Michigan
Massachusetts
Wolverine Offense Comes Alive in Win over UMass
9/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan field hockey team took the field for the first time in two weeks on Friday afternoon (Sept. 21), and the time off resulted in an explosion by the offense and penalty corner teams as the No. 4-ranked Wolverines posted a 6-0 win over the visiting Massachusetts Minutewomen at Ocker Field.
Michigan (5-2), which had scored three goals in its previous three games, netted three markers in the first half en route to scoring the most goals since an 8-0 win over Central Michigan on Oct. 7, 2000. Senior defender Catherine Foreman (Happy Valley, South Australia/Westminster HS) was a factor in four of the scores, tallying a career-high four assists to move her closer to U-M's career assist record.
The Wolverines opened the scoring just over five minutes into the first half when sophomore defender Kristi Gannon (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS) scored off a penalty corner, firing a shot from the top of the circle that deflected off UMass goalkeeper Ashley Egland into the cage.
Freshman forward Adrienne Hortillosa (Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) gave U-M a 2-0 lead 17 minutes later, scoring the first of two goals in the game, while sophomore defender Stephanie Johnson (Houston, Texas/The Kinkaid School) gave the Wolverines their second penalty corner goal with just under 90 seconds left in the half.
Senior forward/midfielder Jessica Rose (Lilitz, Pa./Warwick HS) gave Michigan a 4-0 lead just over eight minutes into the second stanza, scoring on a break from Foreman, while sophomore forward Molly Powers (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest HS) netted a pass from sophomore forward April Fronzoni (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West HS) just over 10 minutes later for the Wolverines' fifth goal.
Hortillosa wrapped up the scoring with under five minutes to play in the game, scoring her second of the game off a penalty corner.
U-M posted a season-high 31 shots in the win, while UMass (1-3) managed just four, including one in the first half, as the Wolverines posted their fifth shutout of the season. Senior goalkeeper Maureen Tasch (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) made two saves in the winning effort while recording her fifth shutout.
The Wolverines will remain home to open the Big Ten Conference season, hosting Indiana University at noon on Sunday (Sept. 23) at Ocker Field.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Massachusetts | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- Kristi Gannon, 5:17 (Ali Balmer, Catherine Foreman)
1st -- Adrienne Hortillosa, 22:13 (Unassisted)
1st -- Stephanie Johnson, 33:35 (Foreman, Jessica Blake)
2nd -- Jessica Rose, 42:33 (Foreman)
2nd -- Molly Powers, 53:38 (April Fronzoni)
2nd -- Hortillosa, 65:52 (Foreman, Ali Balmer)
Shots: U-M 31, UMass 4
Saves: U-M 2 (Maureen Tasch), UMass 12 (Ashley Egland)
Defensive Saves: U-M 1 (Stephanie Johnson), UMass 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 11, UMass 3
Penalty Strokes: U-M 0, UMass 0
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Marcia Panktratz
On the win ... "I was proud of our team. It was a real team effort, everyone got in, and everyone played really well. The layoff didn't seem to hurt us that much, and maybe we were chomping at the bit to play.
On the offense and penalty corner play ... "In the first month, the attack sometimes takes a little longer to get geared up and the corner is a real precise, executing play, and they're starting to come along, so I'm happy about that."
On Adrienne Hortillosa and her two goals ... "She's got some real special skills in the circle -- they're just at a high level and very strong -- and she's been finishing. That's why she's here and that's why she's a Wolverine."
Senior Defender Catherine Foreman
On the win ... "We put some goals in the net, which we haven't been doing, and we had two weeks of practice, which have been tough on the team in some respects, but we've worked so much on goal shooting, and it paid off today, which really helps. Everybody's pretty happy we finally put something in the net; we just had to get the first one.
On the corner team scoring three goals ... "It's good because we've worked on our corners a lot, and we've been working on earning them, and now the corner team has finally pulled our weight and put some in."
On the stingy U-M defense ... "The defense is so good because it starts with the forward line, and they're really pressuring the team that's coming down. That makes it easier for us to step up and take the intercepts because our forwards are working hard, our midfielders are working hard, our defense is working hard. They're getting so much help from in front it makes it easy on us."
N O T E S
Michigan has posted five shutouts in its first seven games, including five of its last six, and is on pace to break the school record for shutouts in a campaign (10 in 1993).
Senior defender Catherine Foreman tallied a career-high four assists in the win, and is eight helpers away from setting the U-M career assists record (56), held by Courtney Reid (1997-2000). Foreman has a team-high five assists this season.
Freshman forward Adrienne Hortillosa's posted her first career multi-goal game, and leads the team with five markers.
Sophomore defender Stephanie Johnson posted a defensive save for the third straight game and leads the team with four stoppers.
Senior goalkeeper Maureen Tasch posted her career-high fifth shutout of the season. She has blanked opponents in five of her last six starts.
Senior midfielder Ali Balmer (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata HS) tallied a pair of helpers for her second career multi-point game.
Every healthy player saw action for U-M, including freshman midfielder Erin Kopelow (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest HS), who saw her first collegiate action, playing 16 minutes.
Michigan has held opponents to six shots or less in each of the last six games and is holding opponents to an average of five shots per game this season.
The Wolverines have outshot their opponent in each game this season. Michigan's six goals marked a season high and the most since a 8-0 win over Central Michigan on Oct. 7, 2000.
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
