Michigan
Penn State
Michigan Drops OT Shutout to Lions in Big Ten Semifinals
11/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- A week after routing seventh-ranked Penn State in Ann Arbor to close out the regular season, the top-seeded University of Michigan field hockey team rematched the No. 3 seed Nittany Lions in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, falling by a 1-0 margin in overtime Saturday afternoon (Nov. 8) at PSU's Bigler Field.
Penn State's Timarie Legel scored the game-winner at 73:18, breaking the scoreless tie when she beat a diving freshman Beth Riley (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area HS), sending the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten Tournament championship match.
Michigan, which failed to reach the tournament final for just the second time in the last seven years, outshot Penn State 18-7, including 9-2 in the second half. PSU goalkeeper Annie Kinkavich, who surrendered five goals to U-M last weekend, kept the Wolverines at bay, stopping seven shots, including four in the second half alone. Michigan also out-cornered the Nittany Lions by a 10-5 margin, including 7-1 in the second half.
Senior April Fronzoni (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West HS) led the Wolverines with four shots, while sophomore Lori Hillman (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern Regional HS) notched two. Senior Stephanie Johnson (Houston, Texas/The Kinkaid School) also tallied a shot, but she was ejected from the game when she was issued a red card at 54:00, forcing U-M to play one player short for the remainder of the game.
The Wolverines will now await an at-large selection to the 2003 NCAA Tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Nov. 15. The 16-team field will be announced on Tuesday (Nov. 11) at 8 p.m. with a live broadcast on www.ncaasports.com.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT | F |
| Penn State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
OT -- PSU, Timarie Legel, 73:18 (Neilye Stoner)
Shots: U-M 18, PSU 7
Saves: U-M 1 (Beth Riley), PSU 7 (Annie Zinkavich)
Defensive Saves: None
Penalty Corners: U-M 10, PSU 5
Penalty Strokes: None
N O T E S
Top-seeded Michigan was eliminated from the tournament, marking only the second time in the last seven years the Wolverines have not advanced to the Big Ten Tournament final.
U-M has dropped its last two postseason matches at PSU's Bigler Field. Last season, the Wolverines fell by a 4-3 margin to Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Wolverines' shutout loss was the second time this season U-M has failed to score a goal. Michigan was also held scoreless in the season opener against North Carolina (Aug. 31).
Michigan has lost its last two Big Ten Tournament contests, marking its first losing streak in the event since dropping three straight from 1994-96.
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
