Weekly Release #8

Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Oct. 12 -- vs. Indiana (Phyllis Ocker Field), 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 17 -- at Central Michigan (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), 3 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 21 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 1 p.m.

This Week's Lineup
The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (10-4, 4-0 Big Ten) will close out the home portion of its regular-season slate on Friday (Oct. 12) with a 4 p.m. meeting against Indiana at Phyllis Ocker Field. The Wolverines carry an eight-game winning streak into weekend action and remain the lone undefeated team in Big Ten Conference play.

A Senior Moment
Michigan will honor its four-member senior class Friday (Oct. 12) before squaring off against Indiana in the its home finale. Fifth-year senior Kristen Tiner (Houston, Texas/The Kinkaid School) and seniors Lucia Belassi (Paysandu, Uruguay/Liceo #1), Ashley Lennington (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle HS) and Jillianne Whitfield (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) will have exhausted their eligibility after this season. Over their combined tenure -- including Tiner's freshman season -- Michigan owns a 71-33 record and has claimed two Big Ten regular-season titles and two Big Ten Tournament titles. The quartet also has earned six Academic All-Big Ten citations and contributed to back-to-back Rachael Townsend Community Service Awards.

Scouting the Opponent
Indiana -- Michigan owns a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series against Indiana, and the Wolverines have won seven of eight meetings since the Hoosiers reinstated their program in 2000. Michigan upset IU 1-0 last season in regular-season play, handing the Hoosiers their first Big Ten loss of the year. Kristen Tiner scored the only goal U-M would need on a direct shot late in the first half, while goalkeeper Beth Riley earned three saves in the U-M cage to claim her second shutout of the season. Indiana owns a 6-6 record this season and is winless in conference competition with an 0-3 mark. The Hoosiers suffered a 2-0 shutout defeat to Penn State in their most recent outing on Sunday (Oct. 7). For more information on Indiana, visit www.iuhoosiers.com.

Big Ten Standings and Statistics
Throughout the 2007 season, the latest standings and statistics from the Big Ten Conference can be found by visiting the Big Ten's website.

STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll
After claiming another win over a nationally ranked opponent -- a 2-1 overtime victory over Michigan State on Oct. 5 -- the Wolverines climbed another spot to the No. 5 position in the latest edition of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll of the top 20 teams in NCAA Division I, released on Tuesday (Oct. 9). The poll is available on the NFHCA's site.

STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll (10/9/07)

Rank, Team (1st-place votes) Record Points 1. North Carolina (38) 14-0 874 2. Maryland (6) 14-0 842 3. Wake Forest 7-4 751 4. Iowa 11-2 725 5. MICHIGAN 9-4 683 6. Connecticut 12-2 678 7. Michigan State 11-4 582 8. James Madison 11-2 568 9. Penn State 9-4 553 10. Old Dominion 8-5 413 11. Duke 7-6 401 12. Boston College 8-5 345 13. Boston University 10-4 313 14. Louisville 9-5 284 15. Ohio 10-4 274 16. American 10-3 243 17. Albany 11-3 226 18. Syracuse 11-3 96 19. Virginia 7-6 88 20. Villanova 9-3 54

Statistically Speaking ...
National statistics, compiled by the NCAA, will be released every Monday during the season. Statistics can be accessed at NCAA Field Hockey.

We're Going Sreaking
The Wolverines have won eight consecutive games, dating back to their road win at Louisville (Sept. 14), and have outscored the opposition 24-10 over the stretch. Michigan's current winning streak is its longest since winning 10 in a row during the heart of the 2003 campaign. U-M has opened the Big Ten Conference schedule with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2003.

Knowing When It Counts
Senior captain Lucia Belassi claimed her third game-winning goal in a row in the Wolverines' 2-1 overtime victory at Michigan State last Friday (Oct. 5), adding to her deciding markers against Ohio State (Sept. 28) and Miami of Ohio (Sept. 30). Belassi boasts eight game-winners in her career, including three in overtime situations. She also leads the Wolverine squad this season with nine goals and three game-winning tallies.

Ironwomen
Senior captain Lucia Belassi has appeared in every game during her U-M career, as she currently boasts 81 total games played with 46 consecutive starts. Belassi is on track to crack Michigan's top 10 leaders in career games played. She needs four to reach the 10th spot, currently held by Jeanne Shinn (85, 1997, 2000). Junior Stephanie Hoyer (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) achieved similar status, making her 58th career appearance in the Wolverines' Tuesday contest against Kent State (Oct. 9), while sophomore Paige Laytos has started all 34 games of her collegiate career.

Free Hits
The Wolverines have rallied from behind in six contests this season, including four of the last six games. Michigan has only allowed two second-half goals in the last seven games ... U-M owns a 3-1 record in overtime games this season ... Junior/sophomore goalkeeper Paige Pickett (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas) earned her 10th career victory with a 3-1 decision at Kent State (Oct. 9).

On the Horizon
Michigan will kick off its five-game road swing next Wednesday (Oct. 17), traveling to Mount Pleasant, Mich., for a non-conference match at Central Michigan. The game is slated for a 3 p.m. start at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.