Weekly Release #11

This Week's Schedule

No. 5 Michigan (15-4, 5-1 Big Ten) 
vs. No. 7 Penn State (14-5, 3-3 Big Ten) or No. 13 Iowa (11-7, 2-4 Big Ten)

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
Saturday, Nov. 8    11 a.m.    Bigler Field    State College, Pa.

Big Ten Tournament Championship
Sunday, Nov. 9    1 p.m.    Bigler Field    State College, Pa.

Television: None

Radio/Internet: Live scoring updates from the Big Ten Tournament will be available on the Big Ten Conference's web site, www.bigten.org.

Tournament Storylines
We Are the Champions -- Michigan enters the Big Ten Tournament after capturing its fourth Big Ten regular-season title in school history and third in the last four years. The Wolverines are sharing the crown with Michigan State, as each school finished the regular season with a 5-1 record.

Waiting To Play -- The Wolverines are the lone team in the tournament field with a bye in the first round, earned by receiving the top seed. The other six teams will play in the first round on Friday (Nov. 7), with the semifinals scheduled for Saturday (Nov. 8). Michigan will square off against the winner of the Penn State-Iowa game, which pits the No. 4 seed (PSU) against the No. 5 seed (Iowa). The championship match is slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 9).

Looking for Another Trophy -- Michigan is in search of its third Big Ten Tournament championship in school history, and first since 2000 when the Wolverines ran the table in the regular season and won their second straight tournament crown. U-M has advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game in five of the last six seasons.

Awards Week -- The Big Ten will announce its award winners for the 2003 season on Thursday (Nov. 6) at its annual awards banquet. The Wolverines, who swept the Big Ten individual honors last year, have received the league's Freshman of the Year award in each of the last three seasons. Freshman goalkeeper Beth Riley seems a likely candidate to become the fourth straight Wolverine to receive the award, as she ranked second in goals-against average (0.73) and shutouts (2) during the Big Ten season. No other freshman in the league ranked as high as Riley did in any statistical category.

Four Straight -- When the All-Big Ten teams are announced on Thursday (Nov. 6), senior Kristi Gannon has a chance to become the third 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 three seasons and is the only player in the program's history to accomplish that feat. Iowa's Liz Tchou (1984-87) and Northwestern's Amy Kekeisen (1982-85) are the only players in Big Ten history to be named All-Big Ten first team on four occasions.

Michigan vs. the Big Ten Tournament Field ...
Penn State: Michigan is 7-18 all-time against the Nittany Lions and has won five of the last six meetings, including a 5-2 decision on Nov. 1 in Ann Arbor. In the Big Ten Tournament, U-M is 2-3 against Penn State but has not met PSU in the tournament since downing the Lions by a 2-1 (2 ot) margin in the championship game of the 2000 event. For more information on  Penn State field hockey, please visit www.GoPSUSports.com.

Iowa: U-M is 9-33 against the Hawkeyes and has won five straight, including a 1-0 decision on Oct. 4 in Ann Arbor. In the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan is 1-0 against Iowa, triumping in the 1999 championship game by a 1-0 margin. For more information on Iowa field hockey, please visit www.hawkeyesports.com.

Michigan State: The Wolverines hold a 28-21-6 advantage in the all-time series against Michigan State and have won 10 of the last 11 meetings with State, including a 1-0 triumph on Oct. 17 in East Lansing. U-M is 0-1 against the Spartans in the Big Ten Tournament, falling to MSU by a 3-0 count in the championship game last year. For more information on  Michigan State field hockey, please visit www.msuspartans.com.

Ohio State: Michigan owns an all-time record of 25-20-2 against the Buckeyes but fell to OSU in its last meeting, dropping a 2-1 decision on Oct. 26 in Columbus. The Wolverines, who are 4-3 against Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament, have face OSU more times than any other opponent and eliminated the Buckeyes from the semifinals of last year's event with a 3-2 victory. For more information on Ohio State field hockey, please visit www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com.

Northwestern: The Wolverines are 14-28 against the Wildcats but have been victorious in each of the last 12 meetings, including a 3-0 victory on Sept. 26 in Evanston. U-M is 2-0 against Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament and has not faced the Wildcats since the first round of the 2000 tournament. For more information on Northwestern field hockey, please visit www.nusports.com.

Indiana: U-M is 4-4 all-time against the Hoosiers, including a 4-0 mark since Indiana reinstituted its program in 2000. The Wolverines, who posted a 4-0 win over IU on Oct. 11 in Ann Arbor, have never faced the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament. For more information on Indiana field hockey, please visit www.iuhoosiers.com.

