Weekly Release #13

This Week's Schedule
No. 6 Michigan (17-6, 5-1 Big Ten) vs. No. 1 Wake Forest (20-1, 3-1 ACC)
2003 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Semifinal
Friday, Nov. 21    5 p.m.    Garber Field    Amherst, Mass.

2003 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship
Sunday, Nov. 23    12:30 p.m.    Garber Field    Amherst, Mass.

Television: College Sports Television (CSTV) will broadcast Sunday's (Nov. 23) championship game live.

Radio/Internet: All of Michigan's matches from the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship will be broadcast live on www.MGoBlue.com.

NCAA Championship Storylines
Back to the Semis -- Michigan has advanced to the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship semifinals for the third time in the last five years, the only seasons U-M has been invited to the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines have never lost in the semifinal round, sporting a 2-0 record.

There's Some History Here -- The Michigan-Wake Forest semifinal revisits one of the Wolverines' best rivalries in the NCAA Tournament. U-M is 1-1 against the Demon Deacons in NCAA Tournament play, with both contests going into overtime to decide the winner. In 1999, during Michigan's first NCAA Tournament appearance, the Wolverines downed Wake Forest by a 3-2 margin with a penalty stroke in double overtime of the quarterfinals on WFU's home turf, while in 2000, the Demon Deacons returned the favor in the quarterfinals with 3-2 victory in overtime in Winston-Salem, also scoring on a penalty stroke. If that's not good enough for you, consider this: Michigan and Wake Forest represent the last two NCAA champions, with the Wolverines winning the 2001 title and the Demon Deacons capturing last year's crown.

Looking for No. 2 -- The Wolverines are in search of their second national title in the last three years after capturing the program's first crown in 2001. The field hockey program is the only women's team sport in U-M athletics history to win an NCAA championship.

The Big Ten Does It Again -- The Big Ten is represented among the NCAA Tournament's final four teams for the third straight year and has advanced a team to the national championship game in each of the last two seasons. In 2001, Michigan won the national title, while last season, Michigan State and Penn State got into the national semifinals, with the Nittany Lions falling to Wake Forest in the national finale.

Now This Is Getting Scary -- In 2001, when Michigan captured the program's first NCAA championship, the Wolverines lost in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, then posted a four-game winning streak, defeating North Carolina and Michigan State in the regional rounds before topping Princeton and Maryland to win the title. This season, U-M fell to Penn State by a 1-0 margin in overtime in the semifinals of the league tournament and defeated North Carolina and Michigan State in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Did You Know -- Michigan is 0-2 against the final four teams in the NCAA Tournament this season, losing to both Wake Forest and Maryland in the regular season ... Michigan's last NCAA championship team was field hockey's title in 2001 ... Twelve members of the 2003 squad were on the roster during the 2001 NCAA Championship run ... In the history of U-M athletics, 51 teams have earned NCAA titles.

Michigan vs. the NCAA Championship Field ...
Wake Forest: Michigan owns an all-time record of 2-5 against the Demon Deacons and has lost each of the last five meetings, including a 4-2 setback on Sept. 1 in Ann Arbor during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. In NCAA Tournament play, the Wolverines are 1-1 against Wake Forest, splitting a pair of meetings in the quarterfinals in 1999 and 2000. U-M's last meeting with the Demon Deacons in NCAA play was a 3-2 (ot) victory for WFU in the 2000 quarterfinals, held in Winston-Salem, N.C. For more information on Wake Forest field hockey, please visit www.wakeforestsports.com.

Duke: The Wolverines are 3-1 all time against the Blue Devils and have triumphed in the last three meetings. Michigan has not met Duke since the 2002 campaign, a 3-2 win for U-M in Durham, N.C. The Wolverines are 1-0 against the Blue Devils in the NCAA Tournament, eliminating Duke in the first round of the 1999 tournament with a 2-1 victory. For more information on Duke field hockey, please visit www.GoDuke.com.

Maryland: Michigan owns a 1-3 record against Maryland, and if the teams meet in Sunday's (Nov. 23) championship game, it would mark the third time in the last five years the Terrapins and Wolverines would compete for the NCAA title. Earlier this season, U-M dropped a 4-2 decision to Maryland on Sept. 20 in College Park. U-M is 1-1 against the Terps in the NCAA Tournament, with both meetings coming in the tournament finale. Maryland captured the 1999 NCAA title with a 2-1 victory, while the Wolverines won the 2001 championship by virtue of a 2-0 shutout. For more information on  Maryland field hockey, please visit www.umterps.com.

