Michigan
(8-3, 2-0Big Ten)
Northwestern
(6-6, 0-2Big Ten)
Blake Hat Trick Keys Michigan Win Over Northwestern
10/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Jessica Blake (Perth, Western Australia/St. Mary's Anglican) recorded her second hat trick of the season to lead the No. 8-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team to a 4-1 victory over Big Ten Conference rival Northwestern on Saturday (Oct. 2) at Phyllis Ocker Field.
With her three-goal performance, Blake -- who has claimed back-to-back conference Offensive Player of the Week honors -- extended her scoring streak to 11 games with at least one point in each of the Wolverines' games this season.
The Wolverine senior opened scoring in the game at the 7:32 mark, receiving a forward pass from junior Lori Hillman (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern Regional HS) deep in the circle before rifling a shot to the opposite corner, beating Wildcat goalkepper Sherri-Anne Nyberg low on the left side. Blake added her second of the frame 10 minutes later off a Michigan corner, winding up at the top of the circle to blast a hard shot past a sprawling Nyberg.
Junior/sophomore Katie Morris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) continued her breakout year with her seventh marker of the 2004 season, corralling the ball deep in the circle off a rebound and tapping it into an empty Wildcat cage.
Each team tallied one second-half goal -- coming just three minutes apart early in the frame -- before the game turned into a largely defensive effort and play was moved to the middle of the field. Blake collected her third marker of game at the 40:16 mark after redirecting a pass across the goal mouth from sophomore Mary Fox (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy), while the Wildcats were able to avoid the shutout with a goal at 43:21 by Candice Cooper.
The Wolverines controlled the ball throughout the game and outshot Northwestern 15-3, including a 10-1 differential in the first half, and out-cornering the Wildcats 6-0. Both U-M goalkeepers saw playing time in the victory as sophomore Beth Riley (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) earned a save on NU's lone first-half shot and fifth-year senior Molly Maloney (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest HS) collected 26:58 of playing time in the second frame.
The Wolverines will conclude their two-game homestand on Sunday (Oct. 3) against No. 17 Harvard. The non-conference match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at Ocker Field.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Northwestern | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Jessica Blake, 7:32 (Lori Hillman)
1st -- U-M, Blake, 17:17 (Adrienne Hortillosa)
1st -- U-M, Katie Morris, 21:02 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Blake, 40:16 (Mary Fox)
2nd -- NU, Candice Cooper, 43:21 (Wendy Ng)
Shots: U-M 15, NU 3
Saves: U-M 1 (Beth Riley 1, Molly Maloney 0), NU 4 (Sherri-Anne Nyberg 3, Kelly Augustine 1)
Defensive Saves: None
Penalty Corners: U-M 6, NU 0
Penalty Strokes: None
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Blake, Jessica
Assisted By: Hillman, Lori
low right circle, beat low left
7:32
Blake, Jessica
Assisted By: Hortillosa, Adrienne
off corner, blast from top left circle
17:17
Morris, Katie
rebound
21:02
Blake, Jessica
Assisted By: Fox, Mary
redirect high center
40:16
Cooper, Candice
Assisted By: Ng, Wenny
GOAL by NW Cooper, Candice, Assist by Ng, Wenny.
43:21