News and Notes ...
Field Hockeytown -- Michigan captured its fourth Big Ten regular-season title last weekend with a win against No. 7 Penn State, 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.

Having a Career Year -- 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 18-6-42, representing over 27 percent of the Wolverines' goal total (66) and nearly 23 percent of Michigan's point total (185). Fronzoni's 42 points eclipse her previous career high of 40, set during a 22-game span last season, while her 18 markers equal last season's career-high total. Fronzoni is tied for fifth on U-M's single-season goal-scoring chart, while her point totals ties her for sixth.

Two-for-One Special -- Sophomore Lori Hillman tied a career high last Saturday (Nov. 1) with her second career two-goal game, scoring twice, including the game-winner, against No. 7 Penn State. 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 2-1-5, scoring her first career markers with a two-goal effort in her final game of the season.

Welcome to the Club -- Senior Kristi Gannon became the fifth player in U-M field hockey history to record 100 career points, accomplishing the feat last Saturday (Nov. 1) against No. 7 Penn State. Gannon, who has 37 goals and 26 assists to her credit, has notched a point in each of her last four games, totaling 4-1-9 during that time. Gannon ranks eighth in career goals at U-M and is tied for sixth on the Wolverines' career assists chart with junior Adrienne Hortillosa.

Finishing Strong -- Junior Jenny Zangara scored her second goal of the year 1:25 into last Saturday's (Nov. 1) game against No. 7 Penn State, brining her season totals to 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 just 18 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 enters the Big Ten Tournament with an assist in three of her last four games, recording four helpers during that time. Woitkewitsch, with 0-5-5 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 eclipsed her point totals from last season (3-13-19) with a goal against No. 7 Penn State last Saturday (Nov. 1) and now has 5-10-20 to rank fourth on the team. Hortillosa, who has notched a point in three of her last four games, totaling 2-1-5, leads the team with 10 assists and is tied for sixth in U-M history with 26 career helpers, equaling the mark set by senior Kristi Gannon.

Bringing the Thunder from Down Under -- Junior Jessica Blake continues to post career numbers this season and ranks second on the team in points with 24 on eight goals and eight assists -- all career bests -- after 29 games. Blake has notched a point in all but six games this season and enters the Big Ten Tournament with a point in four of her last five appearances, totaling 1-3-5 during that time. Entering the season, Blake owned 5-5-15 totals in 39 career games.

The Life of Riley -- Freshman goalkeeper Beth Riley, who owns a 13-1 record to go along with a 0.77 goals-against average and an .811 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 10 goals this season, four 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 her goals-against average and 12th for her save percentage.

In a Sea of Numbers, We Found This -- According to the latest national statistics, compiled by the NFHCA (as of Nov. 3), the Wolverines rank in all four statistical categories: winning percentage (t-7th - .789), scoring defense (12th - 1.35 goals per game), scoring offense (6th - 3.42 gpg), and margin of victory (9th - 2.07 gpg) ... Individually, April Fronzoni is listed in four categories -- points (t-11th - 42), points per game (t-11th - 2.21), goals (t-8th - 18) and goals per game (t-12th - .947) -- while Beth Riley ranks second with her 0.77 goals-against average and 12th in save percentage with an .811 mark.

Free Hits -- Michigan's 5-2 win over Penn State last Saturday (Nov. 1) marked the largest margin of victory for U-M in the history of the series ... Junior Katy Moyneur has notched an assist in two of her last three games, totaling 0-2-2 during that time.

Next Up - The NCAA Tournament ...
The Wolverines will await selection to the 2003 NCAA Tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Nov. 15, at four campus sites around the country. Should Michigan win the Big Ten Tournament, it will be awarded the conference's automatic bid, one of six automatic qualifiers determined by the NCAA. The NCAA Tournament field is 16 teams and will be unveiled at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11.

If Youve Been With Us All Season, These May Look Familiar ...
A New Career Goals Leader -- Senior April Fronzoni established the school record for career goals with her 65th career marker at Old Dominion (Oct. 11) and now holds the all-time record with 66. The old record was owned by Mary Callam, who notched 64 goals from 1976-79.

And a New Career Points Leader -- Fronzoni also set the school record for career points with a goal against Indiana (Oct. 11) and now holds the all-time record with 150. The old mark was also owned by Callam, who notched 136 points from 1976-79.

Fronzoni and Gannon 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, 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 has 10 of the 20 teams ranked in the latest 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 eight teams ranked by the NFHCA and is 6-2 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).

Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423