Season Review: 2024 Michigan Field Hockey

• Record: 15-5 overall, 5-3 Big Ten Conference (3rd place)
• Big Ten Tournament: Champion
• NCAA Tournament: First round

The University of Michigan field hockey team took advantage of a strong contingent of fifth-year veterans, Olympian Abby Tamer's return and an influx of new talent to earn its most wins since 2021 with a 15-5 overall record. Under the direction of head coach Marcia Pankratz in her 25th season at the helm, the Wolverines took third place in the final Big Ten regular-season standings, captured their ninth Big Ten Tournament title in program history and returned to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus -- and for the eighth time in nine years.

Team Highlights

• The Wolverines captured the 2024 Big Ten Tournament title after defeating all three teams that handed them a regular-season loss in conference play -- No. 19 Indiana (1-0 OT, Nov. 7), No. 5 Maryland (4-3 SO, Nov. 8) and No. 1 Northwestern (1-0, Nov. 10) in College Park, Md. It was Michigan's second tournament crown in three seasons. Michigan leads the Big Ten with nine tournament titles in program history. Graduate student Lora Clarke earned Tournament MVP with a goal and two assists, as well as a goal in the shootout win over Maryland. Graduate student Erin Reilly also earned All-Tournament honors.

• With its 1-0 win over Northwestern in the Big Ten final, Michigan handed the eventual NCAA champion its only loss of the season. U-M scored the game's only goal at the 32:45 mark early in the second half. Senior/junior Tamer, on the free hit following a Wildcats green card, fed the ball up the middle and connected with senior Alana Richardson streaking into the circle from the left side all alone. Sophomore/freshman Hala Silverstein posted four saves, including a first-quarter penalty stroke, for the shutout.

• With 67 total goals this season, Michigan surpassed its 2023 total (38) and boasted the program's most since scoring 74 in 2017. Fourteen players scored at least one goal this season, including five with seven or more, while seven players boasted career highs in goals scored. The Wolverines ranked fourth nationally with a 3.3 goals-per-game average and third with a 2.21 scoring margin.

• The Wolverines earned shutouts in nine of their last 16 games, including five of eight Big Ten matches as well as the Big Ten Tournament championship game. Michigan ranked fifth nationally with the nine total shutouts and 10th with a 1.08 goals-against average.

• Michigan won both of its rivalry games at home in 2024, defeating Michigan State 3-0 on Sept. 23, before edging No. 4 Ohio State 1-0 on Oct. 6. Freshman Cami Wiseman scored the game-winner at 37:12, midway through the third quarter against OSU, while Silverstein earned four saves, including two off a penalty corner just a few minutes after the Wolverines' goal.

Individual Highlights

• Tamer became the 16th different U-M player in program history to garner first-team honors and the seventh in 10 seasons. She led the Wolverines in scoring in 2024 with 12 goals, 14 assists and 38 points -- career highs in all three categories. She finished the season ranked eighth nationally and second in the Big Ten with 0.65 assists per game and ranked 12th with 1.84 points per game. Tamer returned to the Wolverine lineup after Olympic redshirting the 2023 season and playing with Team USA in Paris, where she led the red, white and blue with two goals. She was also one of eight unanimous selections on the All-Big Ten first team and is a two-time NFHCA All-Region honoree.

• Clarke earned NFHCA All-America second-team honors to wrap her collegiate career as a two-time All-American. She posted three goals and nine assists as one of U-M's primary corner inserters and was named the Big Ten Tournament Outstanding Player, notably scoring a goal against Maryland, assisting on the last-second game-tying goal and converting in the shootout. Clarke started 83 of 95 total games played at Michigan and boasted 24 career goals, 26 assists and 74 points. She also claimed All-Big Ten and All-West Region first-team honors in each of her final two seasons. She is the 15th Wolverine in program history to earn multiple All-America honors.

• Graduate student Kate McLaughlin and Reilly had their best seasons in their final year at Michigan, both earning All-Big Ten and NFHCA All-West Region second-team recognition. McLaughlin posted career highs in all offensive categories with a team-high 13 goals, five assists and 31 points. After missing several games due to injury midway through the season, she finished ranked 12th nationally in both goals-per-game average (0.81) and points per game (1.94). Reilly contributed to a defensive unit that allowed just 1.1 goals and 7.2 shots per game and posted a career-high seven goals and two assists as a primary striker on the Wolverines' attack-corner unit.

• Silverstein was exceptional during the Big Ten Tournament, posting 10 total saved with another four during U-M's shootout win against No. 5 Maryland in the semifinals. She also tallied four saves against No. 1 Northwestern to earn her fourth complete-game shutout of the season. Silverstein finished with the 15th-best goals-against average (1.14) in the country.

• Three Wolverines boasted their first collegiate hat tricks over U-M's first six games of the season. McLaughlin tallied three goals, including the game-tying and go-ahead markers in a 5-2 win at Boston University (Sept. 6). Richardson followed suit just two days later at Providence (Sept. 8), scoring the first goal of the game and twice in a 2:19 stretch early in the third quarter. Reilly also buried three direct corner shots against Central Michigan (Sept. 15).

Honors and Awards

Abby
Tamer

Lora
Clarke

Kate
McLauglin

Erin
Reilly

Anjolie
Norton

Hala
Silverstein

National Field Hockey Coaches Association
All-America (First Team): Abby Tamer
All-America (Second Team): Lora Clarke
All-West Region (First Team): Lora Clarke, Abby Tamer
All-West Region (Second Team): Kate McLaughlin, Erin Reilly

Big Ten Conference
All-Big Ten (First Team): Lora Clarke, Abby Tamer (unanimous)
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Kate McLaughlin, Erin Reilly
Freshman Team: Anjolie Norton
Sportsmanship Award: Lindsey Stagg
Tournament MVP: Lora Clarke
All-Tournament Team: Lora Clarke, Erin Reilly

Big Ten Player of the Week
Offensive: Kate McLaughlin (Sept. 9, Sept. 26), Abby Tamer (Oct. 14)
Defensive: Hala Silverstein (Oct. 7)

Academic All-Big Ten
Zoë Bormet, Jr., Psychology
Abby Burnett, So., LSA Undeclared
Lora Clarke, Gr., Master of Management
Esmée de Willigen, So., Business Administration
Payton Maloney, So., LSA Undeclared
Kate McLaughlin, Gr., Master of Management
Caylie McMahon, Sr., Statistics
Natalie Millman, So., Business Administration
Erin Reilly, Gr., Master of Management
Alana Richardson, Sr., Communication & Media
Hala Silverstein, So., Business Administration
Lindsey Stagg, Gr., Master of Management
Abby Tamer, Sr., Applied Exercise Science
Claire Taylor, Sr., Civil Engineering
Emmy Tran, Sr., Information Analysis