Michigan
(3-4)
Louisville
(3-4)
Belassi's Multi-Goal Effort Paces U-M Past Louisville
9/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Site: Louisville, Ky. (Trager Stadium)
Score: #15 Michigan 3, #16 Louisville 2
Records: U-M (3-4), Louisville (3-4)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, Sept. 15 -- vs. Vermont (Louisville, Ky.), 2 p.m.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Senior Lucia Belassi (Paysandu, Uruguay/Liceo #1) registered two goals and a second-half assist to lead the No. 15-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team to a 3-2 decision over No. 16 Louisville Friday afternoon (Sept. 14) in Trager Stadium. U-M built up a sizable three-goal advantage and withstood a late Cardinal rally to claim the non-conference victory.
Belassi scored early and late in the opening frame to give Michigan a two-goal cushion at the halftime intermission. The U-M captain converted on the Wolverines' first penalty-corner opportunity of the contest -- just a little more than two minutes into the first half -- to give Michigan early advantage for the first time this season. The tally -- which extended Belassi's scoring streak to three games -- came off a direct shot from the top of the circle that hit Louisville goalkeeper Marie-Claire Heller, who was sprawled out on the turf, and bounced into the cage. Senior Jillianne Whitfield (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) and junior Michaela McDermott (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights HS) earned assists for the stop and the push, respectively.
Belassi added her second tally in the closing minutes of the frame, scoring on another blast from the top of the circle with 1:13 remaining on the clock. Sophomore Paige Laytos (Lititz, Pa./Warwick HS) dribbled the ball into Louisville territory off the left sideline before she fed a lateral pass to Belassi, who stepped inside the circle and fired a low shot into the bottom left corner of the Cardinal cage.
Louisville pressured late in the half, drawing four penalty corners and firing another point-blank shot within an eight-minute window. Junior/sophomore Paige Pickett (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas) came up with a couple big saves -- part of her three-save effort in the opening frame -- as U-M kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard.
The Wolverines wasted little time to build on their momentum as they added a necessary insurance goal -- the eventual game winner -- early in the second half. Senior Ashley Lennington (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle HS), who was camped out in front of the Louisville cage, accepted a pass from Belassi and redirected it past Heller for her second game winner of the season.
Louisville broke up the shutout bid in the waning moments of the second half, successfully converting two penalty-corner opportunities in the final six minutes of the game to cut the Wolverines' advantage to one goal. The Cardinals' first goal came from Nicole Youman, who found the bottom right corner on the direct shot from the top of the circle, beating Pickett on the blocker side. The second Louisville goal, which came at the 69:32 mark, was tipped and scored by Allison Maffitt on a direct shot in front of the U-M cage.
Michigan narrowly outshot the Cardinals 12-11, but U-M was outcornered in the contest, 9-5. Pickett registered three saves in the U-M cage en route to her third win of the season, while Heller made five stops on the Wolverines' eight shots on goal.
The Wolverines will wrap up their weekend road trip Saturday (Sept. 15) against Vermont at Trager Stadium in Louisville, Ky. Action begins at 2 p.m.
MATCH SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Louisville | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Lucia Belassi, 2:12 (Jillianne Whitfield, Michaela McDermott)
1st -- U-M, Belassi, 33:27 (Paige Laytos)
2nd -- U-M, Ashley Lennington, 41:15 (Belassi)
2nd -- UL, Nicole Youmen, 63:52 (Lauren Schaefer, Julie Anne Smith)
2nd -- UL, Allison Maffitt, 69:32 (Youmen)
Shots: U-M 12, UL 11
Saves: U-M 5 (Paige Pickett), UL 5 (Marie-Claire Heller)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, UL 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 5, UL 9
Penalty Strokes: None
Team Stats
Belassi, Lucia
Assisted By: Whitfield, Jillianne , McDermott, Michaela
penalty corner
2:12
Belassi, Lucia
Assisted By: Laytos, Paige
shot from top of circle
33:47
Lennington, Ashley
Assisted By: Belassi, Lucia
GOAL by MICH Lennington, Ashley, Assist by Belassi, Lucia.
41:15
Nicole Youman
Assisted By: Lauren Schaefer , Casey Meizinger
penalty corner
63:52
Allison Maffitt
Assisted By: Nicole Youman
GOAL by UOFL Allison Maffitt, Assist by Nicole Youman.
69:32
