Michigan Comeback Falls Just Shy Against Penn State

Sunday, October 2

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

(12-1, 2-0Big Ten)

Penn State

(6-6, 0-3Big Ten)

Team	1	2	Final F
Penn State	3	0	3
Michigan	0	2	2

10/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Leah Howard

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ocker Field)
Score: #7 Penn State 3, #13 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (6-6, 0-3 Big Ten), PSU (12-1, 2-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Thursday, Oct. 6 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 5 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Scoring a pair of goals in the second half, the No. 13-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team battled back against No. 7 Penn State on Sunday (Oct. 2) but fell just short, losing the Big Ten Conference match 3-2. The loss evened the Wolverines' season record at 6-6.

Down three goals at halftime, the Maize and Blue emerged from the intermission a rejuvenated team and proceeded to control the final 35 minutes of play. U-M held ball possession in Penn State's end through the opening 13 minutes but could not muscle into the Nittany Lions striking circle for a quality scoring opportunity.

After Penn State carried the ball down the field to register the first shot of the half and draw a corner, the Wolverines responded in a big way as freshmen Erin Dallas (Marlow, N.H./Keene HS) and Stephanie Hoyer (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) connected to put U-M on the scoreboard at 50:42. Nittany Lion goalkeeper Megan Akstin came out of the cage to play the ball which Dallas fed into the circle. Akstin misplayed it, however, and the ball bounced to Hoyer, who flipped it over the sprawled goalie for her third goal of the season.

The U-M freshman duo connected again less than six minutes later, at the 56:20 mark, to pull the Wolverines within one goal of the visiting Nittany Lions. Standing high in the PSU circle, Hoyer played the ball hard on goal, and Akstin again mishandled it. Laying in wait, Dallas corralled it and roofed a shot into the upper right corner.

Michigan continued to pressure through the remainder of the game, tallying five shots in the final 15 minutes of play while holding Penn State to just one. Dallas was left all alone in the PSU circle with just two minutes to go, but the Wolverine could not handle a bouncing pass from senior/junior captain Katie Morris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS).

Penn State spread its three goals evenly over the first half, gaining an early advantage off a penalty corner just two minutes into the game. Annelise Legel scored a pair of markers, including the eventual game-winner at 33:35, beating U-M junior goalkeeper Beth Riley (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) high on each occasion.

Penn State outshot U-M by a narrow 15-14 margin, but the Wolverines held a 8-6 advantage in penalty corners. Riley earned nine saves in the U-M cage and senior captain Lori Hillman (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern Regional HS) picked up a second-half defensive save, while Akstin made four stops for the PSU win.

The Wolverines will play a Thursday-Sunday series next week, facing Michigan State and Connecticut. U-M will head to East Lansing, Mich., to square off against the Spartans in Big Ten action on Thursday (Oct. 6) at 5 p.m. before returning home to Ocker Field for a 12:30 p.m. meeting on Sunday (Oct. 9) against Connecticut.

MATCH SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Penn State	3	0	3
Michigan	0	2	2

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- PSU, Shaun Banta, 2:01 (Kiersten Wood)
1st -- PSU, Annelise Legel, 23:13 (Banta)
1st -- PSU, Legel, 33:35 (Britney Long)
2nd -- U-M, Stephanie Hoyer, 50:42 (Erin Dallas)
2nd -- U-M, Dallas, 56:20 (Hoyer)

Shots: U-M 14, PSU 15
Saves: U-M 9 (Beth Riley), PSU 4 (Megan Akstin)
Defensive Saves: U-M 1, PSU 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 8, PSU 6
Penalty Strokes: None

NOTES

• With today's loss, Michigan dropped to 8-20 in the all-time series against Penn State.

• The last time the Wolverines lost three Big Ten Conference games was 1999. They had never started 0-3 in Big Ten play prior to this season.

• Freshman Erin Dallas leads the talented crop of Wolverines newcomers in scoring this season with 12 points (5-2-12). She is the second-leading scorer on the team behind senior/junior Katie Morris with 19 points.

• Kinesiology professor Pat Van Volkinburg was recognized during a halftime ceremony for her long-time support of U-M field hockey.

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Nancy Cox
On game against Penn State ... "The ball speed got better. Our kids are getting better at finishing. Penn State's a very, very good team this year. I think right now they're in the top 10, and we're going to be there by the end of this thing. Our kids just have to keep believing, because our ball speed got better. We're moving a lot of people around in the backfield right, and our kids are stepping up to their roles. So, we're going to be where we need to be when the time comes."

On the weekend's losses ... "Was it a tough weekend Yeah, we lost. Was it a tough weekend No, from the perspective that we got a lot better today. That's what it's all about when you have a very youthful team. As long as we continue to improve and make improvements across the backfield line, the midfield line and the forward line, we're going to be where we need to be. Our kids are starting to believe that now. It's frustrating now for all of us of course, because we've had nothing but success (in recent years). We're going to be successful when the time comes for us to be successful. They need to keep believing, and I know they will. They outworked Penn State in the second half of this game, and that's what it's about."

U-M Senior Captain Lori Hillman
On the game ... "We were down three at halftime and could have easily given up, but I think it shows a lot about our character and our team pride that we came back and fought hard until the end. We're playing everybody really tough. As long as we keep getting better and perform well in the Big Ten Tournament, we'll be good to go."

U-M Freshman Erin Dallas
On the game ... "It's big letdown, but we'll come back from it. We have faith that we'll make it all the way through. We still have a lot of stuff we need to work on, but we definitely picked up in the second half. That showed that we have those skills, we just need to follow up sooner. We just have to get that first half going in the games, and we'll be all set."