Michigan
(13-4, 6-0)
Northwestern
(4-11, 0-5)
Win at Northwestern Gives Michigan Perfect Big Ten Season
10/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Lakeside Field)
Score: #4 Michigan 3, Northwestern 2
Records: U-M (13-4, 6-0 Big Ten), Northwestern (4-11, 0-5 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, Oct. 27 -- at California (Berkeley, Calif.), Noon PDT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Sophomore Kelly Fitzpatrick (Hummelstown, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) scored with just 1:40 remaining in regulation to propel the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team past Northwestern, 3-2, Sunday (Oct. 21) at Lakeside Field. With the victory, the Wolverines capture the Big Ten Conference title outright, wrapping up their conference slate with a perfect 6-0 record.
Kelly Fitzpatrick
Despite a few NU surges, Michigan largely controlled the second frame -- particularly the final 15 minutes, during which U-M outshot the Wildcats 11-0 and outcornered them 8-0. Michigan finally converted on its final corner opportunity of the barrage as Fitzpatrick collected her second game-winning goal in two games. The U-M sophomore stopped the direct shot from senior captain Lucia Belassi (Paysandu, Uruguay/Liceo #1) in front of the cage, spun around and lifted the ball over sprawling NU goalkeeper Emily Kyle.
The Wolverines gained the initial lead in the contest, wasting little time before finding the back of the NU cage and establishing an early advantage as senior Ashley Lennington (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle HS) scored on U-M's second shot of the contest just 3:12 into the opening half. Fitzpatrick corralled a bouncing ball on the left side of Wildcat territory and whipped a pass across the circle to Lennington, who got her stick on it and redirected it into the near corner for her seventh goal of the season.
Play moved up and down the field for the entirety of the half, and Northwestern used its lone shot on goal of the frame to even the score less than seven minutes later. Courtney Plaster rocketed a hard shot from the left side of the U-M circle and Alex Quinn, who was camped out in front of the Wolverine cage, got a piece of the ball to tip it high past junior/sophomore goalkeeper Paige Pickett (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas).
Michigan continued to create scoring opportunities throughout the half, including a pair that were not reflected in the statistical categories. The Wolverines twice tried to connect with a speeding Wolverine forward on the left side of the NU cage, but neither junior Stephanie Hoyer (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) nor freshman Alicia Mayer (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove HS) could control the pass.
The Wolverines took advantage of a series of penalty-corner opportunities late in the half, converting on the third of back-to-back-to-back chances to retake the advantage at the 30:20 mark. Belassi scored on the direct shot, driving a hard blast from the top of the NU circle. The ball hit a Wildcat defender and bounced over Kyle into the cage. Senior Jillianne Whitfield (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) and junior Michaela McDermott (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights HS) earned assists on the stop and the push, respectively.
Michigan drew another corner opportunity with time expired in the frame after Kyle challenged a Fitzpatrick breakaway in the waning seconds by slide-tackling the U-M sophomore near the top of the circle. The Wolverines could not get off a clear shot, however, and the half concluded with Michigan ahead 2-1.
NU knotted up the score again just three minutes into the second frame. The Wildcats drew a quick corner opportunity, and Pickett stopped the initial direct shot, but the ball kicked out to the right side of the circle, where Cassie Miller batted it back to the U-M cage, beating Pickett low.
Michigan charged to the other end of the field and pressured in the NU defensive 25, holding play to its offensive zone for several minutes and drawing a pair of corners. U-M was unable to convert on either opportunity, and the attack came to an end when the Wildcats' Plaster led a solo push down the field -- weaving through several Michigan defenders -- and peppered Pickett with three straight point-blank shots. The Wolverine netminder made the necessary saves and totaled four for the half.
Michigan outshot the Wildcats 25-8 in the contest and outcornered them 17-1. Pickett made four saves in the U-M cage to earn her 13th win of the season, while Kyle stopped 12 of Michigan's 15 shots on goal.
Michigan will complete the regular-season portion of its 2007 schedule next weekend with a pair of non-conference matches on the West Coast. U-M heads to Berkeley, Calif., to face California Saturday (Oct. 27) before playing Stanford in the regular-season finale on Sunday (Oct. 28) in Palo Alto, Calif. Both games are slated to start at noon PDT.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Northwestern | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Ashley Lennington, 3:12 (Kelly Fitzpatrick)
1st -- NU, Alex Quinn, 10:08 (Courtney Plaster)
1st -- U-M, Lucia Belassi, 32:00 (Jillianne Whitfield, Michaela McDermott)
2nd -- NU, Cassie Miller, 37:58 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Fitzpatrick, 68:20 (Belassi)
Shots: U-M 25, NU 8
Saves: U-M 4 (Paige Pickett), NU 12 (Emily Kyle)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, NU 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 17, NU 1
Penalty Strokes: None
Team Stats
Lennington, Ashley
Assisted By: Fitzpatrick, Kelly
Deflection from centering pass
3:12
Quinn, Alex
Assisted By: Plaster, Courtney
Defeclted pass
10:08
Belassi, Lucia
Assisted By: Whitfield, Jillianne , McDermott, Michaela
GOAL by MICH Belassi, Lucia, Assist by Whitfield, Jillianne and McDermott, Michaela.
32:00
Miller, Cassie
GOAL by NU Miller, Cassie.
37:58
Fitzpatrick, Kelly
Assisted By: Belassi, Lucia
GOAL by MICH Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Assist by Belassi, Lucia.
68:20