News and Notes ...
All-West Region Teams Announced -- Four Wolverines received STX/NFHCA All-West Region honors, including a trio that will get consideration for the All-America team, which will be announced on Monday (Nov. 24). Seniors April Fronzoni, Kristi Gannon and Stephanie Johnson were named to the All-West Region first team, while junior Adrienne Hortillosa earned second-team honors. Fronzoni is on the first team for the fourth time in her career, a U-M record, while Gannon and Johnson earned first-team distinction for the third and second times in their careers, respectively.

A Nail-Biter Expected -- Ten of Michigan's 13 NCAA Tournament games have been decided by one goal, with U-M sporting an 8-2 record in those contests.

Working Overtime -- The Wolverines are 3-1 in overtime games in the NCAA Tournament and have never gone into an extra session in the semifinal or championship rounds.

Playing the Percentages -- In NCAA Tournament play, Michigan is 10-3 for a winning percentage of .769 to rank second among NCAA programs. Wake Forest, the 2002 champion, owns an 11-3 record in the tournament for a .786 percentage, tops in NCAA history.

Large Margins -- U-M is averaging 3.13 goals per game this season to rank 10th nationally, while the Michigan defense is limiting opponents to just 1.30 goals per game. U-M ranks eighth nationally with a +1.83 margin of victory ... The Wolverines have outscored their opponents 33-9 in the first half and 36-19 in the second half this season.

Natural-Born Scorer -- Senior April Fronzoni, a candidate for the Honda Award as the nation's top field hockey player, leads U-M in goals and points with a career-high 20-7-47, representing over 28 percent of the Wolverines' goal total (70) and nearly 24 percent of Michigan's point total (197). Fronzoni's 47 points eclipse her previous career high of 40, set during a 22-game span last season, while her career-high 20 markers top last season's total of 18. Fronzoni is currently fifth on U-M's single-season goal-scoring chart, while her point total also ranks fifth.

No Sophomore Slump Here -- Sophomore Lori Hillman has netted a career-best three goals this season and has tallied a career-high eight assists for 14 points, the top point total of her career. Last season, Hillman totaled 2-1-3, scoring her first career markers with a two-goal effort in her final game of the season.

A New Member of the 100-Point Club -- Senior Kristi Gannon became the fifth player in U-M field hockey history to record 100 career points, accomplishing the feat against No. 7 Penn State on Nov. 1. Gannon, who has 37 goals and 26 assists to her credit, ranks eighth in career goals at U-M and is ranked seventh on the Wolverines' career assists chart, one behind junior Adrienne Hortillosa.

Finishing Strong -- Junior Jenny Zangara has posted season totals of 2-4-8, marking career highs for goals, assists and points. Zangara, who also scored two goals during the 2002 season, entered the 2003 campaign with career totals of 3-3-9 in 31 games and has nearly equaled that total in 21 contests this year. Zangara, who redshirted in 2000, will graduate from the University in the spring and will not return for the 2004 season.

Saving the Best for Last -- Junior Laura Woitkewitsch, with 0-6-6 totals this season, has established a career high for assists in a campaign, eclipsing the four she recorded last season. Woitkewitsch, who joined the program in 2001, will graduate from the University in the spring and will not return for the 2004 season.

Twentysomething -- Junior Adrienne Hortillosa has eclipsed her point totals from last season (3-13-19) and has 6-11-23 to rank fourth on the team. Hortillosa, an All-Big Ten second-team selection for the second time in her career, leads the team with 11 assists and is sixth in U-M history with 27 career helpers.

Having a Career Year -- Junior Jessica Blake ranks second on the team in points with 27 on nine goals and nine assists -- all career bests -- after 22 games. Blake, who was named to the All-Big Ten second team, owned 5-5-15 totals in 39 career games entering the 2003 campaign.

The Life of Riley -- Freshman goalkeeper Beth Riley, who owns a 15-2 record to go along with a 0.81 goals-against average and a .797 save percentage, is on pace to set U-M single-season records for lowest goals-against average and fewest goals allowed. Riley has only given up 13 goals this season, one fewer than any keeper in U-M history, while her GAA, if it holds, will mark the first time in school history a Michigan netminder has posted a GAA lower than 1.00. Riley, who emerged as the Wolverines' starting keeper on Sept. 21 against James Madison, ranks second nationally for goals-against average.

