Fronzoni Leads Wolverines' Sweep of Big Ten Awards
11/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
| | Fronzoni | | Pankratz |
| | Johnson | | Hillman |
| | | ||
A two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week this season (Sept. 9, Oct. 28), Fronzoni posted four goals and two assists for 10 points in conference play to tie for second in points and goals. Overall, Fronzoni has notched a career-high 17 goals and four assists for 38 points to lead the Big Ten and rank eighth nationally among goal scorers and ninth among the NCAA's top point-getters.
Johnson, whose career-high 12 goals include three in Big Ten play, is the first U-M player to be named Defensive Player of the Year since Ashley Reichenbach grabbed the award in 1999. Johnson backstopped a U-M defense that shut out four of its six Big Ten opponents this season and held its foes to 0.33 goals per game in conference play. Overall, the U-M defense has allowed just 0.89 goals per game this season to rank fifth in the country and has held opponents to 10 shots or less in all but one of its 19 games.
Fronzoni and Johnson also joined junior defender Kristi Gannon (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual HS) as three of the seven unanimous selections to the 11-member All-Big Ten first team. Gannon received the honor for the third straight season, becoming the first Wolverine in school history to be named first-team All-Big Ten in three consecutive seasons, a feat only 11 other player in Big Ten history have accomplished. Johnson was named to the first team for the second straight year, while Fronzoni earned first-team honors for the second time in her career, adding to her 2000 selection.
Hillman is the third Wolverine in as many years to earn Freshman of the Year laurels, joining Gannon and sophomore forward/midfielder Adrienne Hortillosa (Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS), who earned the award in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Hillman has started every game for Michigan this season and has helped to maintain the fifth-ranked defense in the country. In the final weekend of the regular season, Hillman notched her first career point with an assist on U-M's third goal in a 5-0 win over No. 20 Virginia.
Pankratz took home the Coach of the Year award for the third time in her career after guiding Michigan to a 6-0 mark in the Big Ten en route to the school's third regular-season title under her guidance. Pankratz, who also earned the award in 1997 and 2000, owns a career record of 39-19 in the Big Ten and ranks as Michigan's all-time winningest coach with an overall record of 112-41.
Senior forward/midfielder Jessica Rose (Lititz, Pa./Warwick HS) was Michigan's lone selection to the 11-member All-Big Ten second team, marking the second straight year she has been named to the squad.
No. 2 Michigan (17-2, 6-0 Big Ten), the 2002 Big Ten regular-season champion, will open the postseason portion of its schedule at the 2002 Big Ten Tournament, hosted by Ohio State at its North Turf Field in Columbus, Ohio. The top-seeded Wolverines receive a bye into the semifinal round where they will face Ohio State or Iowa at noon Saturday (Nov. 9). The winners of the Michigan State-Indiana and Penn State-Northwestern games will meet in the other semifinal at 2 p.m. Saturday, with the championship game slated for noon Sunday (Nov. 10).
2002 All-Big Ten Field Hockey Honors
| FIRST TEAM Kayla Bashore, So., M, Indiana *Tiffany Leister, Sr., D, Iowa Barb Weinberg, So., G, Iowa *April Fronzoni, Jr., F, U-M *Kristi Gannon, Jr., D, U-M *Stephanie Johnson, Jr., D, U-M Annebet Beerman, So., F, MSU *Sophie Rosmalen, Jr., M, MSU *Vanessa Immordino, Jr., F, Ohio State *Heather Conroy, Sr., D, Penn State Jill Martz, Sr., M, Penn State * unanimous selection | | SECOND TEAM Lindsay Miller, Jr., M, Iowa Lauren Stiver, So., D, Iowa Jessica Rose, Sr., M, U-M Christina Kirkaldy, Fr., G, MSU Cynthia Martin, Sr., M, MSU Judith van Haeringen, So., D, MSU Lindsey Millard, Sr., D, Northwestern Mariana Solorzano, Jr., F, Ohio State Kelly Concini, Sr., D, Penn State Timarie Legel, Sr., F, Penn State Neilye Stoner, Jr., F, Penn State |
Athlete of the Year: April Fronzoni, U-M
Offensive Player of the Year: April Fronzoni, U-M
Defensive Player of the Year: Stephanie Johnson, U-M
Freshman of the Year: Lori Hillman, U-M
Coach of the Year: Marcia Pankratz, U-M
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
