Michigan
(12-4)
Central Michigan
(5-9)
Wolverines Defeat CMU in OT to Claim 10th Straight Win
10/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Boxscore
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team claimed its third overtime victory in four games, defeating Central Michigan, 3-2, Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 17) in the CMU Field Hockey Complex. Sophomore Kelly Fitzpatrick(Hummelstown, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) scored the game-winning tally less than three minutes into the extra frame to extend the Wolverines' winning streak to 10 contests.
Michigan (12-4, 5-0 Big Ten) gained one-goal advantages twice during regulation play, scoring late in the first half and early in second, but CMU knotted up the score each time to force overtime. The Wolverines dominated the additional stanza, drawing a penalty corner and firing three shots as they contained play in Chippewa territory for the entirety of the frame. The ball was kicked out to the Central Michigan 25 after an unsuccessful U-M corner conversion, and Fitzpatrick picked off an errant CMU pass to create a breakaway opportunity. Fitzpatrick pulled Chippewa Louise Gericke out of the cage on the left side of the circle, and the Wolverine forward dribbled the ball around the sprawled goalkeeper and dumped it into open net.
The Wolverines carried play for much of the first half but could not coordinate its attack to hold the ball in CMU territory. Michigan drew a penalty corner early in the contest for the only significant scoring chance for either team until the 26th minute. U-M converted on its third corner opportunity -- at the 31:40 mark -- as junior Stephanie Hoyer(Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) got her stick on the direct shot and redirected it into the cage. Senior captain LuciaBelassi (Paysandu, Uruguay/Liceo #1) accepted the push at the top of the circle and rifled a hard pass to Hoyer, who was camped out on the right post to tip it into the cage.
Central Michigan evened the score a little more than three minutes later -- and with just 17 seconds remaining on the clock -- as Samantha Sandham took advantage of a breakaway opportunity and beat junior/sophomore goalkeeper Paige Pickett(Dallas, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas) on the near post.
The Wolverines came out firing in the second half, quickly storming into the CMU circle to draw two corners and pepper Gericke with four shots in the opening minutes. U-M eventually used a flurry around the CMU cage to retake the lead. Hoyer corralled the ball near the endline on the right side of the circle and smacked a centering pass to the stroke area, where senior Ashley Lennington(Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle HS) one-timed it to the bottom left corner.
CMU again knotted up the score, converting on a penalty-corner opportunity at the 55:58 mark. The direct shot by Kim Eramus deflected off a U-M defender into the bottom right corner of the cage. The Chippewas continued to pressure late in the half, drawing back-to-back penalty corners in the closing three minutes. Hoyer came up with a big block on the direct shot, sprinting to the top of the circle to stop the CMU threat.
Michigan outshot the Chippewas 18-9 in the contest, and U-M outcornered CMU, 9-7. Pickett made one save in the U-M cage to earn her 12th win of the season, while Gericke stopped seven of Michigan's 10 shots on goal.
The Wolverines will wrap up the Big Ten portion of their 2007 slate Sunday (Oct. 21), squaring off against Northwestern at on Lakeside Field in Evanston, Ill. Action begins at 1 p.m. CST.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT | F |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Central Michigan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Stephanie Hoyer, 31:40 (Lucia Belassi)
1st -- CMU, Samantha Sandham, 34:43 (Kelly Jordan)
2nd -- U-M, Ashley Lennington, 39:13 (Hoyer)
2nd -- CMU, Kim Erasmus, 55:58 (Kim Sihota)
OT -- U-M, Kelly Fitzpatrick, 72:56 (unassisted)
Shots: U-M 18, CMU 9
Saves: U-M 1 (Paige Pickett), CMU 7 (Louise Gerlacke)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, CMU 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 9, CMU 7
Penalty Strokes: None
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Hoyer, Stephanie (5)
Assisted By: Belassi, Lucia
On a penalty corner.
31:40
SANDHAM, Samantha (4)
Assisted By: JORDAN, Kelly
Long pass ahead to Sandham, behind the d
34:43
Lennington, Ashley (6)
Assisted By: Hoyer, Stephanie
Off a centering pass.
39:13
ERASMUS, Kim (4)
Assisted By: SIHOTA, Kim
On a penalty corner.
55:58
Fitzpatrick, Kelly (7)
Stolen pass, in alone on goalkeeper.
72:56