Free Hits -- For the third straight season, the seeded team in U-M's regional bracket was eliminated in the first round. North Carolina was upset in 2001 by Michigan and the Wolverines were upset by Princeton in 2002. The Tar Heels were the NCAA Tournament's No. 3 seed this season ... April Fronzoni's two-goal effort against UNC was her fourth multi-goal game of the year ... Fronzoni has scored nine goals in NCAA Tournament action in her career, including five against North Carolina ... The Wolverines have won the last six matches at Michigan State's home turf and own a 3-0 record at the MSU Field Hockey Complex. In addition, U-M is the only team to defeat the Spartans at the new MSU Field Hockey Complex, winning both meetings ... U-M is 7-2 during the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, including a 4-1 record in the opening game and a 3-1 mark in the second round ... Adrienne Hortillosa's goal against Michigan State was her first in NCAA Tournament play since scoring the game-winner against Maryland in the 2001 championship game ... Lori Hillman recorded her first career defensive save against the Spartans.

If Youve Been With Us All Season, These May Look Familiar ...
Field Hockeytown -- Michigan captured its fourth Big Ten regular-season title, marking the third time in the last four years U-M has finished atop the conference standings. The Wolverines won the title outright in 2000 and 2002 and tied for the crown with Penn State in 1997, head coach Marcia Pankratz's second season as head coach. U-M posted a 5-1 mark in league play this season, sharing the crown with Michigan State.

Four Straight -- Senior Kristi Gannon became the fourth player in the history of the conference to earn four straight All-Big Ten first-team accolades. Gannon has earned first-team laurels in each of the last four seasons and is the only player in the program's history to accomplish that feat. Along with Gannon, Iowa's Liz Tchou (1984-87), Northwestern's Amy Kekeisen (1982-85) and Jennifer Averill (1983-86) are the only players in Big Ten history to be named All-Big Ten first team on four occasions.

Senior Night at the Big Ten Banquet -- Michigan's three seniors -- April Fronzoni, Kristi Gannon and Stephanie Johnson -- were all honored at the Big Ten Awards Banquet at Penn State, with each receiving multiple honors. Fronzoni was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, while Gannon earned the conference's Athlete of the Year award. Johnson was tabbed for the second consecutive season as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, while all three were unanimous selections to the All-Big Ten first team. In addition, juniors Jessica Blake and Adrienne Hortillosa were voted to the All-Big Ten second team.

Leaving a Legacy -- Senior April Fronzoni set the school record for career points with a goal against Indiana (Oct. 11) and now holds the all-time record with 155. The old mark was held by Mary Callam, who notched 136 points from 1976-79. Just under two weeks later at Old Dominion (Oct. 24), Fronzoni eclipsed Callam's career goal-scoring record with her 65th marker, surpassing Callam's record of 64. Fronzoni now was 68 career goals.

Fronzoni and Gannon Invited To Play in All-Star Game -- April Fronzoni and Kristi Gannon have been selected to participate in the 2003 NFHCA Division I North/South All-Star Game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Garber Field on the campus of the University of Massachusetts.

A Loss To the Field Hockey Family -- The U-M field hockey program received some bad news prior to leaving for the Central Michigan match on Oct. 13. Rachael (Geisthardt) Townsend, a four-year letterwinner and goalkeeper from 1992-95, passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 12 after completing the Chicago Marathon. Townsend was 29. In honor of Townsend, Michigan wore black bands on the left shoulder of its uniforms with the number "18" on it against Hofstra on Oct. 19.

Not Afraid To Play the Tough Ones -- Michigan had 10 of the 20 teams ranked in the final STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll on its 2003 schedule, including three of the top four teams in the poll -- No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 3 Maryland and No. 4 North Carolina. Overall, U-M has played 11 teams ranked by the NFHCA and is 8-3 in those contests.

Training in Europe -- The squad traveled to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, during the 2003 preseason to compete against club teams in the Amsterdam area as well as Cologne Rot-Weiss, the team junior Laura Woitkewitsch played for before coming to U-M.

Freshmen 15 -- Freshman Jill Civic appeared in the first-ever edition of Sports Illustrated On Campus as one of the nation's top 15 newcomers - the Freshmen 15 -- in all NCAA Division I sports.

Five Alive -- With her Big Ten co-Offensive Player of the Week award on Sept. 8, senior April Fronzoni tied the school record for most Big Ten Player of the Week honors, held by Kelli Gannon (1997-2000).

Wait Until Next Year -- Two of Michigan's six true freshmen -- Eleanor Martin and Kristen Tiner -- are redshirting the 2003 campaign and will not see any playing time until the 2004 season.

Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423