Sept. 23) when it travels up to East Lansing, Mich., to face Michigan State (4-2, 0-0 Big Ten) at Ralph Young Field. The game is slated for a 3 p.m. start and will air live on Big Ten Network.

Notes

• Michigan has claimed three Big Ten regular-season and three tournament titles over the last seven seasons and posted a 39-15 conference record over the stretch. The Wolverines captured the 2022 conrerence tournament title when they defeated back-to-back top-four opponents -- and avenged two regular-season losses -- to win their second tournament title in three seasons. U-M's last regular-season title came during the spring 2021 season.

• The Wolverines have won each of their last five games after dropping their season opener to No. 2 and two-time defending NCAA champion North Carolina, 4-1, on Aug. 30. Among the wins, Michigan defeated No. 18 Wake Forest, 2-1, in its other game of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Sept. 1) and has since surged to No. 9 in the latest NFHCA national poll.

• Michigan is outscoring its opposition 33-8, including a 17-0 differential at home last weekend with wins over Ohio (6-0, Sept. 13) and Central Michigan (11-0, Sept. 15). Graduate student Kate McLaughlin leads the Wolverines with nine goals this season, including four last weekend. Senior/junior Abby Tamer sits second in goals with seven on the season and posted a productive weekend, scoring three goals with four assists.

• McLaughlin was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight week after posting four goals and three assists at home last weekend. McLaughlin scored two goals in each game, with an early goal within the first minute of the CMU game, which proved to be the game-winner. With nine goals this season, McLaughlin is well ahead of her career-high six goals just six games in.

• Graduate student Erin Reilly was productive in the stat sheet this weekend with a hat trick against CMU and another goal against Ohio. Four of Reilly's five goals this season came last weekend; she has surpassed her previous career high of three goals.

• Redshirt senior Pilar Oliveros has surpassed her career-high goals with four in the season's first six games, including one in each game this past weekend. The Wolverines have been prolific goal scorers this season, only five away from their total the previous season with ten games remaining till the Big Ten Tournament.

• U-M posted five penalty corners against Ohio in addition to nine penalty corners against Central Michigan. The Wolverines were productive on the pitch, scoring 17 goals on 35 shots on goal. On the other side, U-M allowed just three penalties over two games, not allowing Ohio and CMU to convert on any opportunities

• The Wolverines had two shutouts last weekend, allowing no goals on just six total shots allowed against Ohio and Central Michigan. U-M held CMU without a shot -- the first time Michigan held an opponent without a shot since last season's game at Central Michigan. Sophomore/freshman Hala Silverstein and senior/junior Caylie McMahon split time in the cage in both games.

• Seven Michigan newcomers have made their collegiate debuts over the opening weekends: freshmen Eva Bernardy, Natalie Machiran, Dru Moffett, Anjolie Norton and Cami Wiseman and sophomore/freshmen Payton Maloney and Hala Silverstein. Wiseman scored her first career goal against Central Michigan, while Maloney was a first-time goal scorer against Ohio.

• Michigan State is 3-2 on the season and will kick off its Big Ten slate against Ohio State prior to facing the Wolverines. Both MSU losses came in overtime, including a 3-2 home defeat against common opponent Ohio two weeks ago (Sept. 8). Most recently, the Spartans beat Bellarmine (4-2, Sept. 13) and Colgate (5-0, Sept. 15) last weekend. Bianca Pizano leads MSU with five goals, while Emma O'Neill -- younger sister of former Wolverine Halle O'Neill -- owns two goals and four assists. Goalkeeper Lyra Gavino carries a 1.76 goals-against average and .607 save percentage. Michigan owns a 48-25-6 record in the all-time series against Michigan State, including 13 straight wins dating back to 2016.