Hortillosa, Blake Help Wolverines Dominate Syracuse

Friday, September 10

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

(3-2, 0-0Big Ten)

Syracuse

(1-3, 0-0Big East)

Syracuse

Michigan

9/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

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By: Leah Howard

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ocker Field)
Score: Michigan 4, Syracuse 0
Records: U-M (3-2), Syracuse (1-3)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, Sept. 11 -- vs. Old Dominion (Ocker Field), 2 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior captain Adrienne Hortillosa (Chula Vista, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) registered her second multi-goal effort of the season to lead the University of Michigan field hockey team to a 4-0 shutout against Syracuse in the Wolverines' home opener on Friday (Sept. 10) at Phyllis Ocker Field.

Despite dominating the play and holding the Orange without a shot on goal, U-M could not find the back of the cage in the opening frame and the score remained knotted at zero at the halftime intermission. Hortillosa gave Michigan the only advantage it would need early in the second half, scoring an unassisted goal at 36:59 following a U-M corner. The Wolverine senior corraled the ball after a scrum high in the circle and, without challenge from the Orange defense, swept it into the lower left corner past sprawling Syracuse goalkeeper Betsy Wagner.

Senior Jessica Blake (Perth, Western Australia/St. Mary's Anglican HS) made it a two-goal game just over a minute later after one-timing a pass by sophomore/freshman Eleanor Martin (Anchorage, Ky./Louisville Collegiate School) past Wagner at the 38:21 mark, earning Martin her first career point as a Wolverine.

Michigan tallied another pair of back-to-back goals midway through the second half as Hortillosa and junior/sophomore Katie Morris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) scored just 2:37 apart to extend the Wolverine lead. After a give-and-go at the top of the circle between herself and Blake, Hortillosa whipped a shot into the lower left corner of the cage for her fifth goal of the season. Morris closed out the U-M scoring with an unassisted goal at the 59:14 mark.

The Wolverines outshot Syracuse 33-3 and recorded 26 shots in the second half. Sophomore goalkeeper Beth Riley (Palymra, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) recorded the shutout, making one save, while the Orange's Wagner made 13 saves on U-M's 17 shots on goal. Wolverine fifth-year senior goalkeeper Molly Maloney (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest HS) also saw 9:48 in playing time against Syracuse, entering the game late in second half.

The Wolverines will remain home for their next match, hosting Old Dominion on Saturday (Sept. 11) at 2 p.m. at Ocker Field.

MATCH SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Syracuse	0	0	0
Michigan	0	4	4

Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- U-M, Adrienne Hortillosa, 36:59 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Jessica Blake, 38:21 (Eleanor Martin)
2nd -- U-M, Hortillosa, 56:37 (Blake)
2nd -- U-M, Katie Morris, 59:14 (unassisted)

Shots: U-M 33, Syracuse 3
Saves: U-M 1 (Beth Riley 1, Molly Maloney 0), Syracuse 13 (Betsy Wagner 13)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, Syracuse 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 14, Syracuse 1
Penalty Strokes: None

NOTES

• With the victory, U-M improved its all-time series record against Syracuse to 2-1.

• Michigan allowed a season-low three shots and registered a season-low one save on the Orange's lone shot on goal.

• Senior Adrienne Hortillosa extended her scoring streak to five games and has registered 5-3-13 in the first five games of the season to lead the Wolverines in scoring.

• Hortillosa recorded a team season-high 10 shots at the Syracuse cage, including six shots on goal.

• Sophomore/freshman Kristen Tiner made her collegiate debut against the Orange, entering the game in the second half.

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On Michigan's performance ... "Well, it's the first home game, so it's nice to get a good win. Syracuse is a very scrappy team, and they hustle a lot, so it's tough when they're right on you and don't give you a lot of room to play. I thought we adapted to that well as the second half went along."

On Michigan's scoring chances ... "(Adrienne Hortillosa and Jessica Blake) both have great shooting ability. We've got a lot of younger kids that are getting playing experience, and they can score goals. As the season goes along, we'll get better and better at it -- it's kind of like football, it just takes a little bit to get the offense going -- but it's coming along so we are pleased with the results."

On tomorrow's game against Old Dominion ... "Well, they're always a very strong, disciplined team. They're always disciplined, they always work hard, they always have great basic fundamentals, so it will be quite a game tomorrow. We are looking forward to it."

U-M Senior Jessica Blake
On the game ... "I think it was obvious that we came out a little bit slower than we wanted to. We wanted to get out there and score an early goal, but we worked through it. They're a good team; they had good defense. They played very different than anything we've played before; so it was different to play a team like that. They were scrappy, they were really tough, they played really well the first half, and we had to change our style of play to lift the style of play."

On teammate Adrienne Hortillosa ... "It's really awesome to have a teammate like Adrienne, because you know if she takes on someone she is going to get through them. You know if you are in the right position, she is going to get the ball to you. Being able to play with her for four years has been great. I know to have a lot of confidence in her -- obviously I have confidence in my other teammates as well -- but when you're out there with someone as good as her, it lifts your standards. She lifts our whole team. She's in the right position every time, so if I want to make a pass I know she's going to be there."

On the younger U-M players ... "I think everyone brings something different. Lucia (Belassi) has a very different style of play, but she's able to adapt the way that she plays and bring it to our team. She has a very good skill level, and she can get past opposing players, but she is also learning how to play that faster speed of pace like a running game. I think the freshmen are doing really well, and they are adapting to the way we play here at Michigan. So, they lift our style of play as well, because they are bringing something new. They are doing really well, and they are going to continue to get minutes because they continue to lift the level of the game."

U-M Senior Adrienne Hortillosa
On the game ... "I think in the first half, we were really off to a slow start. We changed our tactics in our system, and it worked to our advantage and we got a lot more shots on goal and we hit the back of the net."

On teammate Jessica Blake ... "I think it's really nice to have Blake up front; we are both seniors, and so we've worked together for a long time. It's definitely nice, because I can rely on her a lot and she thinks along the same lines as me. It's good to have us working together up there, and I think it's especially helping the younger players."